diff --git a/src/replace.test.ts b/src/replace.test.ts
index d1a4ca7..751e947 100644
--- a/src/replace.test.ts
+++ b/src/replace.test.ts
@@ -61,4 +61,9 @@ describe('replace', () => {
   it('ignores known existing complex emojis', () => {
     expect(replace('Some 🍕❤️‍💋‍☕ emoji', '')).toBe('Some ❤️‍💋‍☕ emoji')
   })
+
+  it('replaces an emoji that has a skin tone modifier', () => {
+    expect(replace('👍🏽', () => 'Z')).toBe('Z')
+    expect(replace('thumbs 👍🏽 up', '')).toBe('thumbs up')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/replace.ts b/src/replace.ts
index e11cc69..d70ce80 100644
--- a/src/replace.ts
+++ b/src/replace.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { assert } from '@sindresorhus/is'
+import skinTone from 'skin-tone'
 
 import { Emoji } from './data.js'
 import { findByCode } from './findByCode.js'
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ export const replace = (
 
   return characters
     .map((character, index) => {
-      const found = findByCode(character)
+      const found = findByCode(skinTone(character, 'none'))
       if (!found) {
         return character
       }
diff --git a/src/strip.test.ts b/src/strip.test.ts
index 904b212..6179c88 100644
--- a/src/strip.test.ts
+++ b/src/strip.test.ts
@@ -22,4 +22,9 @@ describe('strip', () => {
   it('preserves spaces around emoji when preserveSpaces is true', () => {
     expect(strip('a ☕ c', { preserveSpaces: true })).toBe('a  c')
   })
+
+  it('removes an emoji that has a skin tone modifier', () => {
+    expect(strip('X👍🏽Y')).toBe('XY')
+    expect(strip('a👋🏿b✋🏼c')).toBe('abc')
+  })
 })