diff --git a/lib/rackstash/filters.rb b/lib/rackstash/filters.rb
index f41cca9..5be270a 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/filters.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/filters.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 require 'rackstash/filters/clear_color'
 require 'rackstash/filters/skip_event'
+require 'rackstash/filters/truncate_message'
 
 module Rackstash
   # Filters are part of a {Flow} where they can alter the log event before it is
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/filters/truncate_message.rb b/lib/rackstash/filters/truncate_message.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1a151a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rackstash/filters/truncate_message.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+# Copyright 2017 Holger Just
+#
+# This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
+# of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
+
+module Rackstash
+  module Filters
+    # The Truncate filter can be used to restrict the size of the emitted
+    # message. By selectively deleting parts until the message size fits into
+    # the defined limit, you can ensure that log events are properly handled by
+    # downstream systems.
+    #
+    # We are performing the following steps, until the overall size of all
+    # messages in the event is below the given maximum size or there is only one
+    # message left, regardless of size:
+    #
+    # * Pass each message to the first selector, one after another. Each message
+    #   for which the selector returns `false` or `nil` is deleted. Repeat this
+    #   for each given selector until either the overall message size is below
+    #   the defined `max_size` or there are no further selectors.
+    # * If the overall message size is still above `max_size`, we start to
+    #   delete messages at the `truncate` location until we have either achieved
+    #   the desired size limit or we have only one message left. With
+    #   `cut: top` we start to delete messages first at the beginning of the
+    #   message list, with `cut: :bottom` (the default) with the very last
+    #   message and with `cut: :middle` we are deleting from the middle of the
+    #   message list preserving the messages at the beginning and the end.
+    #
+    # Note that in any case, we are only ever deleting whole messages (which
+    # usually but not necessarily amount to whole lines). We are not splitting
+    # messages.
+    #
+    # @example
+    #   Rackstash::Flow.new(STDERR) do
+    #     # Truncate the message to at most 1 MByte.
+    #     # We try the following steps to cut a too large message down:
+    #     #   * We select all messages with at least INFO level, removing debug
+    #     #     messages.
+    #     #   * If it's still too large, we also remove INFO messages, keeping
+    #     #     only messages with a WARN severity or above
+    #     #   * If it's still too large, we remove log lines from the middle of
+    #     #     the messages until we reach the desired size.
+    #     filter Rackstash::Filters::TruncateMessage.new(
+    #       1_000_000,
+    #       selectors: [
+    #         ->(message) { message.severity >= Rackstash::INFO },
+    #         ->(message) { message.severity >= Rackstash::WARN }
+    #       ],
+    #       cut: :middle
+    #    )
+    #   end
+    class TruncateMessage
+      # @param max_size [Integer] The maximum desired number of characters for
+      #   all the messages in an event combined
+      # @param selectors [Array<#call>] An optional list of message filters
+      #   (e.g. `Proc` objects) which accept a single message. When returning
+      #   `nil` or `false`, the message is rejected.
+      # @param cut [Symbol] where to start removing messages if the message list
+      #   is still too large after all filters were applied. One of `:top`,
+      #   `:middle`, or `:bottom`.
+      def initialize(max_size, selectors: [], cut: :bottom)
+        @max_size = Integer(max_size)
+        @selectors = Array(selectors)
+
+        unless %i[top middle bottom].include?(cut)
+          raise ArgumentError, 'cut must be one of :top, :middle, :bottom'
+        end
+        @cut = cut
+      end
+
+      # Remove messages if the overall size in bytes of all the messages in the
+      # given event is larger than the desired `max_size`.
+      #
+      # @param event [Hash] an event hash
+      # @return [Hash] the given `event` with the some messages potentially
+      #   removed
+      def call(event)
+        messages = event[FIELD_MESSAGE]
+        return event unless Array === messages
+
+        @selectors.each do |selector|
+          return event if overall_size_of(messages) <= @max_size || messages.size <= 1
+          messages.select! { |message| selector.call(message) }
+        end
+        return event if messages.size <= 1
+
+        overall_size = overall_size_of(messages)
+        until overall_size <= @max_size || messages.size <= 1
+          case @cut
+          when :top
+            msg = messages.shift
+          when :middle
+            msg = messages.delete_at(messages.size / 2)
+          when :bottom
+            msg = messages.pop
+          end
+          overall_size -= msg.size
+        end
+
+        event
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def overall_size_of(messages)
+        messages.inject(0) { |sum, msg| sum + msg.size }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/rackstash/filters/truncate_message_spec.rb b/spec/rackstash/filters/truncate_message_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c02d26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/rackstash/filters/truncate_message_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+# Copyright 2017 Holger Just
+#
+# This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
+# of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
+
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+require 'rackstash/filters/truncate_message'
+
+describe Rackstash::Filters::TruncateMessage do
+  let(:max_size) { 30 }
+  let(:args) { { selectors: [], cut: :bottom } }
+  let(:filter) { described_class.new(max_size, **args) }
+
+  let(:messages) { ['some long message', 'sweet middle text', 'final message'] }
+  let(:event) { { 'message' => messages } }
+
+  describe '#initialize' do
+    it 'verifies that a valid cut value is given' do
+      expect { described_class.new(42, cut: 'foo') }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+      expect { described_class.new(42, cut: :foo) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+      expect { described_class.new(42, cut: false) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+      expect { described_class.new(42, cut: nil) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#call' do
+    context 'with selectors' do
+      it 'calls all selectors' do
+        selector_1 = instance_double('Proc')
+        selector_2 = instance_double('Proc')
+        args[:selectors] = [selector_1, selector_2]
+
+        expect(selector_1).to receive(:call).exactly(3).times.and_return(true)
+        expect(selector_2).to receive(:call).exactly(3).times.and_return(true)
+
+        filter.call(event)
+      end
+
+      it 'stops on goal' do
+        selector_1 = instance_double('Proc')
+        selector_2 = instance_double('Proc')
+        args[:selectors] = [selector_1, selector_2]
+
+        expect(selector_1).to receive(:call).exactly(3).times.and_return(false)
+        expect(selector_2).not_to receive(:call)
+
+        filter.call(event)
+        expect(messages).to be_empty
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with cut: :top' do
+      before(:each) do
+        args[:cut] = :top
+      end
+
+      it 'removes the messages at the beginning' do
+        filter.call(event)
+        expect(messages).to eql ['sweet middle text', 'final message']
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with cut: :middle' do
+      before(:each) do
+        args[:cut] = :middle
+      end
+
+      it 'removes the messages in the middle' do
+        filter.call(event)
+        expect(messages).to eql ['some long message', 'final message']
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with cut: :bottom' do
+      before(:each) do
+        args[:cut] = :bottom
+      end
+
+      it 'removes the messages at the end' do
+        filter.call(event)
+        expect(messages).to eql ['some long message']
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end