diff --git a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
index 49645475..072fe715 100644
--- a/src/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
+++ b/src/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
@@ -545,24 +545,32 @@ public class UIHelper {
 			return getContactPicture(account.getJid(), size, context, false);
 		}
 	}
+
+	private static final Pattern armorRegex(String regex) { return Pattern.compile("(^|\\s+)" + regex + "(\\s+|$)"); }
+
+	private static final String armorReplacement(String replacement) { return "$1" + replacement + "$2"; }
+
 	public static String transformAsciiEmoticons(String body) {
 		if (body != null) {
-			for (String[] r: new String[][]{ // see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicodeblock_Smileys
-				{":-?\\)", " 😀 ", },
-				{";-?\\)", " 😉 ", },
-				{":-?D", " 😃 ", },
-				{":-?[Ppb]", " 😋 ", },
-				{"8-?\\)", " 😎 ", },
-				{":-?\\|", " 😐 ", },
-				{":-?[/\\\\]", " 😕 ", },
-				{":-?\\*", " 😗 ", },
-				{":-?[0Oo]", " 😮 ", },
-				{":-?\\(", " 😞 ", },
-				{"\\^\\^", " 😁 ", },
+		// see https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/regex/Pattern.html
+		// see http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp
+		// see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicodeblock_Smileys
+			for (Object[] r: new Object[][]{
+				{armorRegex(":-?\\)"), armorReplacement("😃"), },
+				{armorRegex(";-?\\)"), armorReplacement("😉"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?D"), armorReplacement("😀"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?[Ppb]"), armorReplacement("😋"), },
+				{armorRegex("8-?\\)"), armorReplacement("😎"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?\\|"), armorReplacement("😐"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?[/\\\\]"), armorReplacement("😕"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?\\*"), armorReplacement("😗"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?[0Oo]"), armorReplacement("😮"), },
+				{armorRegex(":-?\\("), armorReplacement("😞"), },
+				{armorRegex("\\^\\^"), armorReplacement("😁"), },
 			}) {
-				String p = r[0];
-				p = "(^" + p + "$|^" + p + "\\s+|\\s+" + p + "\\s+|\\s+" + p + "$)";
-				body = body.replaceAll(p, r[1]);
+				Pattern pattern = (Pattern)r[0];
+				String replacement = (String)r[1];
+				body = pattern.matcher(body).replaceAll(replacement);
 			}
 			body = body.trim();
 		}