diff --git a/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.pb.go b/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.pb.go
index 30dd3d1f2..ecbd9bbea 100644
--- a/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.pb.go
+++ b/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.pb.go
@@ -140,10 +140,14 @@ type MembershipUpdateMessage struct {
 	// protobuf encoded MembershipUpdateEvent
 	Events [][]byte `protobuf:"bytes,2,rep,name=events,proto3" json:"events,omitempty"`
 	// An optional chat message
-	Message              *ChatMessage `protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=message,proto3" json:"message,omitempty"`
-	XXX_NoUnkeyedLiteral struct{}     `json:"-"`
-	XXX_unrecognized     []byte       `json:"-"`
-	XXX_sizecache        int32        `json:"-"`
+	//
+	// Types that are valid to be assigned to ChatEntity:
+	//	*MembershipUpdateMessage_Message
+	//	*MembershipUpdateMessage_EmojiReaction
+	ChatEntity           isMembershipUpdateMessage_ChatEntity `protobuf_oneof:"chat_entity"`
+	XXX_NoUnkeyedLiteral struct{}                             `json:"-"`
+	XXX_unrecognized     []byte                               `json:"-"`
+	XXX_sizecache        int32                                `json:"-"`
 }
 
 func (m *MembershipUpdateMessage) Reset()         { *m = MembershipUpdateMessage{} }
@@ -185,43 +189,86 @@ func (m *MembershipUpdateMessage) GetEvents() [][]byte {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *MembershipUpdateMessage) GetMessage() *ChatMessage {
+type isMembershipUpdateMessage_ChatEntity interface {
+	isMembershipUpdateMessage_ChatEntity()
+}
+
+type MembershipUpdateMessage_Message struct {
+	Message *ChatMessage `protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=message,proto3,oneof"`
+}
+
+type MembershipUpdateMessage_EmojiReaction struct {
+	EmojiReaction *EmojiReaction `protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=emoji_reaction,json=emojiReaction,proto3,oneof"`
+}
+
+func (*MembershipUpdateMessage_Message) isMembershipUpdateMessage_ChatEntity() {}
+
+func (*MembershipUpdateMessage_EmojiReaction) isMembershipUpdateMessage_ChatEntity() {}
+
+func (m *MembershipUpdateMessage) GetChatEntity() isMembershipUpdateMessage_ChatEntity {
 	if m != nil {
-		return m.Message
+		return m.ChatEntity
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *MembershipUpdateMessage) GetMessage() *ChatMessage {
+	if x, ok := m.GetChatEntity().(*MembershipUpdateMessage_Message); ok {
+		return x.Message
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m *MembershipUpdateMessage) GetEmojiReaction() *EmojiReaction {
+	if x, ok := m.GetChatEntity().(*MembershipUpdateMessage_EmojiReaction); ok {
+		return x.EmojiReaction
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// XXX_OneofWrappers is for the internal use of the proto package.
+func (*MembershipUpdateMessage) XXX_OneofWrappers() []interface{} {
+	return []interface{}{
+		(*MembershipUpdateMessage_Message)(nil),
+		(*MembershipUpdateMessage_EmojiReaction)(nil),
+	}
+}
+
 func init() {
 	proto.RegisterEnum("protobuf.MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType", MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType_name, MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType_value)
 	proto.RegisterType((*MembershipUpdateEvent)(nil), "protobuf.MembershipUpdateEvent")
 	proto.RegisterType((*MembershipUpdateMessage)(nil), "protobuf.MembershipUpdateMessage")
 }
 
-func init() { proto.RegisterFile("membership_update_message.proto", fileDescriptor_8d37dd0dc857a6be) }
+func init() {
+	proto.RegisterFile("membership_update_message.proto", fileDescriptor_8d37dd0dc857a6be)
+}
 
 var fileDescriptor_8d37dd0dc857a6be = []byte{
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-	0xff, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00,
+	// 393 bytes of a gzipped FileDescriptorProto
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 }
diff --git a/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.proto b/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.proto
index 8831b3f3c..315cfdf48 100644
--- a/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.proto
+++ b/protocol/protobuf/membership_update_message.proto
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 package protobuf;
 
 import "chat_message.proto";
+import "emoji_reaction.proto";
 
 message MembershipUpdateEvent {
   // Lamport timestamp of the event
@@ -35,6 +36,10 @@ message MembershipUpdateMessage {
   // A list of events for this group chat, first x bytes are the signature, then is a 
   // protobuf encoded MembershipUpdateEvent
   repeated bytes events = 2;
+
   // An optional chat message
-  ChatMessage message = 3;
+  oneof chat_entity {
+    ChatMessage message = 3;
+    EmojiReaction emoji_reaction = 4;
+  }
 }