diff --git a/Pachyderm/Model/Instance.swift b/Pachyderm/Model/Instance.swift
index 4f907f4d..c0b20ae1 100644
--- a/Pachyderm/Model/Instance.swift
+++ b/Pachyderm/Model/Instance.swift
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ public class Instance: Decodable {
     public let email: String
     public let version: String
     public let urls: [String: URL]
-    public let languages: [String]
-    public let contactAccount: Account
+    
+    // pleroma doesn't currently implement these
+    public let languages: [String]?
+    public let contactAccount: Account?
     
     // MARK: Unofficial additions to the Mastodon API.
     public let stats: Stats?
diff --git a/PachydermTests/CharacterCounterTests.swift b/PachydermTests/CharacterCounterTests.swift
index 65220e96..887efe0d 100644
--- a/PachydermTests/CharacterCounterTests.swift
+++ b/PachydermTests/CharacterCounterTests.swift
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ class CharacterCounterTests: XCTestCase {
     override func tearDown() {
     }
 
+    func testCountEmpty() {
+        XCTAssertEqual(CharacterCounter.count(text: ""), 0)
+    }
+    
     func testCountPlainText() {
         XCTAssertEqual(CharacterCounter.count(text: "This is an example message"), 26)
         XCTAssertEqual(CharacterCounter.count(text: "This is an example message with an Emoji: 😄"), 43)
diff --git a/Tusker/AppDelegate.swift b/Tusker/AppDelegate.swift
index f3e41416..a25f75de 100644
--- a/Tusker/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/Tusker/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
         if LocalData.shared.onboardingComplete {
             MastodonController.shared.createClient()
             MastodonController.shared.getOwnAccount()
+            MastodonController.shared.getOwnInstance()
         } else {
             showOnboarding()
         }
diff --git a/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift b/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift
index 65a261d0..d2c997fd 100644
--- a/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class MastodonController {
     var client: Client!
     
     var account: Account!
+    var instance: Instance!
     
     private init() {
     }
@@ -61,4 +62,12 @@ class MastodonController {
         }
     }
     
+    func getOwnInstance() {
+        let request = client.getInstance()
+        client.run(request) { (response) in
+            guard case let .success(instance, _) = response else { fatalError() }
+            self.instance = instance
+        }
+    }
+    
 }
diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Compose/Compose.storyboard b/Tusker/Screens/Compose/Compose.storyboard
index 42bfb0dd..ffeb548d 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Compose/Compose.storyboard
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Compose/Compose.storyboard
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<document type="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder3.CocoaTouch.Storyboard.XIB" version="3.0" toolsVersion="14313.13.2" targetRuntime="iOS.CocoaTouch" propertyAccessControl="none" useAutolayout="YES" useTraitCollections="YES" useSafeAreas="YES" colorMatched="YES" initialViewController="8eV-YC-Spl">
+<document type="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder3.CocoaTouch.Storyboard.XIB" version="3.0" toolsVersion="14460.15" targetRuntime="iOS.CocoaTouch" propertyAccessControl="none" useAutolayout="YES" useTraitCollections="YES" useSafeAreas="YES" colorMatched="YES" initialViewController="8eV-YC-Spl">
     <device id="retina4_7" orientation="portrait">
         <adaptation id="fullscreen"/>
     </device>
     <dependencies>
-        <plugIn identifier="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder.IBCocoaTouchPlugin" version="14283.9"/>
+        <plugIn identifier="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder.IBCocoaTouchPlugin" version="14460.9"/>
         <capability name="Safe area layout guides" minToolsVersion="9.0"/>
         <capability name="documents saved in the Xcode 8 format" minToolsVersion="8.0"/>
     </dependencies>
@@ -109,8 +109,14 @@
                                                                     <action selector="visibilityPressed:" destination="svD-Ql-HGm" eventType="touchUpInside" id="aeI-Wi-7Mz"/>
                                                                 </connections>
                                                             </button>
-                                                            <button opaque="NO" contentMode="scaleToFill" horizontalHuggingPriority="249" contentHorizontalAlignment="right" contentVerticalAlignment="center" buttonType="roundedRect" lineBreakMode="middleTruncation" translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints="NO" id="wg4-nL-Q7B">
-                                                                <rect key="frame" x="138" y="0.0" width="205" height="30"/>
+                                                            <label opaque="NO" userInteractionEnabled="NO" contentMode="left" horizontalHuggingPriority="249" verticalHuggingPriority="251" text="500" textAlignment="right" lineBreakMode="tailTruncation" baselineAdjustment="alignBaselines" adjustsFontSizeToFit="NO" translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints="NO" id="3x1-3A-7c4">
+                                                                <rect key="frame" x="138" y="0.0" width="166" height="30"/>
+                                                                <fontDescription key="fontDescription" type="system" pointSize="15"/>
+                                                                <color key="textColor" white="0.33333333333333331" alpha="1" colorSpace="custom" customColorSpace="genericGamma22GrayColorSpace"/>
+                                                                <nil key="highlightedColor"/>
+                                                            </label>
+                                                            <button opaque="NO" contentMode="scaleToFill" contentHorizontalAlignment="right" contentVerticalAlignment="center" buttonType="roundedRect" lineBreakMode="middleTruncation" translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints="NO" id="wg4-nL-Q7B">
+                                                                <rect key="frame" x="312" y="0.0" width="31" height="30"/>
                                                                 <state key="normal" title="Post"/>
                                                                 <connections>
                                                                     <action selector="postPressed:" destination="svD-Ql-HGm" eventType="touchUpInside" id="HqO-kb-qcz"/>
@@ -172,6 +178,7 @@
                         </barButtonItem>
                     </navigationItem>
                     <connections>
+                        <outlet property="charactersRemainingLabel" destination="3x1-3A-7c4" id="Bek-Rl-mMY"/>
                         <outlet property="contentWarningTextField" destination="Rbm-SO-Cpp" id="d1F-yi-CnV"/>
                         <outlet property="inReplyToAvatarImageView" destination="2fn-pv-lwV" id="SMy-L1-bI1"/>
                         <outlet property="inReplyToContainerView" destination="l0G-YS-00D" id="XO0-HW-WVf"/>
diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Compose/ComposeViewController.swift b/Tusker/Screens/Compose/ComposeViewController.swift
index d1870001..f4121279 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Compose/ComposeViewController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Compose/ComposeViewController.swift
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class ComposeViewController: UIViewController {
     @IBOutlet weak var inReplyToContentLabel: StatusContentLabel!
     @IBOutlet weak var inReplyToLabel: UILabel!
     @IBOutlet weak var statusTextView: UITextView!
+    @IBOutlet weak var charactersRemainingLabel: UILabel!
     @IBOutlet weak var visibilityButton: UIButton!
     @IBOutlet weak var postButton: UIButton!
     @IBOutlet weak var contentWarningTextField: UITextField!
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ class ComposeViewController: UIViewController {
         statusTextView.placeholder = "What is on your mind?"
         statusTextView.layer.cornerRadius = 5
         statusTextView.layer.masksToBounds = true
+        statusTextView.delegate = self
         visibilityButton.setTitle(visibility.displayName, for: .normal)
         contentWarningTextField.delegate = self
         
@@ -118,6 +120,8 @@ class ComposeViewController: UIViewController {
             statusTextView.textViewDidChange(statusTextView)
         }
         
+        updateCharactersRemaining()
+        
         progressView.progress = 0
     }
     
@@ -134,6 +138,19 @@ class ComposeViewController: UIViewController {
         mediaStackView.addArrangedSubview(mediaView)
     }
     
+    func updateCharactersRemaining() {
+        let count = CharacterCounter.count(text: statusTextView.text)
+        let remaining = (MastodonController.shared.instance.maxStatusCharacters ?? 500) - count
+        if remaining < 0 {
+            charactersRemainingLabel.textColor = .red
+            postButton.isEnabled = false
+        } else {
+            charactersRemainingLabel.textColor = .darkGray
+            postButton.isEnabled = true
+        }
+        charactersRemainingLabel.text = remaining.description
+    }
+    
     // MARK: - Navigation
 
     override func prepare(for segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: Any?) {
@@ -279,6 +296,12 @@ extension ComposeViewController: UITextFieldDelegate {
     }
 }
 
+extension ComposeViewController: UITextViewDelegate {
+    func textViewDidChange(_ textView: UITextView) {
+        updateCharactersRemaining()
+    }
+}
+
 extension ComposeViewController: UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate {
     func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [UIImagePickerController.InfoKey : Any]) {
         if let selectedImage = info[.originalImage] as? UIImage {
diff --git a/Tusker/XCallbackURL/XCBActions.swift b/Tusker/XCallbackURL/XCBActions.swift
index e18c6104..033c07c9 100644
--- a/Tusker/XCallbackURL/XCBActions.swift
+++ b/Tusker/XCallbackURL/XCBActions.swift
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ struct XCBActions {
             var status = ""
             if let mentioning = mentioning { status += mentioning }
             if let text = text { status += text }
+            guard CharacterCounter.count(text: status) <= MastodonController.shared.instance.maxStatusCharacters ?? 500 else {
+                session.complete(with: .error, additionalData: [
+                    "error": "Too many characters. Instance maximum is \(MastodonController.shared.instance.maxStatusCharacters ?? 500)"
+                    ])
+                return
+            }
             let request = MastodonController.shared.client.createStatus(text: status, visibility: Preferences.shared.defaultPostVisibility)
             MastodonController.shared.client.run(request) { response in
                 if case let .success(status, _) = response {