diff --git a/bot.py b/bot.py
index 6f7b2e4..b3f3089 100755
--- a/bot.py
+++ b/bot.py
@@ -21,9 +21,20 @@ class Bot(commands.AutoShardedBot):
 			description=self.config.get('description', ''),
 			**kwargs)
 
+		self._setup_success_emojis()
+
 		for cog in self.config['cogs']:
 			self.load_extension(cog)
 
+	def _setup_success_emojis(self):
+		"""Load the emojis from the config to be used when a command fails or succeeds
+		We do it this way so that they can be used anywhere instead of requiring a bot instance.
+		"""
+		import utils.misc
+		default = ('❌', '✅')
+		utils.SUCCESS_EMOJIS = utils.misc.SUCCESS_EMOJIS = (
+			self.config.get('response_emojis', {}).get('success', default))
+
 	def run(self):
 		super().run(self.config['tokens'].pop('discord'))
 
diff --git a/cogs/emote.py b/cogs/emote.py
index d83379a..054870f 100644
--- a/cogs/emote.py
+++ b/cogs/emote.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class Emotes:
 
 		if isinstance(error, commands.NoPrivateMessage):
 			await context.send(
-				f'{utils.SUCCESS_EMOTES[False]} Sorry, this command may only be used in a server.')
+				f'{utils.SUCCESS_EMOJIS[False]} Sorry, this command may only be used in a server.')
 
 	@commands.command()
 	async def add(self, context, *args):
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class Emotes:
 			for emote in emotes:
 				await context.invoke(self.remove, emote)
 			with contextlib.suppress(discord.HTTPException):
-				await context.message.add_reaction('✅')
+				await context.message.add_reaction(utils.SUCCESS_EMOJIS[True])
 
 	@commands.command(aliases=('mv',))
 	async def rename(self, context, old, new_name):
diff --git a/cogs/meta.py b/cogs/meta.py
index 06f1710..19cb178 100644
--- a/cogs/meta.py
+++ b/cogs/meta.py
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ class Meta:
 		try:
 			await context.author.send(self.bot.config['support_server_invite'])
 			with contextlib.suppress(discord.HTTPException):
-				await context.message.add_reaction('📬')
+				await context.message.add_reaction('📬')  # TODO make this emoji configurable too
 		except discord.Forbidden:
 			with contextlib.suppress(discord.HTTPException):
-				await context.message.add_reaction('❌')
+				await context.message.add_reaction(utils.SUCCESS_EMOJIS[True])
 			await context.send('Unable to send invite in DMs. Please allow DMs from server members.')
 
 def setup(bot):
diff --git a/config.example.py b/config.example.py
index 22517e4..b22a2d8 100644
--- a/config.example.py
+++ b/config.example.py
@@ -27,4 +27,17 @@
 	'user_agent': 'EmojiManagerBot (https://github.com/bmintz/emoji-manager-bot)',
 
 	'ec_api_url': 'https://emoji-connoisseur.python-for.life/api/v0',
+
+	# emotes that the bot may use to respond to you
+	# If not provided, the bot will use ('❌', '✅') instead.
+	#
+	# You can obtain these ones from the discordbots.org server under the name "tickNo" and "tickYes"
+	# but I uploaded them to my test server
+	# so that both the staging and the stable versions of the bot can use them
+	'response_emotes': {
+		'success': {  # emotes used to indicate success or failure
+			False: '<:error:478164511879069707>',
+			True: '<:success:478164452261363712>'
+		},
+	},
 }
diff --git a/utils/errors.py b/utils/errors.py
index 35d5667..b3a323f 100644
--- a/utils/errors.py
+++ b/utils/errors.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class MissingManageEmojisPermission(commands.MissingPermissions):
 
 	def __init__(self):
 		super(Exception, self).__init__(
-			f'{utils.SUCCESS_EMOTES[False]} '
+			f'{utils.SUCCESS_EMOJIS[False]} '
 			"Sorry, you don't have enough permissions to run this command. "
 			'You and I both need the Manage Emojis permission.')
 
diff --git a/utils/misc.py b/utils/misc.py
index b2a27a0..e4b5e69 100644
--- a/utils/misc.py
+++ b/utils/misc.py
@@ -5,11 +5,6 @@ import discord
 
 """various utilities for use within the bot"""
 
-"""Emotes used to indicate success/failure. You can obtain these from the discordbots.org guild,
-but I uploaded them to my test server
-so that both the staging and the stable versions of the bot can use them"""
-SUCCESS_EMOTES = ('<:error:416845770239508512>', '<:success:416845760810844160>')
-
 def format_user(bot, id, *, mention=False):
 	"""Format a user ID for human readable display."""
 	user = bot.get_user(id)