diff --git a/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/Const.java b/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/Const.java
index d32cb16f..825f1efd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/Const.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/Const.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ public class Const {
     public static final int ALTER_FILMLISTE_SEKUNDEN_FUER_AUTOUPDATE = 3 * 60 * 60; // beim Start des Programms wir die Liste geladen wenn sie älter ist als ..
     public static final String TIME_MAX_AGE_FOR_DIFF = "09"; // Uhrzeit ab der die Diffliste alle Änderungen abdeckt, die Filmliste darf also nicht vor xx erstellt worden sein
     public static final int MAX_BESCHREIBUNG = 400; // max länge der Beschreibung in Zeichen -> mehr gibts aber jetzt nicht mehr!
+    public static final int MAX_BESCHREIBUNG_MARGIN_LENGTH = 40;
 
     public static final String DREISAT = "3Sat";
     public static final String ARD = "ARD";
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/daten/DatenFilm.java b/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/daten/DatenFilm.java
index 8a0fc222..c253365c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/daten/DatenFilm.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/daten/DatenFilm.java
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public static String cleanDescription(String description) {
       description = description.replace("\\\"", "\"");
     }
     if (description.length() > Const.MAX_BESCHREIBUNG) {
-      return description.substring(0, Const.MAX_BESCHREIBUNG) + "\n.....";
+      return SentenceShortener.shorten(description, Const.MAX_BESCHREIBUNG, Const.MAX_BESCHREIBUNG_MARGIN_LENGTH);
     } else {
       return description;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/tool/SentenceShortener.java b/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/tool/SentenceShortener.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ecef80e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/de/mediathekview/mlib/tool/SentenceShortener.java
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package de.mediathekview.mlib.tool;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+public final class SentenceShortener {
+  private static final Pattern WHITESPACE_REGEX = Pattern.compile("\\s+");
+  private static final Pattern SENTENCE_BOUNDARY_REGEX = Pattern.compile("(?<=[.!?])\\s+");
+  private static final String SHORTENING_SUFFIX = "...";
+
+  private SentenceShortener() {
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Shortens text to a target length while preserving complete sentences.
+   *
+   * <p>Whitespace is normalized before shortening. If the text is already within the target
+   * length, the normalized text is returned unchanged. If adding the next sentence would exceed
+   * {@code targetLength + marginLength}, that sentence is omitted and {@code ...} is appended to
+   * the returned text. If the first sentence alone is already longer than the limit, it is kept
+   * whole.
+   *
+   * @param text the text to shorten; may be {@code null}
+   * @param targetLength the preferred target length; must be positive
+   * @param marginLength the allowed soft overflow beyond the target; must not be negative
+   * @return the shortened text, or {@code null} if the input is {@code null} or blank
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException if {@code targetLength <= 0} or {@code marginLength < 0}
+   */
+  public static String shorten(String text, int targetLength, int marginLength) {
+    if (targetLength <= 0) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("targetLength must be positive");
+    }
+    if (marginLength < 0) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("marginLength must not be negative");
+    }
+
+    String normalized = normalize(text);
+    if (normalized == null || normalized.length() <= targetLength) {
+      return normalized;
+    }
+
+    int softLimit = targetLength + marginLength;
+    String[] rawSentences = SENTENCE_BOUNDARY_REGEX.split(normalized);
+    List<String> sentences = new ArrayList<>();
+    for (String rawSentence : rawSentences) {
+      String sentence = rawSentence.trim();
+      if (!sentence.isEmpty()) {
+        sentences.add(sentence);
+      }
+    }
+    if (sentences.isEmpty()) {
+      return normalized;
+    }
+
+    List<String> selectedSentences = new ArrayList<>();
+    int currentLength = 0;
+    for (String sentence : sentences) {
+      int candidateLength = selectedSentences.isEmpty()
+              ? sentence.length()
+              : currentLength + 1 + sentence.length();
+      if (candidateLength > softLimit) {
+        break;
+      }
+      selectedSentences.add(sentence);
+      currentLength = candidateLength;
+    }
+
+    if (!selectedSentences.isEmpty()) {
+      String shortened = String.join(" ", selectedSentences);
+      return selectedSentences.size() < sentences.size()
+              ? shortened + SHORTENING_SUFFIX
+              : shortened;
+    }
+    return sentences.size() > 1
+            ? sentences.get(0) + SHORTENING_SUFFIX
+            : sentences.get(0);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Shortens text to a target length without any soft overflow margin.
+   *
+   * @param text the text to shorten; may be {@code null}
+   * @param targetLength the preferred target length; must be positive
+   * @return the shortened text, or {@code null} if the input is {@code null} or blank
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException if {@code targetLength <= 0}
+   */
+  public static String shorten(String text, int targetLength) {
+    return shorten(text, targetLength, 0);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Normalizes whitespace and trims a text value.
+   *
+   * @param text the text to normalize; may be {@code null}
+   * @return the normalized text, or {@code null} if the input is {@code null} or blank
+   */
+  public static String normalize(String text) {
+    if (text == null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    String normalized = WHITESPACE_REGEX.matcher(text).replaceAll(" ").trim();
+    return normalized.isEmpty() ? null : normalized;
+  }
+}