diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/custom_emojis_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/custom_emojis_controller.rb
index b6fc9ef27c..4cfe02eabb 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/custom_emojis_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/custom_emojis_controller.rb
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ module Admin
     def index
       authorize :custom_emoji, :index?
 
-      # If filtering by local emojis, remove by_domain filter.
-      params.delete(:by_domain) if params[:local].present?
-
       # If filtering by domain, ensure remote filter is set.
       if params[:by_domain].present?
         params.delete(:local)
diff --git a/app/models/custom_emoji_filter.rb b/app/models/custom_emoji_filter.rb
index 59ab010875..7f3cec5ae2 100644
--- a/app/models/custom_emoji_filter.rb
+++ b/app/models/custom_emoji_filter.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class CustomEmojiFilter
   def results
     scope = CustomEmoji.alphabetic
 
-    params.each do |key, value|
+    relevant_params.each do |key, value|
       next if IGNORED_PARAMS.include?(key.to_s)
 
       scope.merge!(scope_for(key, value)) if value.present?
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ class CustomEmojiFilter
 
   private
 
+  def relevant_params
+    params.tap do |args|
+      args.delete(:by_domain) if args[:local].present?
+    end
+  end
+
   def scope_for(key, value)
     case key.to_s
     when 'local'
diff --git a/spec/models/custom_emoji_filter_spec.rb b/spec/models/custom_emoji_filter_spec.rb
index c36fecd60d..8fdaeffd24 100644
--- a/spec/models/custom_emoji_filter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/custom_emoji_filter_spec.rb
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ RSpec.describe CustomEmojiFilter do
 
     context 'when params have values' do
       context 'when local' do
-        let(:params) { { local: true } }
+        let(:params) { { local: true, by_domain: 'a' } }
 
-        it 'returns ActiveRecord::Relation' do
+        it 'ignores domain and returns ActiveRecord::Relation' do
           expect(subject).to be_a(ActiveRecord::Relation)
           expect(subject).to contain_exactly(custom_emoji_domain_nil)
         end