diff --git a/include/game/world_packets.hpp b/include/game/world_packets.hpp
index 3d9695cd..0809ac43 100644
--- a/include/game/world_packets.hpp
+++ b/include/game/world_packets.hpp
@@ -717,7 +717,9 @@ struct TextEmoteData {
  */
 class TextEmoteParser {
 public:
-    static bool parse(network::Packet& packet, TextEmoteData& data);
+    // legacyFormat: Classic 1.12 and TBC 2.4.3 send textEmoteId+emoteNum first, then senderGuid.
+    //               WotLK 3.3.5a reverses this: senderGuid first, then textEmoteId+emoteNum.
+    static bool parse(network::Packet& packet, TextEmoteData& data, bool legacyFormat = false);
 };
 
 // ============================================================
diff --git a/src/game/game_handler.cpp b/src/game/game_handler.cpp
index 415e5295..d5cbbba5 100644
--- a/src/game/game_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/game/game_handler.cpp
@@ -8560,8 +8560,11 @@ void GameHandler::sendTextEmote(uint32_t textEmoteId, uint64_t targetGuid) {
 }
 
 void GameHandler::handleTextEmote(network::Packet& packet) {
+    // Classic 1.12 and TBC 2.4.3 send: textEmoteId(u32) + emoteNum(u32) + senderGuid(u64) + nameLen(u32) + name
+    // WotLK 3.3.5a reversed this to: senderGuid(u64) + textEmoteId(u32) + emoteNum(u32) + nameLen(u32) + name
+    const bool legacyFormat = isClassicLikeExpansion() || isActiveExpansion("tbc");
     TextEmoteData data;
-    if (!TextEmoteParser::parse(packet, data)) {
+    if (!TextEmoteParser::parse(packet, data, legacyFormat)) {
         LOG_WARNING("Failed to parse SMSG_TEXT_EMOTE");
         return;
     }
diff --git a/src/game/world_packets.cpp b/src/game/world_packets.cpp
index d23210c3..275ad5b8 100644
--- a/src/game/world_packets.cpp
+++ b/src/game/world_packets.cpp
@@ -1510,20 +1510,30 @@ network::Packet TextEmotePacket::build(uint32_t textEmoteId, uint64_t targetGuid
     return packet;
 }
 
-bool TextEmoteParser::parse(network::Packet& packet, TextEmoteData& data) {
+bool TextEmoteParser::parse(network::Packet& packet, TextEmoteData& data, bool legacyFormat) {
     size_t bytesLeft = packet.getSize() - packet.getReadPos();
     if (bytesLeft < 20) {
         LOG_WARNING("SMSG_TEXT_EMOTE too short: ", bytesLeft, " bytes");
         return false;
     }
-    data.senderGuid = packet.readUInt64();
-    data.textEmoteId = packet.readUInt32();
-    data.emoteNum = packet.readUInt32();
+
+    if (legacyFormat) {
+        // Classic 1.12 / TBC 2.4.3: textEmoteId(u32) + emoteNum(u32) + senderGuid(u64)
+        data.textEmoteId = packet.readUInt32();
+        data.emoteNum    = packet.readUInt32();
+        data.senderGuid  = packet.readUInt64();
+    } else {
+        // WotLK 3.3.5a: senderGuid(u64) + textEmoteId(u32) + emoteNum(u32)
+        data.senderGuid  = packet.readUInt64();
+        data.textEmoteId = packet.readUInt32();
+        data.emoteNum    = packet.readUInt32();
+    }
+
     uint32_t nameLen = packet.readUInt32();
     if (nameLen > 0 && nameLen <= 256) {
         data.targetName = packet.readString();
     } else if (nameLen > 0) {
-        // Skip garbage
+        // Implausible name length — misaligned read
         return false;
     }
     return true;