diff --git a/src/tel/eden/mod/EdenModClient.java b/src/tel/eden/mod/EdenModClient.java
index 75fe081..b87dafc 100644
--- a/src/tel/eden/mod/EdenModClient.java
+++ b/src/tel/eden/mod/EdenModClient.java
@@ -311,14 +311,24 @@ public boolean isOpenEmotePickerMouseBound() {
 		return openEmotePickerKey.saveString().startsWith("key.mouse.");
 	}
 
+	public boolean matchesOpenEmotePickerKey(net.minecraft.client.input.KeyEvent event) {
+		return openEmotePickerKey.matches(event);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * If the picker shares chat's gameplay keybind, vanilla opens chat before the chat
+	 * screen can inspect the triggering press. Detect that held key during chat init
+	 * so the picker still opens without requiring a second press.
+	 */
 	public boolean shouldOpenEmotePickerOnChatOpen() {
 		Minecraft mc = Minecraft.getInstance();
-		if (isOpenEmotePickerMouseBound() || mc.options == null) {
+		if (!shouldAllowGameplayEmotePickerOpen() || isOpenEmotePickerMouseBound() || mc.options == null) {
 			return false;
 		}
-		return openEmotePickerKey.saveString().equals(mc.options.keyChat.saveString()) && openEmotePickerKey.isDown();
+		return edenmod$matchesGameplayChatKeybind(mc.options.keyChat) || edenmod$matchesGameplayChatKeybind(mc.options.keyCommand);
 	}
 
+	/** Queue the emote picker for the next chat screen, opening chat if needed. */
 	public void openCenteredEmotePicker() {
 		Minecraft mc = Minecraft.getInstance();
 		requestCenteredEmotePicker();
@@ -339,6 +349,24 @@ public java.util.List<PendingEntry> knownPendingAspects() {
 		return knownPendingAspects;
 	}
 
+	private boolean shouldAllowGameplayEmotePickerOpen() {
+		if (!config.emotePickerOpenFromGameplay) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return switch (config.chatEmoteToolsMode) {
+			case UI, UI_AND_AUTO -> true;
+			case AUTO, NONE -> false;
+		};
+	}
+
+	private boolean shouldOpenEmotePickerFromGameplay(Minecraft client) {
+		return shouldAllowGameplayEmotePickerOpen() && client.screen == null;
+	}
+
+	private boolean edenmod$matchesGameplayChatKeybind(KeyMapping vanillaKey) {
+		return openEmotePickerKey.saveString().equals(vanillaKey.saveString()) && openEmotePickerKey.isDown();
+	}
+
 	/** The error from the last aspects-pending reply, or {@code null} if it succeeded. */
 	public String pendingAspectsError() {
 		return pendingAspectsError;
@@ -555,10 +583,12 @@ private void onClientTick(Minecraft client) {
 			}
 		}
 		while (openEmotePickerKey.consumeClick()) {
-			if (client.screen instanceof ChatScreen && isOpenEmotePickerMouseBound()) {
-				continue;
+			// ChatScreenMixin handles picker input while chat is already open. Only the
+			// gameplay-entry path goes through this tick hook, keeping the hot path to one
+			// cheap screen/config check and preventing stale queued clicks from replaying.
+			if (shouldOpenEmotePickerFromGameplay(client)) {
+				openCenteredEmotePicker();
 			}
-			openCenteredEmotePicker();
 		}
 		pollCommandKeybinds(client);
 		if (pendingUpdateNotification && client.player != null) {
diff --git a/src/tel/eden/mod/config/BridgeConfig.java b/src/tel/eden/mod/config/BridgeConfig.java
index cfdb003..371fc19 100644
--- a/src/tel/eden/mod/config/BridgeConfig.java
+++ b/src/tel/eden/mod/config/BridgeConfig.java
@@ -196,6 +196,13 @@ public String label() {
 	/** Which chat emote tools are enabled: inline/picker UI, autocomplete, both, or none. */
 	public ChatEmoteToolsMode chatEmoteToolsMode = ChatEmoteToolsMode.UI_AND_AUTO;
 
+	/**
+	 * Whether the emote-picker keybind may open chat directly from gameplay when no
+	 * other screen is open. When disabled, the binding only works while chat is
+	 * already focused.
+	 */
+	public boolean emotePickerOpenFromGameplay = true;
+
 	/** Visible emote-picker columns in the chat overlay. */
 	public int emotePickerColumns = 5;
 
diff --git a/src/tel/eden/mod/gui/BridgeConfigScreen.java b/src/tel/eden/mod/gui/BridgeConfigScreen.java
index be11986..359fd03 100644
--- a/src/tel/eden/mod/gui/BridgeConfigScreen.java
+++ b/src/tel/eden/mod/gui/BridgeConfigScreen.java
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ protected void init() {
 		addToggleRow("My login/logout messages", () -> config.announceSelfPresence, v -> config.announceSelfPresence = v, "On", "Off", true);
 		addToggleRow("Party feed", () -> config.partyAnnounce, v -> config.partyAnnounce = v, "On", "Off", true);
 		addCycleRow("Chat emote tools", () -> config.chatEmoteToolsMode.label(), () -> config.chatEmoteToolsMode = nextChatEmoteToolsMode(config.chatEmoteToolsMode), () -> config.chatEmoteToolsMode = BridgeConfig.ChatEmoteToolsMode.UI_AND_AUTO);
+		addToggleRow("Allow emote picker outside chat", () -> config.emotePickerOpenFromGameplay, v -> config.emotePickerOpenFromGameplay = v, "Allowed", "Chat only", true);
 		addCycleRow("Game messages", () -> shortGameModeLabel(config.gameDisplayMode), () -> config.gameDisplayMode = nextGameMode(config.gameDisplayMode), () -> config.gameDisplayMode = BridgeConfig.GameDisplayMode.ALL);
 		PreviewSizeSlider slider = new PreviewSizeSlider(CONTROL_W, 20);
 		addSliderRow("Image preview size", slider, slider::syncFromConfig, () -> config.imagePreviewSize = 40);
diff --git a/src/tel/eden/mod/mixin/ChatScreenMixin.java b/src/tel/eden/mod/mixin/ChatScreenMixin.java
index 9444ba4..6bf0f5a 100644
--- a/src/tel/eden/mod/mixin/ChatScreenMixin.java
+++ b/src/tel/eden/mod/mixin/ChatScreenMixin.java
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ public abstract class ChatScreenMixin {
 	@Unique
 	private int edenmod$sliderPreviewRows = -1;
 
+	@Unique
+	private boolean edenmod$suppressPickerKeyChars;
+
 	@Inject(method = "init", at = @At("TAIL"))
 	private void edenmod$addEmoteFormatter(CallbackInfo ci) {
 		input.addFormatter((text, cursor) -> {
@@ -152,6 +155,8 @@ public abstract class ChatScreenMixin {
 			FormattedCharSequence formatted = ChatEmoteFormatter.format(text);
 			return formatted;
 		});
+		// Shared chat/picker bindings open the screen before this mixin sees the original
+		// key press, so init needs to revive the queued picker request for that case.
 		if (EdenModClient.instance().shouldOpenEmotePickerOnChatOpen()) {
 			EdenModClient.instance().requestCenteredEmotePicker();
 		}
@@ -164,6 +169,14 @@ public abstract class ChatScreenMixin {
 			edenmod$resetOverlayState();
 			return;
 		}
+		if (edenmod$isChatEmoteUiVisible() && !edenmod$pickerOpen && EdenModClient.instance().matchesOpenEmotePickerKey(event)) {
+			double[] mouse = edenmod$currentMousePosition();
+			edenmod$openPickerForMode(mouse[0], mouse[1]);
+			edenmod$suppressPickerKeyChars = true;
+			input.setEditable(false);
+			cir.setReturnValue(true);
+			return;
+		}
 		if (edenmod$isChatEmoteUiVisible() && edenmod$pickerOpen && event.key() == GLFW.GLFW_KEY_ESCAPE) {
 			if (edenmod$pickerSettingsOpen) {
 				edenmod$pickerSettingsOpen = false;
@@ -261,6 +274,10 @@ public abstract class ChatScreenMixin {
 
 	@Inject(method = "render", at = @At("TAIL"))
 	private void edenmod$renderChatOverlays(GuiGraphics graphics, int mouseX, int mouseY, float delta, CallbackInfo ci) {
+		if (edenmod$suppressPickerKeyChars) {
+			input.setEditable(true);
+			edenmod$suppressPickerKeyChars = false;
+		}
 		// Hovering an attack-timer head shows that player's IGN (works regardless of the
 		// emote-tool settings, like the timer click).
 		AttackTimerMenu.renderGoerTooltip(graphics, mouseX, mouseY);
@@ -989,6 +1006,10 @@ public abstract class ChatScreenMixin {
 
 	@Unique
 	private void edenmod$resetOverlayState() {
+		if (edenmod$suppressPickerKeyChars) {
+			input.setEditable(true);
+			edenmod$suppressPickerKeyChars = false;
+		}
 		edenmod$pickerOpen = false;
 		edenmod$pickerSettingsOpen = false;
 		edenmod$draggingSlider = null;