diff --git a/crates/egui/src/ui.rs b/crates/egui/src/ui.rs
index 3a75afb21..4693efea9 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/ui.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/ui.rs
@@ -617,6 +617,14 @@ impl Ui {
         self.wrap_mode() == TextWrapMode::Wrap
     }
 
+    /// How to vertically align text
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn text_valign(&self) -> Align {
+        #![allow(clippy::unused_self)]
+        // We currently always center-align, because that makes emojis and text nice and centered everywhere.
+        Align::Center
+    }
+
     /// Create a painter for a sub-region of this Ui.
     ///
     /// The clip-rect of the returned [`Painter`] will be the intersection
diff --git a/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs b/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs
index 29d59ff18..03b8cbb97 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ impl WidgetText {
         available_width: f32,
         fallback_font: impl Into<FontSelection>,
     ) -> Arc<Galley> {
-        let valign = ui.layout().vertical_align();
+        let valign = ui.text_valign();
         let style = ui.style();
 
         let wrap_mode = wrap_mode.unwrap_or_else(|| ui.wrap_mode());
diff --git a/crates/egui/src/widgets/label.rs b/crates/egui/src/widgets/label.rs
index 23ece9bbe..1119bc146 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/widgets/label.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/widgets/label.rs
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ impl Label {
             return (pos, galley, response);
         }
 
-        let valign = ui.layout().vertical_align();
+        let valign = ui.text_valign();
         let mut layout_job = self
             .text
             .into_layout_job(ui.style(), FontSelection::Default, valign);
diff --git a/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs b/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs
index 2099e3cf6..f1f1359a8 100644
--- a/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs
+++ b/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs
@@ -279,6 +279,13 @@ pub struct TextFormat {
 
     /// If you use a small font and [`Align::TOP`] you
     /// can get the effect of raised text.
+    ///
+    /// If you use a small font and [`Align::BOTTOM`]
+    /// you get the effect of a subscript.
+    ///
+    /// If you use [`Align::center`], you get text that is centered
+    /// around a common center-line, which is nice when mixining emojis
+    /// and normal text in e.g. a button.
     pub valign: Align,
     // TODO(emilk): lowered
 }
@@ -295,7 +302,7 @@ impl Default for TextFormat {
             italics: false,
             underline: Stroke::NONE,
             strikethrough: Stroke::NONE,
-            valign: Align::BOTTOM,
+            valign: Align::Center,
         }
     }
 }