diff --git a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/create_character_handler.rs b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/create_character_handler.rs
index fa8fd2d40e..5b70fff464 100644
--- a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/create_character_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/create_character_handler.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ use crate::util::http_download_url_to_bytes::http_download_url_to_bytes;
 use crate::util::lookup::lookup_media_file_urls_as_map::lookup_media_file_urls_as_map;
 
 const MAX_NAME_LENGTH: usize = 255;
-const MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH: usize = 512;
+const MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH: usize = 500;
 
 /// Create a new character.
 #[utoipa::path(
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ pub async fn create_character_handler(
   let character_description = request.character_description.as_deref()
       .map(|desc| desc.trim());
 
+  if let Some(desc) = character_description {
+    if desc.len() > MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH {
+      return Err(AdvancedCommonWebError::BadInputWithSimpleMessage(
+        format!("Description exceeds maximum length of {} characters.", MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH),
+      ));
+    }
+  }
+
   // --- Look up the image media file ---
 
   let file_urls_by_token = lookup_media_file_urls_as_map(
diff --git a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/edit_character_handler.rs b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/edit_character_handler.rs
index 8f93b83ce4..1f891b8144 100644
--- a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/edit_character_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/edit_character_handler.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ pub async fn edit_character_handler(
   // --- Determine what to update ---
 
   let new_name = resolve_name_update(&request.updated_name);
-  let description_update = resolve_description_update(&request.updated_description);
+  let description_update = resolve_description_update(&request.updated_description)?;
 
   let has_name_change = new_name.is_some();
   let has_description_change = !matches!(description_update, DescriptionUpdateType::NoUpdate);
@@ -160,17 +160,23 @@ fn resolve_name_update(updated_name: &Option<String>) -> Option<String> {
 }
 
 /// Determine the description update type.
-fn resolve_description_update(updated_description: &Option<String>) -> DescriptionUpdateType {
+fn resolve_description_update(
+  updated_description: &Option<String>,
+) -> Result<DescriptionUpdateType, AdvancedCommonWebError> {
   let desc = match updated_description.as_ref() {
-    None => return DescriptionUpdateType::NoUpdate,
+    None => return Ok(DescriptionUpdateType::NoUpdate),
     Some(d) => d,
   };
 
   let trimmed = desc.trim();
   if trimmed.is_empty() {
-    DescriptionUpdateType::Nullify
+    Ok(DescriptionUpdateType::Nullify)
+  } else if trimmed.len() > MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH {
+    Err(AdvancedCommonWebError::BadInputWithSimpleMessage(
+      format!("Description exceeds maximum length of {} characters.", MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH),
+    ))
   } else {
-    DescriptionUpdateType::Update(truncate(trimmed, MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH))
+    Ok(DescriptionUpdateType::Update(trimmed.to_string()))
   }
 }