diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index 6e7389d666..da5d985c17 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -243,6 +243,78 @@ void mark_seek(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     cmd->last_seek_time = now;
 }
 
+static char *skip_n_lines(char *text, int lines)
+{
+    while (text && lines > 0) {
+        char *next = strchr(text, '\n');
+        text = next ? next + 1 : NULL;
+        lines--;
+    }
+    return text;
+}
+
+static int count_lines(char *text)
+{
+    int count = 0;
+    while (text) {
+        char *next = strchr(text, '\n');
+        if (!next || (next[0] == '\n' && !next[1]))
+            break;
+        text = next + 1;
+        count++;
+    }
+    return count;
+}
+
+// Given a huge string separated by new lines, attempts to cut off text above
+// the current line to keep the line visible, and below to keep rendering
+// performance up. pos gives the current line (0 for the first line).
+// "text" might be returned as is, or it can be freed and a new allocation is
+// returned.
+// This is only a heuristic - we can't deal with line breaking.
+static char *cut_osd_list(struct MPContext *mpctx, char *text, int pos)
+{
+    int screen_h, font_h;
+    osd_get_text_size(mpctx->osd, &screen_h, &font_h);
+    int max_lines = screen_h / MPMAX(font_h, 1) - 1;
+
+    if (!text || max_lines < 5)
+        return text;
+
+    int count = count_lines(text);
+    if (count <= max_lines)
+        return text;
+
+    char *new = talloc_strdup(NULL, "");
+
+    int start = pos - max_lines / 2;
+    if (start == 1)
+        start = 0; // avoid weird transition when pad_h becomes visible
+    int pad_h = start > 0;
+    if (pad_h)
+        new = talloc_strdup_append_buffer(new, "\342\206\221 (hidden items)\n");
+
+    int space = max_lines - pad_h - 1;
+    int pad_t = count - start > space;
+    if (!pad_t)
+        start = count - space;
+
+    char *head = skip_n_lines(text, start);
+    if (!head) {
+        talloc_free(new);
+        return text;
+    }
+
+    char *tail = skip_n_lines(head, max_lines - pad_h - pad_t);
+    new = talloc_asprintf_append_buffer(new, "%.*s",
+                            (int)(tail ? tail - head : strlen(head)), head);
+    if (pad_t)
+        new = talloc_strdup_append_buffer(new, "\342\206\223 (hidden items)\n");
+
+    talloc_free(text);
+    return new;
+}
+
 static char *format_file_size(int64_t size)
 {
     double s = size;
@@ -3321,9 +3393,10 @@ static int mp_property_playlist(void *ctx, struct m_property *prop,
 {
     MPContext *mpctx = ctx;
     if (action == M_PROPERTY_PRINT) {
+        struct playlist *pl = mpctx->playlist;
         char *res = talloc_strdup(NULL, "");
 
-        for (struct playlist_entry *e = mpctx->playlist->first; e; e = e->next)
+        for (struct playlist_entry *e = pl->first; e; e = e->next)
         {
             char *p = e->filename;
             if (!mp_is_url(bstr0(p))) {
@@ -3331,12 +3404,12 @@ static int mp_property_playlist(void *ctx, struct m_property *prop,
                 if (s[0])
                     p = s;
             }
-            const char *m = mpctx->playlist->current == e ?
-                            list_current : list_normal;
+            const char *m = pl->current == e ? list_current : list_normal;
             res = talloc_asprintf_append(res, "%s%s\n", m, p);
         }
 
-        *(char **)arg = res;
+        *(char **)arg =
+            cut_osd_list(mpctx, res, playlist_entry_to_index(pl, pl->current));
         return M_PROPERTY_OK;
     }
 
diff --git a/sub/osd.h b/sub/osd.h
index f0ebc3b827..aef1c60b33 100644
--- a/sub/osd.h
+++ b/sub/osd.h
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ void osd_rescale_bitmaps(struct sub_bitmaps *imgs, int frame_w, int frame_h,
 // defined in osd_libass.c and osd_dummy.c
 void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, void *id, int res_x, int res_y,
                       char *text);
+void osd_get_text_size(struct osd_state *osd, int *out_screen_h, int *out_font_h);
 void osd_get_function_sym(char *buffer, size_t buffer_size, int osd_function);
 
 #endif /* MPLAYER_SUB_H */
diff --git a/sub/osd_dummy.c b/sub/osd_dummy.c
index f7710ae2df..0e6b802cef 100644
--- a/sub/osd_dummy.c
+++ b/sub/osd_dummy.c
@@ -28,3 +28,9 @@ void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, void *id, int res_x, int res_y,
                       char *text)
 {
 }
+
+void osd_get_text_size(struct osd_state *osd, int *out_screen_h, int *out_font_h)
+{
+    *out_screen_h = 0;
+    *out_font_h = 0;
+}
diff --git a/sub/osd_libass.c b/sub/osd_libass.c
index 454d0387a4..44fcf6d269 100644
--- a/sub/osd_libass.c
+++ b/sub/osd_libass.c
@@ -219,13 +219,10 @@ static ASS_Event *add_osd_ass_event_escaped(ASS_Track *track, const char *style,
     return e;
 }
 
-static void update_osd_text(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
+static ASS_Style *prepare_osd_ass(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
 {
     struct MPOpts *opts = osd->opts;
 
-    if (!obj->text[0])
-        return;
-
     create_ass_track(osd, obj, &obj->ass, 0, 0);
 
     struct osd_style_opts font = *opts->osd_style;
@@ -236,10 +233,31 @@ static void update_osd_text(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
     if (!opts->osd_scale_by_window)
         playresy *= 720.0 / obj->vo_res.h;
 
-    mp_ass_set_style(get_style(&obj->ass, "OSD"), playresy, &font);
+    ASS_Style *style = get_style(&obj->ass, "OSD");
+    mp_ass_set_style(style, playresy, &font);
+    return style;
+}
+
+static void update_osd_text(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
+{
+
+    if (!obj->text[0])
+        return;
+
+    prepare_osd_ass(osd, obj);
     add_osd_ass_event_escaped(obj->ass.track, "OSD", obj->text);
 }
 
+void osd_get_text_size(struct osd_state *osd, int *out_screen_h, int *out_font_h)
+{
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&osd->lock);
+    struct osd_object *obj = osd->objs[OSDTYPE_OSD];
+    ASS_Style *style = prepare_osd_ass(osd, obj);
+    *out_screen_h = obj->ass.track->PlayResY - style->MarginV;
+    *out_font_h = style->FontSize;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&osd->lock);
+}
+
 // align: -1 .. +1
 // frame: size of the containing area
 // obj: size of the object that should be positioned inside the area