diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/type_widgets/file.ts b/src/public/app/widgets/type_widgets/file.ts
index 8030a7c93..735988278 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/type_widgets/file.ts
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/type_widgets/file.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import { t } from "../../services/i18n.js";
 import type { EventData } from "../../components/app_context.js";
 import type FNote from "../../entities/fnote.js";
 
+const TEXT_MAX_NUM_CHARS = 5000;
+
 const TPL = `
 <div class="note-detail-file note-detail-printable">
     <style>
@@ -29,6 +31,10 @@ const TPL = `
         }
     </style>
 
+    <div class="file-preview-too-big alert alert-info">
+        ${t("file.too_big", { maxNumChars: TEXT_MAX_NUM_CHARS })}
+    </div>
+
     <pre class="file-preview-content"></pre>
 
     <div class="file-preview-not-available alert alert-info">
@@ -46,6 +52,7 @@ export default class FileTypeWidget extends TypeWidget {
 
     private $previewContent!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
     private $previewNotAvailable!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
+    private $previewTooBig!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
     private $pdfPreview!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
     private $videoPreview!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
     private $audioPreview!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
@@ -58,6 +65,7 @@ export default class FileTypeWidget extends TypeWidget {
         this.$widget = $(TPL);
         this.$previewContent = this.$widget.find(".file-preview-content");
         this.$previewNotAvailable = this.$widget.find(".file-preview-not-available");
+        this.$previewTooBig = this.$widget.find(".file-preview-too-big");
         this.$pdfPreview = this.$widget.find(".pdf-preview");
         this.$videoPreview = this.$widget.find(".video-preview");
         this.$audioPreview = this.$widget.find(".audio-preview");
@@ -73,12 +81,17 @@ export default class FileTypeWidget extends TypeWidget {
         this.$previewContent.empty().hide();
         this.$pdfPreview.attr("src", "").empty().hide();
         this.$previewNotAvailable.hide();
+        this.$previewTooBig.hide();
         this.$videoPreview.hide();
         this.$audioPreview.hide();
 
         if (blob?.content) {
             this.$previewContent.show().scrollTop(0);
-            this.$previewContent.text(blob.content);
+            const trimmedContent = blob.content.substring(0, TEXT_MAX_NUM_CHARS);
+            if (trimmedContent.length !== blob.content.length) {
+                this.$previewTooBig.show();
+            }
+            this.$previewContent.text(trimmedContent);
         } else if (note.mime === "application/pdf") {
             this.$pdfPreview.show().attr("src", openService.getUrlForDownload(`api/notes/${this.noteId}/open`));
         } else if (note.mime.startsWith("video/")) {
diff --git a/src/public/translations/en/translation.json b/src/public/translations/en/translation.json
index 1a5d92b32..ccffe93d5 100644
--- a/src/public/translations/en/translation.json
+++ b/src/public/translations/en/translation.json
@@ -966,7 +966,8 @@
     "enter_workspace": "Enter workspace {{title}}"
   },
   "file": {
-    "file_preview_not_available": "File preview is not available for this file format."
+    "file_preview_not_available": "File preview is not available for this file format.",
+    "too_big": "The preview only shows the first {{maxNumChars}} characters of the file for performance reasons. Download the file and open it externally to be able to see the entire content."
   },
   "protected_session": {
     "enter_password_instruction": "Showing protected note requires entering your password:",