diff --git a/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor b/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor
index 0acb26680f..b43387d93e 100644
--- a/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ M: tuple pprint*
 : do-length-limit ( seq -- trimmed n/f )
     length-limit get dup [
         over length over [-]
-        dup zero? [ 2drop f ] [ [ head-slice ] dip ] if
+        [ drop f ] [ [ head-slice ] dip ] if-zero
     ] when ;
 
 : pprint-elements ( seq -- )
diff --git a/basis/prettyprint/prettyprint-tests.factor b/basis/prettyprint/prettyprint-tests.factor
index f89d44440a..79d0a664c1 100644
--- a/basis/prettyprint/prettyprint-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/prettyprint/prettyprint-tests.factor
@@ -455,3 +455,13 @@ TUPLE: fo { a intersection{ integer fixnum } initial: 0 } ;
 ] [
     [ maybe{ maybe{ integer } } . ] with-string-writer
 ] unit-test
+
+{ "{ 0 1 2 3 4 }" } [
+    [ 5 length-limit [ 5 iota >array pprint ] with-variable ]
+    with-string-writer
+] unit-test
+
+{ "{ 0 1 2 3 4 ~1 more~ }" } [
+    [ 5 length-limit [ 6 iota >array pprint ] with-variable ]
+    with-string-writer
+] unit-test