diff --git a/toot/tui/app.py b/toot/tui/app.py
index 651147c..8daa03c 100644
--- a/toot/tui/app.py
+++ b/toot/tui/app.py
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ class TUI(urwid.Frame):
         self.footer = Footer()
         self.footer.set_status("Loading...")
 
+        # Default max status length, updated on startup
+        self.max_toot_chars = 500
+
         self.timeline = None
         self.overlay = None
         self.exception = None
@@ -106,8 +109,9 @@ class TUI(urwid.Frame):
         super().__init__(self.body, header=self.header, footer=self.footer)
 
     def run(self):
-        self.loop.set_alarm_in(0, lambda *args:
-            self.async_load_timeline(is_initial=True, timeline_name="home"))
+        self.loop.set_alarm_in(0, lambda *args: self.async_load_instance())
+        self.loop.set_alarm_in(0, lambda *args: self.async_load_timeline(
+            is_initial=True, timeline_name="home"))
         self.loop.run()
         self.executor.shutdown(wait=False)
 
@@ -269,6 +273,21 @@ class TUI(urwid.Frame):
         return self.run_in_thread(_load_statuses,
             done_callback=_done_initial if is_initial else _done_next)
 
+    def async_load_instance(self):
+        """
+        Attempt to update max_toot_chars from instance data.
+        Does not work on vanilla Mastodon, works on Pleroma.
+        See: https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/issues/4915
+        """
+        def _load_instance():
+            return api.get_instance(self.app.instance)
+
+        def _done(instance):
+            if "max_toot_chars" in instance:
+                self.max_toot_chars
+
+        return self.run_in_thread(_load_instance, done_callback=_done)
+
     def refresh_footer(self, timeline):
         """Show status details in footer."""
         status, index, count = timeline.get_focused_status_with_counts()
@@ -296,7 +315,7 @@ class TUI(urwid.Frame):
         def _post(timeline, *args):
             self.post_status(*args)
 
-        composer = StatusComposer(in_reply_to)
+        composer = StatusComposer(self.max_toot_chars, in_reply_to)
         urwid.connect_signal(composer, "close", _close)
         urwid.connect_signal(composer, "post", _post)
         self.open_overlay(composer, title="Compose status")
diff --git a/toot/tui/compose.py b/toot/tui/compose.py
index 5ec8944..68228b1 100644
--- a/toot/tui/compose.py
+++ b/toot/tui/compose.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import logging
 
 from .constants import VISIBILITY_OPTIONS
 from .widgets import Button, EditBox
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -12,17 +13,16 @@ class StatusComposer(urwid.Frame):
     """
     signals = ["close", "post"]
 
-    def __init__(self, in_reply_to=None):
+    def __init__(self, max_chars, in_reply_to=None):
         self.in_reply_to = in_reply_to
-        text, edit_pos = '', None
-        if in_reply_to is not None:
-            text = '@{} '.format(in_reply_to.account)
-            edit_pos = len(text)
-            mentions = ['@{}'.format(m["acct"]) for m in in_reply_to.mentions]
-            if mentions:
-                text += '\n\n{}'.format(' '.join(mentions))
-        self.content_edit = EditBox(edit_text=text, edit_pos=edit_pos,
-                                    multiline=True, allow_tab=True)
+        self.max_chars = max_chars
+
+        text = self.get_initial_text(in_reply_to)
+        self.content_edit = EditBox(
+            edit_text=text, edit_pos=len(text), multiline=True, allow_tab=True)
+        urwid.connect_signal(self.content_edit.edit, "change", self.text_changed)
+
+        self.char_count = urwid.Text(["0/{}".format(max_chars)])
 
         self.cw_edit = None
         self.cw_add_button = Button("Add content warning",
@@ -42,6 +42,23 @@ class StatusComposer(urwid.Frame):
         self.listbox = urwid.ListBox(self.walker)
         return super().__init__(self.listbox)
 
+    def get_initial_text(self, in_reply_to):
+        if not in_reply_to:
+            return ""
+
+        text = '@{} '.format(in_reply_to.account)
+        mentions = ['@{}'.format(m["acct"]) for m in in_reply_to.mentions]
+        if mentions:
+            text += '\n\n{}'.format(' '.join(mentions))
+
+        return text
+
+    def text_changed(self, edit, text):
+        count = self.max_chars - len(text)
+        text = "{}/{}".format(count, self.max_chars)
+        color = "warning" if count < 0 else ""
+        self.char_count.set_text((color, text))
+
     def generate_list_items(self):
         if self.in_reply_to:
             yield urwid.Text(("gray", "Replying to {}".format(self.in_reply_to.account)))
@@ -49,6 +66,7 @@ class StatusComposer(urwid.Frame):
 
         yield urwid.Text("Status message")
         yield self.content_edit
+        yield self.char_count
         yield urwid.Divider()
 
         if self.cw_edit:
diff --git a/toot/tui/constants.py b/toot/tui/constants.py
index edf88fe..346230d 100644
--- a/toot/tui/constants.py
+++ b/toot/tui/constants.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ PALETTE = [
     ('green_selected', 'white,bold', 'dark green'),
     ('yellow', 'yellow', ''),
     ('yellow_bold', 'yellow,bold', ''),
+    ('warning', 'light red', ''),
 ]
 
 VISIBILITY_OPTIONS = [
diff --git a/toot/tui/widgets.py b/toot/tui/widgets.py
index 59e1d0b..a311d52 100644
--- a/toot/tui/widgets.py
+++ b/toot/tui/widgets.py
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ class SelectableColumns(Clickable, urwid.Columns):
 class EditBox(urwid.AttrWrap):
     """Styled edit box."""
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        edit = urwid.Edit(*args, **kwargs)
-        return super().__init__(edit, "editbox", "editbox_focused")
+        self.edit = urwid.Edit(*args, **kwargs)
+        return super().__init__(self.edit, "editbox", "editbox_focused")
 
 
 class Button(urwid.AttrWrap):