diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index bf4253c2..b4b4a866 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -233,6 +233,17 @@ create patch releases.
 
 Default: `:ambulance:, :lock:, :bug:, :zap:, :goal_net:, :alien:, :wheelchair:, :speech_balloon:, :mag:, :apple:, :penguin:, :checkered_flag:, :robot:, :green_apple:`
 
+.. _config-use_textual_changelog_sections:
+
+``use_textual_changelog_sections``
+------------------------------------
+
+If this is set to `true` with using the :py:func:`semantic_release.history.emoji_parser`,
+semantic-release will use human readable ASCII section headings in the changelog instead of
+the configured emoji.
+
+Default: `false`
+
 .. _config-scipy-parser:
 
 ``scipy_parser``
diff --git a/semantic_release/defaults.cfg b/semantic_release/defaults.cfg
index d49e5982..9e1e2aa5 100644
--- a/semantic_release/defaults.cfg
+++ b/semantic_release/defaults.cfg
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ changelog_file=CHANGELOG.md
 changelog_placeholder=<!--next-version-placeholder-->
 changelog_scope=true
 changelog_sections=feature,fix,breaking,documentation,performance,:boom:,:sparkles:,:children_crossing:,:lipstick:,:iphone:,:egg:,:chart_with_upwards_trend:,:ambulance:,:lock:,:bug:,:zap:,:goal_net:,:alien:,:wheelchair:,:speech_balloon:,:mag:,:apple:,:penguin:,:checkered_flag:,:robot:,:green_apple:,Other
+use_textual_changelog_sections=false
 check_build_status=false
 include_additional_files=
 commit_message=Automatically generated by python-semantic-release
diff --git a/semantic_release/history/parser_emoji.py b/semantic_release/history/parser_emoji.py
index 6f244b45..4b51430d 100644
--- a/semantic_release/history/parser_emoji.py
+++ b/semantic_release/history/parser_emoji.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ def parse_commit_message(
     patch = config.get("patch_emoji").split(",")
     all_emojis = major + minor + patch
 
+    use_textual_changelog_sections = config.get("use_textual_changelog_sections")
     # Loop over emojis from most important to least important
     # Therefore, we find the highest level emoji first
     primary_emoji = "Other"
@@ -52,9 +53,12 @@ def parse_commit_message(
     level_bump = 0
     if primary_emoji in major:
         level_bump = 3
+        primary_emoji = "breaking" if use_textual_changelog_sections else primary_emoji
     elif primary_emoji in minor:
+        primary_emoji = "feature" if use_textual_changelog_sections else primary_emoji
         level_bump = 2
     elif primary_emoji in patch:
+        primary_emoji = "fix" if use_textual_changelog_sections else primary_emoji
         level_bump = 1
 
     # All emojis will remain part of the returned description
diff --git a/semantic_release/settings.py b/semantic_release/settings.py
index 7f571147..726e660f 100644
--- a/semantic_release/settings.py
+++ b/semantic_release/settings.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ def _config_from_ini(paths):
     flags = {
         "changelog_capitalize",
         "changelog_scope",
+        "use_textual_changelog_sections",
         "check_build_status",
         "commit_version_number",
         "ignore_token_for_push",
diff --git a/tests/parsers/test_emoji.py b/tests/parsers/test_emoji.py
index 80b1696b..83cfbe60 100644
--- a/tests/parsers/test_emoji.py
+++ b/tests/parsers/test_emoji.py
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
+import mock
+import pytest
+
 from semantic_release.history import emoji_parser
 
+from .. import wrapped_config_get
+
 
 def test_major():
     commit = (
@@ -65,3 +70,35 @@ def test_emoji_in_description():
         ":boom: should not be detected",
     ]
     assert parsed_commit[4] == []
+
+
+@mock.patch(
+    "semantic_release.history.parser_emoji.config.get",
+    wrapped_config_get(use_textual_changelog_sections=True),
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "level,commit,commit_type",
+    [
+        (
+            3,
+            ":boom: Breaking changes\n\n"
+            "More description\n\n"
+            "Even more description",
+            "breaking",
+        ),
+        (
+            2,
+            ":sparkles: Add a new feature\n\n" "Some description of the feature",
+            "feature",
+        ),
+        (
+            1,
+            ":bug: Fixing a bug\n\n" "The bug is finally gone!",
+            "fix",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_use_textual_changelog_sections(level, commit, commit_type):
+    parsed_commit = emoji_parser(commit)
+    assert parsed_commit[0] == level
+    assert parsed_commit[1] == commit_type