diff --git a/data/com.github.bleakgrey.tootle.gschema.xml b/data/com.github.bleakgrey.tootle.gschema.xml
index e9be8ee..9fec02d 100644
--- a/data/com.github.bleakgrey.tootle.gschema.xml
+++ b/data/com.github.bleakgrey.tootle.gschema.xml
@@ -36,5 +36,10 @@
 			<summary>Sets application theme to dark</summary>
 			<description></description>
 		</key>
+		<key name="char-limit" type="i">
+			<default>500</default>
+			<summary>Default character limit</summary>
+			<description>Change this if your instance supports more than 500 characters in post</description>
+		</key>
 	</schema>
 </schemalist>
diff --git a/src/Dialogs/PostDialog.vala b/src/Dialogs/PostDialog.vala
index 2c8ca60..e3886e1 100644
--- a/src/Dialogs/PostDialog.vala
+++ b/src/Dialogs/PostDialog.vala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ public class Tootle.PostDialog : Gtk.Dialog {
     
     protected Status? in_reply_to;
     protected StatusVisibility visibility_opt = StatusVisibility.PUBLIC;
+    protected int char_limit;
 
     public PostDialog (Status? status = null) {
         Object (
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ public class Tootle.PostDialog : Gtk.Dialog {
             title: _("Toot"),
             transient_for: Tootle.window
         );
+        char_limit = settings.char_limit;
         in_reply_to = status;
         if (in_reply_to != null)
             visibility_opt = in_reply_to.visibility;
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ public class Tootle.PostDialog : Gtk.Dialog {
         scroll.show_all ();
         
         attachments = new AttachmentBox (true);
-        counter = new Gtk.Label ("500");
+        counter = new Gtk.Label ("");
         
         actions.pack_start (counter, false, false, 6);
         actions.pack_end (spoiler, false, false, 6);
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ public class Tootle.PostDialog : Gtk.Dialog {
         show_all ();
         attachments.hide ();
         text.grab_focus ();
+        validate ();
     }
     
     private Gtk.MenuButton get_visibility_btn () {
@@ -148,7 +151,7 @@ public class Tootle.PostDialog : Gtk.Dialog {
     }
     
     private void validate () {
-        var remain = 500 - text.buffer.text.length;
+        var remain = char_limit - text.buffer.text.length;
         if (spoiler.active)
             remain -= spoiler_text.buffer.text.length;
         
diff --git a/src/SettingsManager.vala b/src/SettingsManager.vala
index 9a9f5bb..e01351d 100644
--- a/src/SettingsManager.vala
+++ b/src/SettingsManager.vala
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ public class Tootle.SettingsManager : Granite.Services.Settings {
     public bool always_online { get; set; }
     public bool cache { get; set; }
     public int cache_size { get; set; }
+    public int char_limit { get; set; }
     public bool live_updates { get; set; }
     public bool dark_theme { get; set; }