diff --git a/include/drawtypes/label.hpp b/include/drawtypes/label.hpp
index d2ec7bb4..3b88c40a 100644
--- a/include/drawtypes/label.hpp
+++ b/include/drawtypes/label.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include <cassert>
+
 #include "common.hpp"
 #include "components/config.hpp"
 #include "components/types.hpp"
@@ -37,6 +39,14 @@ namespace drawtypes {
     int m_font{0};
     side_values m_padding{0U,0U};
     side_values m_margin{0U,0U};
+
+    /*
+     * If m_ellipsis is true, m_maxlen MUST be larger or equal to the length of
+     * the ellipsis (3), everything else is a programming error
+     *
+     * load_label should take care of this, but be aware, if you are creating
+     * labels in a different way.
+     */
     size_t m_maxlen{0_z};
     bool m_ellipsis{true};
 
@@ -55,7 +65,9 @@ namespace drawtypes {
         , m_ellipsis(ellipsis)
         , m_text(text)
         , m_tokenized(m_text)
-        , m_tokens(forward<vector<token>>(tokens)) {}
+        , m_tokens(forward<vector<token>>(tokens)) {
+          assert(!m_ellipsis || (m_maxlen == 0 || m_maxlen >= 3));
+        }
 
     string get() const;
     operator bool();
diff --git a/src/components/builder.cpp b/src/components/builder.cpp
index 6e2a7e73..f37cb46b 100644
--- a/src/components/builder.cpp
+++ b/src/components/builder.cpp
@@ -557,14 +557,8 @@ string builder::get_label_text(const label_t& label) {
 
   size_t maxlen = label->m_maxlen;
 
-  if (maxlen > 0 && string_util::char_len(text) > maxlen ) {
-    if(label->m_ellipsis) {
-      if(maxlen < 3) {
-        throw application_error(sstream()
-            << "Label has maxlen (" << maxlen
-            << ") that is smaller than size of ellipsis(3)");
-      }
-
+  if (maxlen > 0 && string_util::char_len(text) > maxlen) {
+    if (label->m_ellipsis) {
       text = string_util::utf8_truncate(std::move(text), maxlen - 3) + "...";
     }
     else {
diff --git a/src/drawtypes/label.cpp b/src/drawtypes/label.cpp
index a907f7c3..63616d31 100644
--- a/src/drawtypes/label.cpp
+++ b/src/drawtypes/label.cpp
@@ -221,6 +221,17 @@ namespace drawtypes {
       }
     }
 
+    size_t maxlen = conf.get(section, name + "-maxlen", 0_z);
+    bool ellipsis = conf.get(section, name + "-ellipsis", true);
+
+    if(ellipsis && maxlen > 0 && maxlen < 3) {
+      logger::make().err(sstream() << "Label " << section << "." << name
+          << " has maxlen " << maxlen
+          << ", which is smaller than length of ellipsis (3), disabling ellipsis...");
+
+      ellipsis = false;
+    }
+
     // clang-format off
     return factory_util::shared<label>(text,
         conf.get(section, name + "-foreground", ""s),
@@ -230,8 +241,8 @@ namespace drawtypes {
         conf.get(section, name + "-font", 0),
         padding,
         margin,
-        conf.get(section, name + "-maxlen", 0_z),
-        conf.get(section, name + "-ellipsis", true),
+        maxlen,
+        ellipsis,
         move(tokens));
     // clang-format on
   }
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/components/builder.cpp b/tests/unit_tests/components/builder.cpp
index dac48b2a..3e95cac1 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/components/builder.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/components/builder.cpp
@@ -65,16 +65,4 @@ TEST_P(GetLabelTextTest, correctness) {
   EXPECT_LE(text.length(), m_label->m_maxlen) << "Returned text is longer than maxlen";
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief Tests, if get_label_text throws an exception, when ellipsis is
- *        turned on and m_maxlen is lower than 3 (length of the ellipsis)
- */
-TEST_F(GetLabelTextTest, throwsException) {
-  label_t m_label = factory_util::shared<label>("abcdef");
-  m_label->m_ellipsis = true;
-  m_label->m_maxlen = 2;
-
-  EXPECT_ANY_THROW(m_builder.get_label_text(m_label));
-}
-
 // }}}