diff --git a/etc/object-server.conf-sample b/etc/object-server.conf-sample
index 00fce516f6..714279c9bc 100644
--- a/etc/object-server.conf-sample
+++ b/etc/object-server.conf-sample
@@ -135,6 +135,10 @@ use = egg:swift#recon
 #
 # ring_check_interval = 15
 # recon_cache_path = /var/cache/swift
+#
+# limits how long rsync error log lines are
+# 0 means to log the entire line
+# rsync_error_log_line_length = 0
 
 [object-updater]
 # You can override the default log routing for this app here (don't use set!):
diff --git a/swift/obj/replicator.py b/swift/obj/replicator.py
index b3ffa10f51..2f76057601 100644
--- a/swift/obj/replicator.py
+++ b/swift/obj/replicator.py
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ class ObjectReplicator(Daemon):
         self.headers = {
             'Content-Length': '0',
             'user-agent': 'obj-replicator %s' % os.getpid()}
+        self.rsync_error_log_line_length = \
+            int(conf.get('rsync_error_log_line_length', 0))
 
     def _rsync(self, args):
         """
@@ -112,8 +114,11 @@ class ObjectReplicator(Daemon):
             else:
                 self.logger.error(result)
         if ret_val:
-            self.logger.error(_('Bad rsync return code: %(ret)d <- %(args)s'),
-                              {'args': str(args), 'ret': ret_val})
+            error_line = _('Bad rsync return code: %(ret)d <- %(args)s') % \
+                {'args': str(args), 'ret': ret_val}
+            if self.rsync_error_log_line_length:
+                error_line = error_line[:self.rsync_error_log_line_length]
+            self.logger.error(error_line)
         elif results:
             self.logger.info(
                 _("Successful rsync of %(src)s at %(dst)s (%(time).03f)"),