diff --git a/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.html b/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.html
index 5b436778..1e098168 100644
--- a/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.html
+++ b/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.html
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@
 
     <h4 class="my-account__label my-account__margin-top">advanced settings:</h4>
     <div class="advanced-settings">
-        <input class="advanced-settings__checkbox" [value]="customStatusLength" (change)="onCustomLengthChange()"
+        <input class="advanced-settings__checkbox" [value]="customStatusLengthEnabled" (change)="onCustomLengthChange()"
             type="checkbox" name="customCharLength" value="customCharLength" id="customCharLength"> <label class="noselect advanced-settings__label" for="customCharLength">status'
             custom length</label><br>
-        <input *ngIf="customStatusLength" class="themed-form advanced-settings__input" type="number" />
+        <p *ngIf="customStatusLengthEnabled" class="advanced-settings__text">use this only if your instance doesn't support custom length detection (i.e. not a Pleroma or glitch-soc instance)</p>
+        <input *ngIf="customStatusLengthEnabled" [value]="customStatusLength" class="themed-form advanced-settings__input" type="number" />
     </div>
 
     <h4 class="my-account__label my-account__margin-top">remove account from sengi:</h4>
diff --git a/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.scss b/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.scss
index 37470a3f..8574e7c2 100644
--- a/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.scss
+++ b/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.scss
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@
 
     }
 
+    &__text {
+        display: block;
+        margin: 0 6px 9px 6px;
+        color: rgb(140, 152, 173);
+    }
+
     &__input {
         margin-left: 5px;
     }
diff --git a/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.ts b/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.ts
index c6caa9ab..183bf612 100644
--- a/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/floating-column/manage-account/my-account/my-account.component.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ export class MyAccountComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     faCheck = faCheck;
     faTimes = faTimes;
 
-    customStatusLength: boolean;
+    customStatusLengthEnabled: boolean;
+    customStatusLength: number;
     
     availableStreams: StreamWrapper[] = [];
     availableLists: StreamWrapper[] = [];
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ export class MyAccountComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     }
 
     onCustomLengthChange(): boolean {
-        this.customStatusLength = !this.customStatusLength;
+        this.customStatusLengthEnabled = !this.customStatusLengthEnabled;
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/app/states/settings.state.ts b/src/app/states/settings.state.ts
index 91aca747..ad3f6d08 100644
--- a/src/app/states/settings.state.ts
+++ b/src/app/states/settings.state.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ export class AccountSettings {
     displayNotifications: boolean = true;
     lastMentionCreationDate: string;    
     lastNotificationCreationDate: string;
+
+    customStatusCharLengthEnabled: boolean = false;
+    customStatusCharLength: number = 500;
 }
 
 export class GlobalSettings {