diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index b1e10ef8..a3f866f1 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+- fix handling of $etc in the truncate modifier when $etc is longer
+  than $length (Sylvinus, messju)
 - fix handling of %I with mysql timestamps in the date_format modifier
   (Danilo Buerger, boots)
 - update smarty_core_write_file() to better recognize Windows (boots)
diff --git a/libs/plugins/modifier.truncate.php b/libs/plugins/modifier.truncate.php
index d96de5f1..35c89690 100644
--- a/libs/plugins/modifier.truncate.php
+++ b/libs/plugins/modifier.truncate.php
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ function smarty_modifier_truncate($string, $length = 80, $etc = '...',
         return '';
 
     if (strlen($string) > $length) {
-        $length -= strlen($etc);
+        $length -= min($length, strlen($etc));
         if (!$break_words && !$middle) {
             $string = preg_replace('/\s+?(\S+)?$/', '', substr($string, 0, $length+1));
         }
         if(!$middle) {
-            return substr($string, 0, $length).$etc;
+            return substr($string, 0, $length) . $etc;
         } else {
             return substr($string, 0, $length/2) . $etc . substr($string, -$length/2);
         }