diff --git a/src/ejabberd_config.erl b/src/ejabberd_config.erl
index ab63cc4df..f25c8b81e 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd_config.erl
+++ b/src/ejabberd_config.erl
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ exit_or_halt(ExitText) ->
     case [Vsn || {ejabberd, _Desc, Vsn} <- application:which_applications()] of
 	[] ->
 	    timer:sleep(1000),
-	    halt(ExitText);
+	    halt(string:substr(ExitText, 1, 199));
 	[_] ->
 	    exit(ExitText)
     end.
diff --git a/src/gen_mod.erl b/src/gen_mod.erl
index 6289d9783..a60522eb3 100644
--- a/src/gen_mod.erl
+++ b/src/gen_mod.erl
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ start_module2(Host, Module, Opts) ->
 		false ->
 		    ?CRITICAL_MSG("ejabberd initialization was aborted because a module start failed.", []),
 		    timer:sleep(3000),
-		    erlang:halt(lists:flatten(ErrorText))
+		    erlang:halt(string:substr(lists:flatten(ErrorText), 1, 199))
 	    end
     end.