diff --git a/src/core/toxstring.cpp b/src/core/toxstring.cpp
index a0bf0a40a5..cb20d029d2 100644
--- a/src/core/toxstring.cpp
+++ b/src/core/toxstring.cpp
@@ -64,19 +64,30 @@ size_t ToxString::size() const
 }
 
 /**
- * @brief Gets the string as QString.
- * @return QString representation of the string.
+ * @brief Interpret the string as UTF-8 encoded QString.
+ *
+ * Removes any non-printable characters from the string. This is a defense-in-depth measure to
+ * prevent some potential security issues caused by bugs in client code or one of its dependencies.
  */
 QString ToxString::getQString() const
 {
-    return QString::fromUtf8(string);
+    const auto tainted = QString::fromUtf8(string).toStdU32String();
+    std::u32string cleaned;
+    std::copy_if(tainted.cbegin(), tainted.cend(), std::back_inserter(cleaned), [](char32_t c) {
+        // Cf (Other_Format) is to allow skin-color modifiers for emojis.
+        return QChar::isPrint(c) || QChar::category(c) == QChar::Category::Other_Format;
+    });
+    return QString::fromStdU32String(cleaned);
 }
 
 /**
- * @brief getBytes Gets the bytes of the string.
- * @return Bytes of the string as QByteArray.
+ * @brief Returns the bytes verbatim as they were received from or will be sent to the network.
+ *
+ * No cleanup or interpretation is done here. The bytes are returned as they were received from the
+ * network. Callers should be careful when processing these bytes. If UTF-8 messages are expected,
+ * use getQString() instead.
  */
-QByteArray ToxString::getBytes() const
+const QByteArray& ToxString::getBytes() const
 {
-    return QByteArray(string);
+    return string;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/toxstring.h b/src/core/toxstring.h
index b66e31d770..28dee47243 100644
--- a/src/core/toxstring.h
+++ b/src/core/toxstring.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class ToxString
     const uint8_t* data() const;
     size_t size() const;
     QString getQString() const;
-    QByteArray getBytes() const;
+    const QByteArray& getBytes() const;
 
 private:
     QByteArray string;
diff --git a/test/core/toxstring_test.cpp b/test/core/toxstring_test.cpp
index 5c15be2f81..1c7b13b74e 100644
--- a/test/core/toxstring_test.cpp
+++ b/test/core/toxstring_test.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include <QString>
 #include <QtTest/QtTest>
 
+#include "src/widget/form/settings/generalform.h" // getLocales
+
 class TestToxString : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -20,6 +22,10 @@ private slots:
     void emptyQByteTest();
     void emptyUINT8Test();
     void nullptrUINT8Test();
+    void localesTest();
+    void filterTest();
+    void emojiTest();
+    void coloredEmojiTest();
 
 private:
     /* Test Strings */
@@ -232,5 +238,91 @@ void TestToxString::nullptrUINT8Test()
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief Check that we can encode and decode all native locale names.
+ *
+ * This is a smoke test as opposed to anything comprehensive, but it ensures that scripts used
+ * in the languages we have translations for can be encoded and decoded.
+ */
+void TestToxString::localesTest()
+{
+    const QStringList& locales = GeneralForm::getLocales();
+    for (const QString& locale : locales) {
+        const QString lang = QLocale(locale).nativeLanguageName();
+        ToxString test(lang);
+        const QString test_string = test.getQString();
+        QCOMPARE(lang, test_string);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Check that we filter out non-printable characters.
+ */
+void TestToxString::filterTest()
+{
+    const struct TestCase
+    {
+        QString input;
+        QString expected;
+    } testCases[] = {
+        {QStringLiteral("Hello, World!"), QStringLiteral("Hello, World!")},
+        {QStringLiteral("Hello, \x00World!"), QStringLiteral("Hello, World!")},
+        {QStringLiteral("Hello, \x01World!"), QStringLiteral("Hello, World!")},
+        {QStringLiteral("Hello, \x7FWorld!"), QStringLiteral("Hello, World!")},
+        {QStringLiteral("Hello, \x80World!"), QStringLiteral("Hello, World!")},
+    };
+    for (const auto& testCase : testCases) {
+        QCOMPARE(ToxString(testCase.input).getQString(), testCase.expected);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Check that we can encode and decode emojis.
+ *
+ * These are high code point characters that are not single code units in UTF-16.
+ */
+void TestToxString::emojiTest()
+{
+    const struct TestCase
+    {
+        QString input;
+        QString expected;
+    } testCases[] = {
+        {QStringLiteral("🙂"), QStringLiteral("🙂")}, {QStringLiteral("🙁"), QStringLiteral("🙁")},
+        {QStringLiteral("🤣"), QStringLiteral("🤣")}, {QStringLiteral("🤷"), QStringLiteral("🤷")},
+        {QStringLiteral("🤼"), QStringLiteral("🤼")}, {QStringLiteral("🥃"), QStringLiteral("🥃")},
+        {QStringLiteral("🥌"), QStringLiteral("🥌")}, {QStringLiteral("🥐"), QStringLiteral("🥐")},
+    };
+
+    for (const auto& testCase : testCases) {
+        QCOMPARE(ToxString(testCase.input).getQString(), testCase.expected);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Check that we can encode and decode emojis with color modifiers.
+ *
+ * These use modifier characters to change the color of the emoji.
+ */
+void TestToxString::coloredEmojiTest()
+{
+    const struct TestCase
+    {
+        QString input;
+        QString expected;
+    } testCases[] = {
+        {QStringLiteral("🫱🏼‍🫲🏽"), QStringLiteral("🫱🏼‍🫲🏽")},
+        {QStringLiteral("👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👧🏻‍👦🏻"), QStringLiteral("👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👧🏻‍👦🏻")},
+        {QStringLiteral("👨🏼‍👩🏼‍👧🏼‍👦🏼"), QStringLiteral("👨🏼‍👩🏼‍👧🏼‍👦🏼")},
+        {QStringLiteral("👨🏽‍👩🏽‍👧🏽‍👦🏽"), QStringLiteral("👨🏽‍👩🏽‍👧🏽‍👦🏽")},
+        {QStringLiteral("👨🏾‍👩🏾‍👧🏾‍👦🏾"), QStringLiteral("👨🏾‍👩🏾‍👧🏾‍👦🏾")},
+        {QStringLiteral("👨🏿‍👩🏿‍👧🏿‍👦🏿"), QStringLiteral("👨🏿‍👩🏿‍👧🏿‍👦🏿")},
+    };
+
+    for (const auto& testCase : testCases) {
+        QCOMPARE(ToxString(testCase.input).getQString(), testCase.expected);
+    }
+}
+
 QTEST_GUILESS_MAIN(TestToxString)
 #include "toxstring_test.moc"