diff --git a/app/models/note.rb b/app/models/note.rb
index 711a4ee6..d8494edd 100644
--- a/app/models/note.rb
+++ b/app/models/note.rb
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class Note < ActiveRecord::Base
   # Returns true if this is an upvote note,
   # otherwise false is returned
   def upvote?
-    note =~ /^\+1/ ? true : false
+    note.start_with?('+1') || note.start_with?(':+1:')
   end
 end
 # == Schema Information
diff --git a/spec/models/note_spec.rb b/spec/models/note_spec.rb
index ffaf442d..dddfd34c 100644
--- a/spec/models/note_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/note_spec.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,16 @@ describe Note do
       note = Factory(:note, note: "-1 for this")
       note.should_not be_upvote
     end
+
+    it "recognizes a +1 emoji as a vote" do
+      note = build(:note, note: ":+1: for this")
+      note.should be_upvote
+    end
+
+    it "recognizes a neutral emoji note" do
+      note = build(:note, note: "I would :+1: this, but I don't want to")
+      note.should_not be_upvote
+    end
   end
 
   let(:project) { create(:project) }