diff --git a/kitty_tests/datatypes.py b/kitty_tests/datatypes.py
index ff5e67a89..f1fc9dadb 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/datatypes.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/datatypes.py
@@ -398,9 +398,10 @@ class TestDataTypes(BaseTest):
         self.ae(tpl('a\U0001f337', 2), 1)
         self.ae(tpl('a\U0001f337', 3), 2)
         self.ae(tpl('a\U0001f337b', 4), 3)
-        self.ae(sanitize_title('a\0\01 \t\n\f\rb'), 'a b')
         self.ae(tpl('a\x1b[31mbc', 2), 7)
 
+        self.ae(sanitize_title('a\0\01 \t\n\f\rb'), 'a b')
+
         def tp(*data, leftover='', text='', csi='', apc='', ibp=False):
             text_r, csi_r, apc_r, rest = [], [], [], []
             left = ''
diff --git a/tools/wcswidth/truncate.go b/tools/wcswidth/truncate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00c00bd72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/wcswidth/truncate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+// License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2022, Kovid Goyal, <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+package wcswidth
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"kitty/tools/utils"
+)
+
+var _ = fmt.Print
+
+type truncate_error struct {
+	pos, width int
+}
+
+func (self *truncate_error) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprint("Truncation at:", self.pos, " with width:", self.width)
+}
+
+type truncate_iterator struct {
+	w WCWidthIterator
+
+	pos, limit        int
+	limit_exceeded_at *truncate_error
+}
+
+func (self *truncate_iterator) handle_csi(body []byte) error {
+	self.pos += len(body) + 2
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (self *truncate_iterator) handle_st_terminated_escape_code(body []byte) error {
+	self.pos += len(body) + 4
+	return nil
+}
+
+func create_truncate_iterator() *truncate_iterator {
+	var ans truncate_iterator
+	ans.w.parser.HandleRune = ans.handle_rune
+	ans.w.parser.HandleCSI = ans.handle_csi
+	ans.w.parser.HandleOSC = ans.handle_st_terminated_escape_code
+	ans.w.parser.HandleAPC = ans.handle_st_terminated_escape_code
+	ans.w.parser.HandleDCS = ans.handle_st_terminated_escape_code
+	ans.w.parser.HandlePM = ans.handle_st_terminated_escape_code
+	ans.w.parser.HandleSOS = ans.handle_st_terminated_escape_code
+	return &ans
+}
+
+func (self *truncate_iterator) handle_rune(ch rune) error {
+	width := self.w.current_width
+	self.w.handle_rune(ch)
+	if self.limit_exceeded_at != nil {
+		if self.w.current_width <= self.limit { // emoji variation selectors can cause width to decrease
+			return &truncate_error{pos: self.pos + len(string(ch)), width: self.w.current_width}
+		}
+		return self.limit_exceeded_at
+	}
+	if self.w.current_width > self.limit {
+		self.limit_exceeded_at = &truncate_error{pos: self.pos, width: width}
+	}
+	self.pos += len(string(ch))
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (self *truncate_iterator) parse(b []byte) (ans int, width int) {
+	err := self.w.parser.Parse(b)
+	var te *truncate_error
+	if err != nil && errors.As(err, &te) {
+		return te.pos, te.width
+	}
+	if self.limit_exceeded_at != nil {
+		return self.limit_exceeded_at.pos, self.limit_exceeded_at.width
+	}
+	return len(b), self.w.current_width
+}
+
+func TruncateToVisualLengthWithWidth(text string, length int) (truncated string, width_of_truncated int) {
+	if length < 1 {
+		return text[:0], 0
+	}
+	t := create_truncate_iterator()
+	t.limit = length
+	t.limit_exceeded_at = nil
+	t.w.current_width = 0
+	truncate_point, width := t.parse(utils.UnsafeStringToBytes(text))
+	return text[:truncate_point], width
+}
+
+func TruncateToVisualLength(text string, length int) string {
+	ans, _ := TruncateToVisualLengthWithWidth(text, length)
+	return ans
+}
diff --git a/tools/wcswidth/wcswidth_test.go b/tools/wcswidth/wcswidth_test.go
index 04143e147..933ab5106 100644
--- a/tools/wcswidth/wcswidth_test.go
+++ b/tools/wcswidth/wcswidth_test.go
@@ -37,4 +37,25 @@ func TestWCSWidth(t *testing.T) {
 	// Flags individually and together
 	wcwidth("\U0001f1ee\U0001f1f3", 2, 2)
 	wcswidth("\U0001f1ee\U0001f1f3", 2)
+
+	truncate := func(text string, length int, expected string, expected_width int) {
+		actual, actual_width := TruncateToVisualLengthWithWidth(text, length)
+		if actual != expected {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to truncate \"%s\" to %d\nExpected: %#v\nActual:   %#v", text, length, expected, actual)
+		}
+		if actual_width != expected_width {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to truncate with width \"%s\" to %d\nExpected: %d\nActual:   %d", text, length, expected_width, actual_width)
+		}
+	}
+	truncate("abc", 4, "abc", 3)
+	truncate("abc", 3, "abc", 3)
+	truncate("abc", 2, "ab", 2)
+	truncate("abc", 0, "", 0)
+	truncate("a🌷", 2, "a", 1)
+	truncate("a🌷", 3, "a🌷", 3)
+	truncate("a🌷b", 3, "a🌷", 3)
+	truncate("a🌷b", 4, "a🌷b", 4)
+	truncate("a🌷\ufe0e", 2, "a🌷\ufe0e", 2)
+	truncate("a🌷\ufe0eb", 3, "a🌷\ufe0eb", 3)
+	truncate("a\x1b[31mb", 2, "a\x1b[31mb", 2)
 }