diff --git a/racket/src/io/demo.rkt b/racket/src/io/demo.rkt
index e1571974ca..dc88c1dad7 100644
--- a/racket/src/io/demo.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/io/demo.rkt
@@ -129,6 +129,26 @@
 (fprintf (current-output-port) "*~v*" '!!!)
 (newline)
 
+(parameterize ([error-print-width 5])
+  (test "abc" (format "~.a" "abc"))
+  (test "abcde" (format "~.a" "abcde"))
+  (test "ab..." (format "~.a" "abcdef"))
+  (test "abc" (format "~.a" #"abc"))
+  (test "abcde" (format "~.a" #"abcde"))
+  (test "ab..." (format "~.a" #"abcdef"))
+  (test "ab..." (format "~.a" 'abcdef))
+  (test "\"ab\"" (format "~.s" "ab"))
+  (test "\"abc\"" (format "~.s" "abc"))
+  (test "\"a..." (format "~.s" "abcde"))
+  (test "#\"a\"" (format "~.s" #"a"))
+  (test "#\"ab\"" (format "~.s" #"ab"))
+  (test "#\"..." (format "~.s" #"abc"))
+  (test "#\"..." (format "~.s" #"abcdef"))
+  (test "|a b|" (format "~.s" '|a b|))
+  (test "|a..." (format "~.s" '|a bx|))
+  (test "(1 2)" (format "~.a" '(1 2)))
+  (test "(1..." (format "~.a" '(10 2))))
+
 (test "no: hi 10"
       (with-handlers ([exn:fail? exn-message])
         (error 'no "hi ~s" 10)))
diff --git a/racket/src/io/print/bytes.rkt b/racket/src/io/print/bytes.rkt
index fa7fa7c503..26672b34b5 100644
--- a/racket/src/io/print/bytes.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/io/print/bytes.rkt
@@ -10,10 +10,15 @@
     (let loop ([start-i 0] [i 0] [max-length max-length])
       (cond
        [(eq? max-length 'full) 'full]
-       [(or (= i len)
-            (and max-length ((- i start-i) . > . max-length)))
+       [(= i len)
         (let ([max-length (write-bytes/max bstr o max-length start-i i)])
           (write-bytes/max #"\"" o max-length))]
+       [(and max-length
+             (or (pair? max-length)
+                 ((- i start-i) . > . max-length)))
+        ;; Getting full: abandon block mode so that we stop earlier
+        (let ([max-length (write-bytes/max bstr o max-length start-i i)])
+          (loop i (add1 i) max-length))]
        [else
         (define b (bytes-ref bstr i))
         (cond
diff --git a/racket/src/io/print/main.rkt b/racket/src/io/print/main.rkt
index a1747b7c30..02a3b8fdc5 100644
--- a/racket/src/io/print/main.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/io/print/main.rkt
@@ -158,12 +158,20 @@
 (define (sub3 n) (and n (- n 3)))
 
 (define (dots max-length o)
-  (when (eq? max-length 'full)
-    (write-string "..." o)))
+  (cond
+    [(eq? max-length 'full)
+     (write-string "..." o)]
+    [(pair? max-length)
+     ;; pending bytes fit after all
+     (write-bytes (cdr max-length) o)]
+    [else (void)]))
 
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 
-;; Returns the max length that is still available
+;; Returns the max length that is still available, where 'full
+;; means that more than three items would otherwise have been
+;; written, and a pair indicates that some bytes/characters are
+;; pending until the rest of the writes are determined
 (define (p who v mode o max-length graph config)
   (cond
     [(and graph (hash-ref graph v #f))
diff --git a/racket/src/io/print/string.rkt b/racket/src/io/print/string.rkt
index 68924dd81b..ccbbf4846b 100644
--- a/racket/src/io/print/string.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/io/print/string.rkt
@@ -10,10 +10,15 @@
     (let loop ([start-i 0] [i 0] [max-length max-length])
       (cond
        [(eq? max-length 'full) 'full]
-       [(or (= i len)
-            (and max-length ((- i start-i) . > . max-length)))
+       [(= i len)
         (let ([max-length (write-string/max str o max-length start-i i)])
           (write-bytes/max #"\"" o max-length))]
+       [(and max-length
+             (or (pair? max-length)
+                 ((- i start-i) . > . max-length)))
+        ;; Getting full: abandon block mode so that we stop earlier
+        (let ([max-length (write-string/max str o max-length start-i i)])
+          (loop i (add1 i) max-length))]
        [else
         (define c (string-ref str i))
         (define escaped
diff --git a/racket/src/io/print/write-with-max.rkt b/racket/src/io/print/write-with-max.rkt
index 1040126ac5..a674cc19c1 100644
--- a/racket/src/io/print/write-with-max.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/io/print/write-with-max.rkt
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 (require "../port/string-output.rkt"
          "../port/bytes-output.rkt"
          "../port/port.rkt"
-         "../port/max-output-port.rkt")
+         "../port/max-output-port.rkt"
+         "../string/convert.rkt")
 
 (provide write-string/max
          write-bytes/max
@@ -16,15 +17,17 @@
    [(not max-length)
     (write-string str o start end)
     #f]
+   [(pair? max-length)
+    (more-pending max-length start end str)]
    [else
     (define len (- end start))
     (cond
-     [(len . < . max-length)
+     [(len . <= . max-length)
       (write-string str o start end)
       (- max-length len)]
      [else
       (write-string str o start (+ start max-length))
-      'full])]))
+      (more-pending '(0 . #"") (+ start max-length) end str)])]))
 
 ;; For measuring purposes, just treat bytes as characters:
 (define (write-bytes/max bstr o max-length [start 0] [end (bytes-length bstr)])
@@ -33,15 +36,29 @@
    [(not max-length)
     (write-bytes bstr o start end)
     #f]
+   [(pair? max-length)
+    (more-pending max-length start end bstr)]
    [else
     (define len (- end start))
     (cond
-     [(len . < . max-length)
+     [(len . <= . max-length)
       (write-bytes bstr o start end)
       (- max-length len)]
      [else
       (write-bytes bstr o start (+ start max-length))
-      'full])]))
+      (more-pending '(0 . #"") (+ start max-length) end bstr)])]))
+
+(define (more-pending max-length start end str)
+  (define prev-pending (car max-length))
+  (define len (- end start))
+  (define new-pending (+ len prev-pending))
+  (cond
+    [(new-pending . > . 3) 'full]
+    [else (cons new-pending
+                (bytes-append (cdr max-length)
+                              (if (string? str)
+                                  (string->bytes/utf-8 str #f start end)
+                                  (subbytes str start end))))]))
 
 (define (make-output-port/max o max-length)
   (make-max-output-port o max-length))