diff --git a/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestCode.swift b/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestCode.swift
index e8b63018..632f8432 100644
--- a/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestCode.swift
+++ b/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestCode.swift
@@ -104,6 +104,16 @@ final class TestCode: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 6))
     }
 
+    func testEmojiInsideCode() throws {
+        let parser = getParser()
+
+        let parsed = parser.parse("`test 👋 abc`")
+        XCTAssertEqual(parsed.string, "test 👋 abc")
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 1))
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 9))
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 10))
+    }
+
     /*
      // Expected to fail currently, because the CodeEscaping does not differentiate between code and syntax and always allows new lines
      func testCodeMultiline() throws {
diff --git a/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestSyntax.swift b/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestSyntax.swift
index b30372e0..31dfe81b 100644
--- a/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestSyntax.swift
+++ b/CDMarkdownKitTests/TestSyntax.swift
@@ -137,4 +137,15 @@ final class TestSyntax: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 4))
     }
 
+    func testEmojiInsideSyntax() throws {
+        let parser = getParser()
+
+        let parsed = parser.parse("```\nsyntax\n👍ABC\n```")
+        XCTAssertEqual(parsed.string, "syntax\n👍ABC\n")
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 4))
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 10))
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 11))
+        XCTAssertTrue(TestHelpers.isMonospaced(testString: parsed, at: 12))
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/Source/CDMarkdownCode.swift b/Source/CDMarkdownCode.swift
index 8f341e9a..5c23bc93 100644
--- a/Source/CDMarkdownCode.swift
+++ b/Source/CDMarkdownCode.swift
@@ -68,10 +68,13 @@ open class CDMarkdownCode: CDMarkdownCommonElement {
         guard let unescapedString = matchString.fromBase64() else { return }
         attributedString.replaceCharacters(in: range,
                                            with: unescapedString)
+
+        // Since we use NSRange here, we need to count based on UTF16, alternatively could use NSString length property
         let range = NSRange(location: range.location,
-                            length: unescapedString.characterCount())
+                            length: unescapedString.utf16.count)
         attributedString.addAttributes(attributes,
                                        range: range)
+        
         let mutableString = attributedString.mutableString
         // Remove \n if in string, not valid in Code element
         // Use Syntax element for \n to parse in string
diff --git a/Source/CDMarkdownSyntax.swift b/Source/CDMarkdownSyntax.swift
index 7ae699ae..a7ea5ae3 100644
--- a/Source/CDMarkdownSyntax.swift
+++ b/Source/CDMarkdownSyntax.swift
@@ -75,8 +75,9 @@ open class CDMarkdownSyntax: CDMarkdownCommonElement {
         attributedString.replaceCharacters(in: range,
                                            with: unescapedString)
 
+        // Since we use NSRange here, we need to count based on UTF16, alternatively could use NSString length property
         let range = NSRange(location: range.location,
-                            length: unescapedString.characterCount())
+                            length: unescapedString.utf16.count)
         attributedString.addAttributes(attributes,
                                        range: range)
         // If the previous character was a newline then parser doesn't have to worry about
diff --git a/Source/String+CDMarkdownKit.swift b/Source/String+CDMarkdownKit.swift
index a3ba2f0a..57a99b54 100644
--- a/Source/String+CDMarkdownKit.swift
+++ b/Source/String+CDMarkdownKit.swift
@@ -95,10 +95,6 @@ internal extension String {
         return from ..< to
     }
 
-    func characterCount() -> Int {
-        return self.count
-    }
-
     func sizeWithAttributes(_ attributes: [CDAttributedStringKey: Any]? = nil) -> CGSize {
         return self.size(withAttributes: attributes)
     }