diff --git a/app/models/emoji_set_site_setting.rb b/app/models/emoji_set_site_setting.rb
index 32221b26d..aea81d488 100644
--- a/app/models/emoji_set_site_setting.rb
+++ b/app/models/emoji_set_site_setting.rb
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ require 'enum_site_setting'
 
 class EmojiSetSiteSetting < EnumSiteSetting
 
+  NAME = :emoji_set
+
   # fix the URLs when changing the site setting
   DiscourseEvent.on(:site_setting_saved) do |site_setting|
-    if site_setting.name.to_s == "emoji_set" && site_setting.value_changed?
+    if site_setting.name == NAME && site_setting.value_changed?
       Emoji.clear_cache
 
-      before = "/images/emoji/#{site_setting.value_was}/"
+      previous_value = site_setting.value_was || SiteSetting.defaults[NAME]
+      before = "/images/emoji/#{previous_value}/"
       after = "/images/emoji/#{site_setting.value}/"
 
       Scheduler::Defer.later("Fix Emoji Links") do