diff --git a/channels/emoji.go b/channels/emoji.go
index c640264563cec55f6d42d2ab224facbd3a035270..8d0a20a44c5c1eaa9422168fc7013302ce50d3f9 100644
--- a/channels/emoji.go
+++ b/channels/emoji.go
@@ -2,35 +2,43 @@ package channels
 
 import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	jww "github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman"
 	"regexp"
 )
 
-const findEmoji = "(\\\\u00a9|\\\\u00ae|[\\\\u2000-\\\\u3300]|\\\\ud83c[\\\\ud000-\\\\udfff]|\\\\ud83d[\\\\ud000-\\\\udfff]|\\\\ud83e[\\\\ud000-\\\\udfff])"
+// found at https://www.regextester.com/106421
+const findEmoji = `(\\u00a9|\\u00ae|[\\u2000-\\u3300]|\\ud83c[\\ud000-` +
+	`\\udfff]|\\ud83d[\\ud000-\\udfff]|\\ud83e[\\ud000-\\udfff])`
 
 var InvalidReaction = errors.New(
 	"The reaction is not valid, it must be a single emoji")
 
+var compiledRegex *regexp.Regexp
+
+// compile the regular expression in an init so it is only
+// compiled once
+func init() {
+	var err error
+	compiledRegex, err = regexp.Compile(findEmoji)
+	if err != nil {
+		jww.FATAL.Panicf("failed to compile the regex for emoji finding " +
+			"within channels")
+	}
+}
+
 // ValidateReaction checks that the reaction only contains a single emoji.
 func ValidateReaction(reaction string) error {
+
+	//make sure it is only only character
 	reactRunes := []rune(reaction)
 	if len(reactRunes) > 1 {
 		return InvalidReaction
 	}
 
-	reg, err := regexp.Compile(findEmoji)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if !reg.Match([]byte(reaction)) {
+	// make sure it is only one emoji
+	if !compiledRegex.Match([]byte(reaction)) {
 		return InvalidReaction
 	}
 
-	/*
-		fmt.Println(string(reactRunes[0]))
-		fmt.Println(reactRunes[1])
-		fmt.Println(reactRunes[2])
-
-		jww.WARN.Printf("Reaction Validation Not Yet Implemented")*/
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/channels/emoji_test.go b/channels/emoji_test.go
index 672d089b81863d18511cdfb801a105e5e0cd6d50..2486a1c960d66f8b162b3073d26cc184a5b3cb87 100644
--- a/channels/emoji_test.go
+++ b/channels/emoji_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 package channels
 
-/*
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
+	"testing"
+)
+
 func TestValidateReaction(t *testing.T) {
 	r := "🍆"
 
@@ -18,4 +23,4 @@ func TestValidateReaction(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Got error: %+v", err)
 	}
-}*/
+}