diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/actions/settings.js b/client/coral-admin/src/actions/settings.js
index 71106e1f7..1dfda51b9 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/actions/settings.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/actions/settings.js
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ export const updateSettings = settings => {
 };
 
 export const saveSettingsToServer = () => (dispatch, getState) => {
-  const settings = getState().settings.toJS().settings;
+  let settings = getState().settings.toJS().settings;
+  if (settings.charCount) {
+    settings.charCount = parseInt(settings.charCount);
+  }
   dispatch({type: SAVE_SETTINGS_LOADING});
   coralApi('/settings', {method: 'PUT', body: settings})
     .then(() => {
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/CommentSettings.js b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/CommentSettings.js
index 194af720c..3a6a796e4 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/CommentSettings.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/CommentSettings.js
@@ -8,9 +8,25 @@ import {
   ListItemContent,
   ListItemAction,
   Textfield,
-  Checkbox
+  Checkbox,
+  Icon
 } from 'react-mdl';
 
+const updateCharCountEnable = (updateSettings, charCountChecked) => () => {
+  const charCountEnable = !charCountChecked;
+  updateSettings({charCountEnable});
+};
+
+const updateCharCount = (updateSettings, settingsError) => (event) => {
+  const charCount = event.target.value;
+  if (charCount.match(/[^0-9]/) || charCount.length === 0) {
+    settingsError('charCount', true);
+  } else {
+    settingsError('charCount', false);
+  }
+  updateSettings({charCount: charCount});
+};
+
 const updateModeration = (updateSettings, mod) => () => {
   const moderation = mod === 'pre' ? 'post' : 'pre';
   updateSettings({moderation});
@@ -31,48 +47,80 @@ const updateClosedMessage = (updateSettings) => (event) => {
   updateSettings({closedMessage});
 };
 
-const CommentSettings = (props) => <List>
-  <ListItem className={styles.configSetting}>
-    <ListItemAction>
-      <Checkbox
-        onClick={updateModeration(props.updateSettings, props.settings.moderation)}
-        checked={props.settings.moderation === 'pre'} />
-    </ListItemAction>
-    {lang.t('configure.enable-pre-moderation')}
-  </ListItem>
-  <ListItem threeLine className={styles.configSettingInfoBox}>
-    <ListItemAction>
-      <Checkbox
-        onClick={updateInfoBoxEnable(props.updateSettings, props.settings.infoBoxEnable)}
-        checked={props.settings.infoBoxEnable} />
-    </ListItemAction>
-    <ListItemContent>
-      {lang.t('configure.include-comment-stream')}
-      <p>
-        {lang.t('configure.include-comment-stream-desc')}
+const CommentSettings = ({updateSettings, settingsError, settings, errors}) => <List>
+    <ListItem className={`${styles.configSetting} ${settings.moderation === 'pre' ? styles.enabledSetting : styles.disabledSetting}`}>
+      <ListItemAction>
+        <Checkbox
+          onClick={updateModeration(updateSettings, settings.moderation)}
+          checked={settings.moderation === 'pre'} />
+      </ListItemAction>
+      <ListItemContent>
+      <div className={styles.settingsHeader}>{lang.t('configure.enable-pre-moderation')}</div>
+      <p className={settings.moderation === 'pre' ? '' : styles.disabledSettingText}>
+        {lang.t('configure.enable-pre-moderation-text')}
       </p>
     </ListItemContent>
-  </ListItem>
-  <ListItem className={`${styles.configSettingInfoBox} ${props.settings.infoBoxEnable ? null : styles.hidden}`} >
-    <ListItemContent>
-      <Textfield
-        onChange={updateInfoBoxContent(props.updateSettings)}
-        value={props.settings.infoBoxContent}
-        label={lang.t('configure.include-text')}
-        rows={3}/>
-    </ListItemContent>
-  </ListItem>
-  <ListItem className={styles.configSettingInfoBox}>
-    <ListItemContent>
-      {lang.t('configure.closed-comments-desc')}
-      <Textfield
-        onChange={updateClosedMessage(props.updateSettings)}
-        value={props.settings.closedMessage}
-        label={lang.t('configure.closed-comments-label')}
-        rows={3}/>
-    </ListItemContent>
-  </ListItem>
-</List>;
+    </ListItem>
+    <ListItem className={`${styles.configSetting} ${settings.charCountEnable ? styles.enabledSetting : styles.disabledSetting}`}>
+      <ListItemAction>
+        <Checkbox
+          onClick={updateCharCountEnable(updateSettings, settings.charCountEnable)}
+          checked={settings.charCountEnable} />
+      </ListItemAction>
+      <ListItemContent>
+        <div className={styles.settingsHeader}>{lang.t('configure.comment-count-header')}</div>
+        <p className={settings.charCountEnable ? '' : styles.disabledSettingText}>
+          <span>{lang.t('configure.comment-count-text-pre')}</span>
+          <input type='text'
+            className={`${styles.charCountTexfield} ${settings.charCountEnable && styles.charCountTexfieldEnabled}`}
+            htmlFor='charCount'
+            onChange={updateCharCount(updateSettings, settingsError)}
+            value={settings.charCount}/>
+          <span>{lang.t('configure.comment-count-text-post')}</span>
+            {
+              errors.charCount &&
+              <span className={styles.settingsError}>
+                <br/>
+                <Icon name="error_outline"/>
+                {lang.t('configure.comment-count-error')}
+              </span>
+            }
+        </p>
+      </ListItemContent>
+    </ListItem>
+    <ListItem threeLine className={`${styles.configSettingInfoBox} ${settings.infoBoxEnable ? styles.enabledSetting : styles.disabledSetting}`}>
+      <ListItemAction>
+        <Checkbox
+          onClick={updateInfoBoxEnable(updateSettings, settings.infoBoxEnable)}
+          checked={settings.infoBoxEnable} />
+      </ListItemAction>
+      <ListItemContent>
+        {lang.t('configure.include-comment-stream')}
+        <p>
+          {lang.t('configure.include-comment-stream-desc')}
+        </p>
+      </ListItemContent>
+    </ListItem>
+    <ListItem className={`${styles.configSettingInfoBox} ${settings.infoBoxEnable ? null : styles.hidden}`} >
+      <ListItemContent>
+        <Textfield
+          onChange={updateInfoBoxContent(updateSettings)}
+          value={settings.infoBoxContent}
+          label={lang.t('configure.include-text')}
+          rows={3}/>
+      </ListItemContent>
+    </ListItem>
+    <ListItem className={styles.configSettingInfoBox}>
+      <ListItemContent>
+        {lang.t('configure.closed-comments-desc')}
+        <Textfield
+          onChange={updateClosedMessage(updateSettings)}
+          value={settings.closedMessage}
+          label={lang.t('configure.closed-comments-label')}
+          rows={3}/>
+      </ListItemContent>
+    </ListItem>
+  </List>;
 
 export default CommentSettings;
 
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.css b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.css
index 388813a64..667bb4744 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.css
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.css
@@ -18,9 +18,27 @@
 .configSetting {
   border: 1px solid #ccc;
   border-radius: 4px;
-  height: 90px;
+  height: 95px;
   margin-bottom: 10px;
-  cursor: pointer;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+}
+
+.settingsError {
+  color: #d50000;
+}
+
+.settingsError i {
+  font-size: 14px;
+  margin-right: 3px;
+}
+
+.settingsHeader {
+  margin-top: 3px;
+  margin-bottom: 10px;
+}
+
+.disabledSettingText {
+  color: #ccc;
 }
 
 .configSettingInfoBox {
@@ -45,6 +63,22 @@
   display: block;
 }
 
+.charCountTexfield {
+  width: 4em;
+  padding: 0px;
+  border-color: #ccc;
+  border-style: solid;
+  border-width: 0px 0px 1px 0px;
+}
+
+.charCountTexfieldEnabled {
+  border-color: #4caf50;
+}
+
+.charCountTexfield:focus {
+  outline: none;
+}
+
 .changedSave {
   background-color:#4caf50;
 }
@@ -84,7 +118,15 @@
   margin-bottom:3px;
 }
 
+.enabledSetting {
+  border-left-color: #4caf50;
+  border-left-style: solid;
+  border-left-width: 7px;
+}
 
+.disabledSetting {
+  padding-left: 22px;
+}
 
 .hidden {
   display: none;
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.js b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.js
index db3bf6f20..8dd106cd0 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/containers/Configure/Configure.js
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ class Configure extends React.Component {
     this.state = {
       activeSection: 'comments',
       wordlist: [],
-      changed: false
+      changed: false,
+      errors: {}
     };
   }
 
@@ -64,12 +65,23 @@ class Configure extends React.Component {
     this.props.dispatch(updateSettings(setting));
   }
 
+  // Sets an arbitrary error string and a boolean state.
+  // This allows the system to track multiple errors.
+  onSettingError = (error, state) => {
+    this.setState((prevState) => {
+      prevState.errors[error] = state;
+      return prevState;
+    });
+  }
+
   getSection = (section) => {
     switch(section){
     case 'comments':
       return <CommentSettings
         settings={this.props.settings}
-        updateSettings={this.onSettingUpdate}/>;
+        updateSettings={this.onSettingUpdate}
+        errors={this.state.errors}
+        settingsError={this.onSettingError}/>;
     case 'embed':
       return <EmbedLink/>;
     case 'wordlist':
@@ -94,6 +106,9 @@ class Configure extends React.Component {
     let pageTitle = this.getPageTitle(this.state.activeSection);
     const section = this.getSection(this.state.activeSection);
 
+    const showSave = Object.keys(this.state.errors).reduce(
+      (bool, error) => this.state.errors[error] ? false : bool, this.state.changed);
+
     if (this.props.fetchingSettings) {
       pageTitle += ' - Loading...';
     }
@@ -119,7 +134,7 @@ class Configure extends React.Component {
               </ListItem>
             </List>
             {
-              this.state.changed ?
+              showSave ?
               <Button
                 raised
                 onClick={this.saveSettings}
diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/translations.json b/client/coral-admin/src/translations.json
index 013c159a8..e462f7567 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/translations.json
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/translations.json
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     },
     "configure": {
       "enable-pre-moderation": "Enable pre-moderation",
+      "enable-pre-moderation-text": "Moderators must approve any comment before it is published.",
       "include-comment-stream": "Include Comment Stream Description for Readers.",
       "include-comment-stream-desc": "Write a message to be added to the top of your comment stream. Pose a topic, include community guidelines, etc.",
       "include-text": "Include your text here.",
@@ -55,7 +56,11 @@
       "configure": "Configure",
       "community": "Community",
       "closed-comments-desc": "Write a message for closed threads",
-      "closed-comments-label": "Write a message..."
+      "closed-comments-label": "Write a message...",
+      "comment-count-header": "Limit Comment Length",
+      "comment-count-text-pre":  "Comments will be limited to ",
+      "comment-count-text-post": " characters.",
+      "comment-count-error": "Please enter a valid number."
     },
     "bandialog": {
       "ban_user": "Ban User?",
@@ -96,6 +101,7 @@
     },
     "configure": {
       "enable-pre-moderation": "Habilitar pre-moderación",
+      "enable-pre-moderation-text": "Los moderadores deben aprobar cada comentario antes de que sea publicado.",
       "include-comment-stream": "Incluir la Descripción a un Hilo de Comentario para los y las Lectoras.",
       "include-comment-stream-desc": "Escribir un mensaje que será agregado a la parte de arriba del tu hilo de comentarios. Por ejemplo, un tema, guias de comunidad, etc.",
       "include-text": "Incluir tu texto aqui.",
@@ -110,7 +116,11 @@
       "configure": "Configurar",
       "community": "Comunidad",
       "closed-comments-desc": "Escribe un mensaje para cuando los comentarios se encuentran cerrados",
-      "closed-comments-label": "Escribe un mensaje..."
+      "closed-comments-label": "Escribe un mensaje...",
+      "comment-count-header": "Limitar el largo del comentario",
+      "comment-count-text-pre":  "El largo de comentarios será ",
+      "comment-count-text-post": " caracteres",
+      "comment-count-error": "Por favor escribe un número válido."
     },
     "bandialog": {
       "ban_user": "Quieres suspender el Usuario?",
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/CommentStream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/CommentStream.js
index b53832ce5..c052e5aa1 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/CommentStream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/CommentStream.js
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class CommentStream extends Component {
     const rootItemId = this.props.items.assets && Object.keys(this.props.items.assets)[0];
     const rootItem = this.props.items.assets && this.props.items.assets[rootItemId];
     const {actions, users, comments} = this.props.items;
-    const {status, moderation, closedMessage} = this.props.config;
+    const {status, moderation, closedMessage, charCount, charCountEnable} = this.props.config;
     const {loggedIn, isAdmin, user, showSignInDialog, signInOffset} = this.props.auth;
     const {activeTab} = this.state;
     const banned = (this.props.userData.status === 'banned');
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class CommentStream extends Component {
                         currentUser={this.props.auth.user}
                         banned={banned}
                         author={user}
-                      />
+                        charCount={charCountEnable && charCount}/>
                     </RestrictedContent>
                     </div>
                   : <p>{closedMessage}</p>
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ class CommentStream extends Component {
                         parent_id={commentId}
                         premod={moderation}
                         currentUser={user}
+                        charCount={charCountEnable && charCount}
                         showReply={comment.showReply}/>
                       {
                         comment.children &&
@@ -257,6 +258,7 @@ class CommentStream extends Component {
                               premod={moderation}
                               banned={banned}
                               currentUser={user}
+                              charCount={charCountEnable && charCount}
                               showReply={reply.showReply}/>
                           </div>;
                         })
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/style/default.css b/client/coral-embed-stream/style/default.css
index c27baf406..463c8dc68 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/style/default.css
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/style/default.css
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ hr {
   margin-top: 10px;
 }
 
-#coralStream .coral-plugin-commentbox-button {
+.coral-plugin-commentbox-button {
   float: right;
   margin-top: 10px;
   padding: 5px 10px;
@@ -111,6 +111,16 @@ hr {
   margin-bottom: 5px;
 }
 
+.coral-plugin-commentbox-char-count {
+  color: #ccc;
+  text-align: right;
+  font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.coral-plugin-commentbox-char-max {
+  color: #d50000;
+}
+
 /* Comment styles */
 .comment {
   margin-bottom: 10px;
diff --git a/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/CommentBox.js b/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/CommentBox.js
index 501d2ecc9..086a0cf36 100644
--- a/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/CommentBox.js
+++ b/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/CommentBox.js
@@ -23,7 +23,18 @@ class CommentBox extends Component {
   }
 
   postComment = () => {
-    const {postItem, updateItem, id, parent_id, child_id, addNotification, appendItemArray, premod, author} = this.props;
+    const {
+      postItem,
+      updateItem,
+      id,
+      parent_id,
+      child_id,
+      addNotification,
+      appendItemArray,
+      premod,
+      author
+    } = this.props;
+
     let comment = {
       body: this.state.body,
       asset_id: id,
@@ -42,6 +53,10 @@ class CommentBox extends Component {
     if (child_id || parent_id) {
       updateItem(child_id || parent_id, 'showReply', false, 'comments');
     }
+
+    if (this.props.charCount && this.state.body.length > this.props.charCount) {
+      return;
+    }
     postItem(comment, 'comments')
       .then((postedComment) => {
         const commentId = postedComment.id;
@@ -59,8 +74,8 @@ class CommentBox extends Component {
   }
 
   render () {
-    const {styles, reply, author} = this.props;
-    // How to handle language in plugins? Should we have a dependency on our central translation file?
+    const {styles, reply, author, charCount} = this.props;
+    const length = this.state.body.length;
     return <div>
       <div
         className={`${name}-container`}>
@@ -79,10 +94,16 @@ class CommentBox extends Component {
             onChange={(e) => this.setState({body: e.target.value})}
             rows={3}/>
         </div>
+        <div className={`${name}-char-count ${length > charCount ? `${name}-char-max` : ''}`}>
+          {
+            charCount &&
+            `${charCount - length} ${lang.t('characters-remaining')}`
+          }
+        </div>
         <div className={`${name}-button-container`}>
           { author && (
               <Button
-                cStyle='darkGrey'
+                cStyle={length > charCount ? 'lightGrey' : 'darkGrey'}
                 className={`${name}-button`}
                 onClick={this.postComment}>
                 {lang.t('post')}
diff --git a/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/translations.json b/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/translations.json
index 73bef0079..49f3314d3 100644
--- a/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/translations.json
+++ b/client/coral-plugin-commentbox/translations.json
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
     "name": "Name",
     "comment-post-notif": "Your comment has been posted.",
     "comment-post-notif-premod": "Thank you for posting. Our moderation team will review your comment shortly.",
-    "comment-post-banned-word":  "Your comment contains one or more words that are not permitted, so it will not be published. If you think this message is incorrect, please contact our moderation team."
+    "comment-post-banned-word":  "Your comment contains one or more words that are not permitted, so it will not be published. If you think this message is incorrect, please contact our moderation team.",
+    "characters-remaining": " characters remaining"
   },
   "es": {
     "post": "Publicar",
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
     "name": "Nombre",
     "comment-post-notif": "Tu comentario ha sido publicado.",
     "comment-post-notif-premod": "Gracias por comentar. Nuestro equipo de moderación va a revisarlo muy pronto.",
-    "comment-post-banned-word":  "Tu comentario contiene una o más palabras que no estan permitidasen nuestro espacio, por lo que no será publicado. Si crees que es un error, por favor contacta a nuestro equipo de moderación."
+    "comment-post-banned-word":  "Tu comentario contiene una o más palabras que no estan permitidasen nuestro espacio, por lo que no será publicado. Si crees que es un error, por favor contacta a nuestro equipo de moderación.",
+    "characters-remaining": "carácteres restantes"
   }
 }
diff --git a/client/coral-ui/components/Button.css b/client/coral-ui/components/Button.css
index 6cf13c739..3a624463c 100644
--- a/client/coral-ui/components/Button.css
+++ b/client/coral-ui/components/Button.css
@@ -77,6 +77,17 @@
   background: #696969;
 }
 
+.type--lightGrey {
+  color: white;
+  background: #ccc;
+  cursor: default;
+}
+
+.type--lightGrey:hover {
+  color: white;
+  background: #ccc;
+}
+
 .type--green {
   color: white;
   background: #00897B;
diff --git a/models/setting.js b/models/setting.js
index c7589ca56..687c28959 100644
--- a/models/setting.js
+++ b/models/setting.js
@@ -38,7 +38,15 @@ const SettingSchema = new Schema({
     type: String,
     default: ''
   },
-  wordlist: [String]
+  wordlist: [String],
+  charCount: {
+    type: Number,
+    default: 5000
+  },
+  charCountEnable: {
+    type: Boolean,
+    default: false
+  }
 }, {
   timestamps: {
     createdAt: 'created_at',
diff --git a/routes/api/comments/index.js b/routes/api/comments/index.js
index 168b89fc3..3ca2f4877 100644
--- a/routes/api/comments/index.js
+++ b/routes/api/comments/index.js
@@ -97,7 +97,13 @@ router.post('/', wordlist.filter('body'), (req, res, next) => {
 
       // Return `premod` if pre-moderation is enabled and an empty "new" status
       // in the event that it is not in pre-moderation mode.
-      .then(({moderation}) => moderation === 'pre' ? 'premod' : '');
+      .then(({moderation, charCountEnable, charCount}) => {
+        // Reject if the comment is too long
+        if (charCountEnable && body.length > charCount) {
+          return 'rejected';
+        }
+        return moderation === 'pre' ? 'premod' : '';
+      });
   }
 
   status.then((status) => Comment.publicCreate({
diff --git a/tests/routes/api/comments/index.js b/tests/routes/api/comments/index.js
index b3e4e2675..fdd4e4bbe 100644
--- a/tests/routes/api/comments/index.js
+++ b/tests/routes/api/comments/index.js
@@ -197,6 +197,28 @@ describe('/api/v1/comments', () => {
         });
     });
 
+    it('should create a rejected comment if the body is above the character count', () => {
+      return Asset
+        .findOrCreateByUrl('https://coralproject.net/article1')
+        .then((asset) => {
+          return Asset
+            .overrideSettings(asset.id, {charCountEnable: true, charCount: 10})
+            .then(() => asset);
+        })
+        .then((asset) => {
+          return chai.request(app)
+            .post('/api/v1/comments')
+            .set(passport.inject({roles: []}))
+            .send({'body': 'This is way way way way way too long.', 'author_id': '123', 'asset_id': asset.id, 'parent_id': ''});
+        })
+        .then((res) => {
+          expect(res).to.have.status(201);
+          expect(res.body).to.have.property('id');
+          expect(res.body).to.have.property('asset_id');
+          expect(res.body).to.have.property('status', 'rejected');
+        });
+    });
+
     it('shouldn\'t create a comment when the asset has expired commenting', () => {
       return Asset.create({
         closedAt: new Date().setDate(0),