diff --git a/lib/src/emoji_view/default_emoji_picker_view.dart b/lib/src/emoji_view/default_emoji_picker_view.dart
index cf5d538d..65ee0e84 100644
--- a/lib/src/emoji_view/default_emoji_picker_view.dart
+++ b/lib/src/emoji_view/default_emoji_picker_view.dart
@@ -83,26 +83,29 @@ class _DefaultEmojiPickerViewState extends State<DefaultEmojiPickerView>
         return EmojiContainer(
           color: widget.config.emojiViewConfig.backgroundColor,
           buttonMode: widget.config.emojiViewConfig.buttonMode,
-          child: Column(
-            children: [
-              widget.config.viewOrderConfig.top,
-              widget.config.viewOrderConfig.middle,
-              widget.config.viewOrderConfig.bottom,
-            ].map(
-              (item) {
-                switch (item) {
-                  case EmojiPickerItem.categoryBar:
-                    // Category view
-                    return _buildCategoryView();
-                  case EmojiPickerItem.emojiView:
-                    // Emoji view
-                    return _buildEmojiView(emojiSize, emojiBoxSize);
-                  case EmojiPickerItem.searchBar:
-                    // Search Bar
-                    return _buildBottomSearchBar();
-                }
-              },
-            ).toList(),
+          // Clip overflow when constrained tighter than natural height (#256).
+          child: ClipRect(
+            child: Column(
+              children: [
+                widget.config.viewOrderConfig.top,
+                widget.config.viewOrderConfig.middle,
+                widget.config.viewOrderConfig.bottom,
+              ].map(
+                (item) {
+                  switch (item) {
+                    case EmojiPickerItem.categoryBar:
+                      // Category view
+                      return _buildCategoryView();
+                    case EmojiPickerItem.emojiView:
+                      // Emoji view
+                      return _buildEmojiView(emojiSize, emojiBoxSize);
+                    case EmojiPickerItem.searchBar:
+                      // Search Bar
+                      return _buildBottomSearchBar();
+                  }
+                },
+              ).toList(),
+            ),
           ),
         );
       },
diff --git a/test/emoji_picker_test.dart b/test/emoji_picker_test.dart
index ff1eb4dd..e7ae9851 100644
--- a/test/emoji_picker_test.dart
+++ b/test/emoji_picker_test.dart
@@ -146,5 +146,52 @@ void main() {
       // Check if the category been passed to the 'onEmojiSelected' callback
       expect(_categorySelected, equals(Category.SMILEYS));
     });
+
+    testWidgets('Clips overflow when constrained tighter than natural height',
+        (WidgetTester tester) async {
+      final _controller = TextEditingController();
+
+      // Constrain the picker far below the natural sum of the category bar
+      // and bottom action bar to force the inner Column to overflow (#256).
+      await tester.pumpWidget(
+        MaterialApp(
+          home: Scaffold(
+            body: Center(
+              child: SizedBox(
+                width: 300,
+                height: 30,
+                child: EmojiPicker(
+                  textEditingController: _controller,
+                  config: const Config(
+                    height: 30,
+                    categoryViewConfig: CategoryViewConfig(
+                      recentTabBehavior: RecentTabBehavior.NONE,
+                    ),
+                  ),
+                ),
+              ),
+            ),
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+      await tester.pump();
+
+      // A RenderFlex overflow is reported in debug mode; drain it so the test
+      // can assert the overflow is clipped rather than left painting stripes.
+      final exception = tester.takeException();
+      expect(
+        exception == null || exception.toString().contains('overflowed'),
+        isTrue,
+      );
+
+      // The inner Column is wrapped in a ClipRect that clips the overflow.
+      expect(
+        find.descendant(
+          of: find.byType(EmojiContainer),
+          matching: find.byType(ClipRect),
+        ),
+        findsOneWidget,
+      );
+    });
   });
 }