diff --git a/NotoColorEmoji.tmpl.ttx.tmpl b/NotoColorEmoji.tmpl.ttx.tmpl
index fffdc03e9..ec95302dd 100644
--- a/NotoColorEmoji.tmpl.ttx.tmpl
+++ b/NotoColorEmoji.tmpl.ttx.tmpl
@@ -193,6 +193,33 @@
     <mtx name="space" width="2550" lsb="0"/>
   </hmtx>
 
+  <vhea>
+    <tableVersion value="0x00010000"/>
+    <ascent value="1275"/>
+    <descent value="-1275"/>
+    <lineGap value="0"/>
+    <advanceHeightMax value="2500"/>
+    <minTopSideBearing value="0"/>
+    <minBottomSideBearing value="0"/>
+    <yMaxExtent value="2400"/>
+    <caretSlopeRise value="0"/>
+    <caretSlopeRun value="1"/>
+    <caretOffset value="0"/>
+    <reserved1 value="0"/>
+    <reserved2 value="0"/>
+    <reserved3 value="0"/>
+    <reserved4 value="0"/>
+    <metricDataFormat value="0"/>
+    <numberOfVMetrics value="1"/>
+  </vhea>
+
+  <vmtx>
+    <mtx name=".notdef" height="2500" tsb="0"/>
+    <mtx name="null" height="0" tsb="0"/>
+    <mtx name="nonmarkingreturn" height="2500" tsb="0"/>
+    <mtx name="space" height="2500" tsb="0"/>
+  </vmtx>
+
   <cmap>
     <tableVersion version="0"/>
     <cmap_format_12 platformID="3" platEncID="10" language="0" format="12" reserved="0" length="1" nGroups="1">
diff --git a/add_glyphs.py b/add_glyphs.py
index f4d8d0f83..e94a96302 100644
--- a/add_glyphs.py
+++ b/add_glyphs.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def get_font_cmap(font):
   return font['cmap'].tables[0].cmap
 
 
-def add_glyph_data(font, seqs, seq_to_advance):
+def add_glyph_data(font, seqs, seq_to_advance, vadvance):
   """Add hmtx and GlyphOrder data for all sequences in seqs, and ensures there's
   a cmap entry for each single-codepoint sequence.  Seqs not in seq_to_advance
   will get a zero advance."""
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ def add_glyph_data(font, seqs, seq_to_advance):
 
   cmap = get_font_cmap(font)
   hmtx = font['hmtx'].metrics
+  vmtx = font['vmtx'].metrics
 
   # We don't expect sequences to be in the glyphOrder, since we removed all the
   # single-cp sequences from it and don't expect it to already contain names
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ def add_glyph_data(font, seqs, seq_to_advance):
       cmap[seq[0]] = name
     advance = seq_to_advance.get(seq, 0)
     hmtx[name] = [advance, 0]
+    vmtx[name] = [vadvance, 0]
     if name not in reverseGlyphMap:
       font.glyphOrder.append(name)
       updatedGlyphOrder=True
@@ -325,10 +327,10 @@ def add_ligature_sequences(font, seqs, aliases):
       add_ligature(lookup, cmap, seq, name)
 
 
-def update_font_data(font, seq_to_advance, aliases):
+def update_font_data(font, seq_to_advance, vadvance, aliases):
   """Update the font's cmap, hmtx, GSUB, and GlyphOrder tables."""
   seqs = get_all_seqs(font, seq_to_advance)
-  add_glyph_data(font, seqs, seq_to_advance)
+  add_glyph_data(font, seqs, seq_to_advance, vadvance)
   add_aliases_to_cmap(font, aliases)
   add_ligature_sequences(font, seqs, aliases)
 
@@ -369,7 +371,9 @@ def update_ttx(in_file, out_file, image_dirs, prefix, ext, aliases_file):
   map_fn = get_png_file_to_advance_mapper(lineheight)
   seq_to_advance = remap_values(seq_to_file, map_fn)
 
-  update_font_data(font, seq_to_advance, aliases)
+  vadvance = font['vhea'].advanceHeightMax if 'vhea' in font else lineheight
+
+  update_font_data(font, seq_to_advance, vadvance, aliases)
 
   font.saveXML(out_file)