diff --git a/internal/core/truncate.go b/internal/core/truncate.go
index 53798eee..5867f7fd 100644
--- a/internal/core/truncate.go
+++ b/internal/core/truncate.go
@@ -6,14 +6,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	defaultMaxLines = 2000
-	defaultMaxBytes = 50 * 1024 // 50KB
-	grepMaxLineLen  = 500
+	defaultMaxLines   = 2000
+	defaultMaxBytes   = 50 * 1024 // 50KB
+	defaultMaxLineLen = 2000      // max characters per line before truncation
+	grepMaxLineLen    = 500
 
 	// DefaultMaxLines is the exported default line limit for truncation.
 	DefaultMaxLines = defaultMaxLines
 	// DefaultMaxBytes is the exported default byte limit for truncation.
 	DefaultMaxBytes = defaultMaxBytes
+	// DefaultMaxLineLen is the exported default per-line character limit.
+	DefaultMaxLineLen = defaultMaxLineLen
 )
 
 // TruncationResult describes how output was truncated.
@@ -26,6 +29,8 @@ type TruncationResult struct {
 }
 
 // TruncateTail keeps the last maxLines lines and at most maxBytes bytes.
+// Individual lines longer than defaultMaxLineLen are truncated to prevent
+// extremely long single lines from blowing up the TUI when wrapped.
 // Used for bash output where the tail is most relevant.
 func TruncateTail(content string, maxLines, maxBytes int) TruncationResult {
 	if maxLines <= 0 {
@@ -38,11 +43,11 @@ func TruncateTail(content string, maxLines, maxBytes int) TruncationResult {
 	lines := strings.Split(content, "\n")
 	total := len(lines)
 
-	if len(content) <= maxBytes && total <= maxLines {
-		return TruncationResult{Content: content, Total: total, Kept: total}
-	}
+	// Truncate individual long lines first to prevent single lines from
+	// wrapping into hundreds of visual lines in the TUI.
+	lines = truncateLongLines(lines, defaultMaxLineLen)
 
-	// Truncate by lines first (keep tail)
+	// Truncate by lines (keep tail)
 	truncBy := ""
 	if total > maxLines {
 		lines = lines[total-maxLines:]
@@ -78,6 +83,7 @@ func TruncateTail(content string, maxLines, maxBytes int) TruncationResult {
 }
 
 // truncateHead keeps the first maxLines lines and at most maxBytes bytes.
+// Individual lines longer than defaultMaxLineLen are truncated.
 // Used for read, grep, find, ls output where the head is most relevant.
 func truncateHead(content string, maxLines, maxBytes int) TruncationResult {
 	if maxLines <= 0 {
@@ -90,9 +96,8 @@ func truncateHead(content string, maxLines, maxBytes int) TruncationResult {
 	lines := strings.Split(content, "\n")
 	total := len(lines)
 
-	if len(content) <= maxBytes && total <= maxLines {
-		return TruncationResult{Content: content, Total: total, Kept: total}
-	}
+	// Truncate individual long lines first.
+	lines = truncateLongLines(lines, defaultMaxLineLen)
 
 	truncBy := ""
 	if total > maxLines {
@@ -125,6 +130,19 @@ func truncateHead(content string, maxLines, maxBytes int) TruncationResult {
 	}
 }
 
+// truncateLongLines caps each line to maxLen characters, appending a
+// "[...N chars truncated]" marker to any line that exceeds the limit.
+// This prevents a single very long line (e.g. minified JSON/JS) from
+// wrapping into hundreds of visual rows and blowing up the TUI.
+func truncateLongLines(lines []string, maxLen int) []string {
+	for i, line := range lines {
+		if len(line) > maxLen {
+			lines[i] = line[:maxLen] + fmt.Sprintf("... [%d chars truncated]", len(line)-maxLen)
+		}
+	}
+	return lines
+}
+
 // truncateLine truncates a single line to maxChars, appending "..." if cut.
 func truncateLine(line string, maxChars int) string {
 	if maxChars <= 0 {
diff --git a/internal/core/truncate_test.go b/internal/core/truncate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ee38ab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/core/truncate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestTruncateTail_LongLines(t *testing.T) {
+	// A single line of 5000 chars should be truncated to defaultMaxLineLen.
+	longLine := strings.Repeat("x", 5000)
+	tr := TruncateTail(longLine, 2000, 50*1024)
+
+	if len(tr.Content) > defaultMaxLineLen+100 { // +100 for the "[...N chars truncated]" suffix
+		t.Errorf("single long line not truncated: got %d chars, want <= %d", len(tr.Content), defaultMaxLineLen+100)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(tr.Content, "chars truncated]") {
+		t.Error("truncated line should contain truncation marker")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateTail_NormalLines(t *testing.T) {
+	// Lines within the limit should pass through unchanged.
+	content := "line1\nline2\nline3"
+	tr := TruncateTail(content, 2000, 50*1024)
+	if tr.Content != content {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", tr.Content, content)
+	}
+	if tr.Truncated {
+		t.Error("should not be marked as truncated")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateTail_LineCount(t *testing.T) {
+	lines := make([]string, 100)
+	for i := range lines {
+		lines[i] = "line"
+	}
+	content := strings.Join(lines, "\n")
+	tr := TruncateTail(content, 10, 50*1024)
+
+	if !tr.Truncated {
+		t.Error("should be marked as truncated")
+	}
+	if tr.Total != 100 {
+		t.Errorf("total = %d, want 100", tr.Total)
+	}
+	if tr.Kept != 10 {
+		t.Errorf("kept = %d, want 10", tr.Kept)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateHead_LongLines(t *testing.T) {
+	longLine := strings.Repeat("y", 5000)
+	tr := truncateHead(longLine, 2000, 50*1024)
+
+	if len(tr.Content) > defaultMaxLineLen+100 {
+		t.Errorf("single long line not truncated: got %d chars, want <= %d", len(tr.Content), defaultMaxLineLen+100)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(tr.Content, "chars truncated]") {
+		t.Error("truncated line should contain truncation marker")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateHead_NormalLines(t *testing.T) {
+	content := "line1\nline2\nline3"
+	tr := truncateHead(content, 2000, 50*1024)
+	if tr.Content != content {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", tr.Content, content)
+	}
+	if tr.Truncated {
+		t.Error("should not be marked as truncated")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateHead_LineCount(t *testing.T) {
+	lines := make([]string, 100)
+	for i := range lines {
+		lines[i] = "line"
+	}
+	content := strings.Join(lines, "\n")
+	tr := truncateHead(content, 10, 50*1024)
+
+	if !tr.Truncated {
+		t.Error("should be marked as truncated")
+	}
+	if tr.Total != 100 {
+		t.Errorf("total = %d, want 100", tr.Total)
+	}
+	if tr.Kept != 10 {
+		t.Errorf("kept = %d, want 10", tr.Kept)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateLongLines(t *testing.T) {
+	lines := []string{
+		"short",
+		strings.Repeat("a", 3000),
+		"also short",
+	}
+	result := truncateLongLines(lines, 100)
+
+	if result[0] != "short" {
+		t.Error("short line should be unchanged")
+	}
+	if len(result[1]) > 200 { // 100 chars + marker
+		t.Errorf("long line not truncated: len=%d", len(result[1]))
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(result[1], "chars truncated]") {
+		t.Error("should contain truncation marker")
+	}
+	if result[2] != "also short" {
+		t.Error("short line should be unchanged")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateTail_MixedLongAndManyLines(t *testing.T) {
+	// 50 lines, each 3000 chars — tests both per-line and total truncation.
+	lines := make([]string, 50)
+	for i := range lines {
+		lines[i] = strings.Repeat("z", 3000)
+	}
+	content := strings.Join(lines, "\n")
+
+	tr := TruncateTail(content, 10, 50*1024)
+
+	// Should keep 10 lines.
+	if tr.Kept != 10 {
+		t.Errorf("kept = %d, want 10", tr.Kept)
+	}
+	// Each line should be capped at ~defaultMaxLineLen.
+	resultLines := strings.Split(tr.Content, "\n")
+	for i, line := range resultLines {
+		if len(line) > defaultMaxLineLen+100 {
+			t.Errorf("line %d too long: %d chars", i, len(line))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncateLine(t *testing.T) {
+	short := "hello"
+	if truncateLine(short, 10) != short {
+		t.Error("short line should be unchanged")
+	}
+
+	long := strings.Repeat("x", 100)
+	result := truncateLine(long, 10)
+	if len(result) != 13 { // 10 + "..."
+		t.Errorf("got len %d, want 13", len(result))
+	}
+
+	// Default max for 0 — input shorter than default, so unchanged
+	result2 := truncateLine(long, 0)
+	if result2 != long {
+		t.Errorf("100-char line should be unchanged when maxChars defaults to %d", grepMaxLineLen)
+	}
+
+	// Longer input with default
+	veryLong := strings.Repeat("x", 1000)
+	result3 := truncateLine(veryLong, 0)
+	if len(result3) != grepMaxLineLen+3 {
+		t.Errorf("got len %d, want %d", len(result3), grepMaxLineLen+3)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/model.go b/internal/ui/model.go
index 077f3c2b..f270e422 100644
--- a/internal/ui/model.go
+++ b/internal/ui/model.go
@@ -3343,9 +3343,22 @@ func (m *AppModel) handleShellCommandResult(msg shellCommandResultMsg) tea.Cmd {
 	var displayHiddenCount int
 	if displayOutput != "" {
 		lines := strings.Split(displayOutput, "\n")
+		// Cap individual line length to prevent long lines from wrapping
+		// into excessive visual rows.
+		maxLineChars := m.width * 3
+		if maxLineChars < 200 {
+			maxLineChars = 200
+		}
+		for i, line := range lines {
+			if len(line) > maxLineChars {
+				lines[i] = line[:maxLineChars] + "…"
+			}
+		}
 		if len(lines) > maxShellDisplayLines {
 			displayHiddenCount = len(lines) - maxShellDisplayLines
 			displayOutput = strings.Join(lines[:maxShellDisplayLines], "\n")
+		} else {
+			displayOutput = strings.Join(lines, "\n")
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/ui/tool_renderers.go b/internal/ui/tool_renderers.go
index c2c10347..72feeabe 100644
--- a/internal/ui/tool_renderers.go
+++ b/internal/ui/tool_renderers.go
@@ -578,9 +578,17 @@ func renderBashBody(toolResult string, width int) string {
 	}
 
 	const lineIndent = "  "
+	// Cap individual line length to prevent long lines (e.g. minified
+	// JSON) from wrapping into hundreds of visual rows.
+	maxLineChars := (width - len(lineIndent)) * 3 // allow some wrapping but not unbounded
+	if maxLineChars < 200 {
+		maxLineChars = 200
+	}
+
 	var rendered []string
 	inStderr := false
 	for _, line := range lines {
+		line = truncateLine(line, maxLineChars)
 		// Detect the STDERR: label that Kit's bash tool emits
 		if strings.TrimSpace(line) == "STDERR:" {
 			inStderr = true