diff --git a/ceilometer/event/storage/models.py b/ceilometer/event/storage/models.py
index 1bddda0a3..7b4b3b9b3 100644
--- a/ceilometer/event/storage/models.py
+++ b/ceilometer/event/storage/models.py
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ class Trait(base.Model):
             return float(value)
         if trait_type is cls.DATETIME_TYPE:
             return timeutils.normalize_time(timeutils.parse_isotime(value))
+        # Cropping the text value to match the TraitText value size
         if isinstance(value, six.binary_type):
-            return value.decode('utf-8')
-        return six.text_type(value)
+            return value.decode('utf-8')[:255]
+        return six.text_type(value)[:255]
diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
index f251f97bc..11022b272 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ class TraitText(Base):
     )
     event_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey('event.id'), primary_key=True)
     key = Column(String(255), primary_key=True)
-    value = Column(Text)
+    value = Column(String(255))
 
 
 class TraitInt(Base):