diff --git a/.releaserc.js b/.releaserc.js
index 8e46201..4b03c37 100644
--- a/.releaserc.js
+++ b/.releaserc.js
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ const fs = require('fs')
 const tplFile = path.resolve(__dirname, 'build/release-notes.hbs')
 
 module.exports = {
+  branches: [
+    "main",
+  ],
   plugins: [
     [
       'semantic-release-gitmoji',
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 84e03cd..221a643 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # semantic-release-gitmoji
-[![Build Status](https://app.travis-ci.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji.svg?branch=master)](https://app.travis-ci.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji)
+[![Test Status](https://github.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji/actions/workflows/test.yaml/badge.svg?branch=main)](https://github.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji/actions/workflows/test.yaml)
+[![Release Status](https://github.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji/actions/workflows/release.yaml/badge.svg?branch=main)](https://github.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji/actions/workflows/release.yaml)
 [![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/semantic-release-gitmoji.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/semantic-release-gitmoji)
 [![semantic-release](https://img.shields.io/badge/%20%20%F0%9F%93%A6%F0%9F%9A%80-semantic--release-e10079.svg)](https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release)
 [![Gitmoji](https://img.shields.io/badge/gitmoji-%20😜%20😍-FFDD67.svg?style=flat-square)](https://gitmoji.carloscuesta.me/)
diff --git a/lib/helper/parse-commits.js b/lib/helper/parse-commits.js
index 14720e4..258fdfb 100644
--- a/lib/helper/parse-commits.js
+++ b/lib/helper/parse-commits.js
@@ -46,9 +46,12 @@ function parseGitmoji ({ subject = '', message = '', body = '' } = {}, issues =
   const matched = emojiRegex().exec(subject)
   if (!matched || matched.index !== 0) return null
 
-  const gitmoji = matched[0]
+  const gitmoji = matched[0]  
   const semver = gitmojis.find(matchEmoji(gitmoji))?.semver || 'other'
-  subject = subject.replace(new RegExp('^' + gitmoji), '')
+
+  // lightly escape to issue where commits starts with a special regex char https://github.com/momocow/semantic-release-gitmoji/issues/76
+  const gitmojiEscaped = gitmoji.replace(/[/\-\\^$*+?.()|[\]{}]/g, '\\$&')
+  subject = subject.replace(new RegExp('^' + gitmojiEscaped), '')
 
   return { subject, message: subject + '\n\n' + body, gitmoji, semver }
 }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 0537a75..b38e2be 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "semantic-release-gitmoji",
-  "version": "1.6.3",
+  "version": "1.6.5",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "semantic-release-gitmoji",
-      "version": "1.6.3",
+      "version": "1.6.5",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "dateformat": "^3.0.3",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 07ff978..e442f71 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "semantic-release-gitmoji",
-  "version": "1.6.3",
+  "version": "1.6.5",
   "description": "Different from conventional changelog, Gitmoji commits are used to determine a release type and generate release notes.",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     "node-emoji": "^1.11.0"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
-    "semantic-release": "<22"
+    "semantic-release": "<23"
   },
   "files": [
     "lib",