diff --git a/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutput.php b/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutput.php
index 03055a9e..14d9cbf4 100644
--- a/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutput.php
+++ b/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutput.php
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ class PluginOutput extends HtmlString
             $output = PluginOutputHook::processOutput($output, $this->commandName, $this->enrichOutput);
         }
 
+        $output = substr($output, 0, $this->characterLimit);
+
         if (preg_match('~<\w+(?>\s\w+=[^>]*)?>~', $output)) {
             // HTML
             $output = HtmlPurifier::process(preg_replace(
@@ -202,10 +204,6 @@ class PluginOutput extends HtmlString
             $output = $this->processHtml($output);
         }
 
-        if ($this->characterLimit) {
-            $output = substr($output, 0, $this->characterLimit);
-        }
-
         $this->renderedOutput = $output;
 
         return $output;
diff --git a/test/php/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutputTest.php b/test/php/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutputTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..821be98a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/php/library/Icingadb/Util/PluginOutputTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+<?php
+
+/* Icinga DB Web | (c) 2024 Icinga GmbH | GPLv2 */
+
+namespace Tests\Icinga\Module\Icingadb\Util;
+
+use Icinga\Module\Icingadb\Util\PluginOutput;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+class PluginOutputTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testRenderPlainText()
+    {
+        $input = 'This is a plain text';
+        $expectedOutput = $input;
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $expectedOutput,
+            (new PluginOutput($input))->render(),
+            'PluginOutput::render does not return expected values'
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testRenderTextWithStates()
+    {
+        $input = <<<'INPUT'
+[OK] Dummy state
+    \_ [OK] Fake "state"
+    \_ [WARNING] Fake state again
+INPUT;
+
+        $expectedOutput = <<<'EXPECTED_OUTPUT'
+<span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-ok"></span> Dummy state
+    \_ <span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-ok"></span> Fake &quot;state&quot;
+    \_ <span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-warning"></span> Fake state again
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT;
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $expectedOutput,
+            (new PluginOutput($input))->render(),
+            'PluginOutput::render does not return expected values'
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testRenderTextWithStatesAndCharacterLimit()
+    {
+        $input = <<<'INPUT'
+[OK] Dummy state
+    \_ [OK] Fake "state"
+    \_ [WARNING] Fake state again
+INPUT;
+
+        $expectedOutput = <<<'EXPECTED_OUTPUT'
+<span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-ok"></span> Dummy
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT;
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $expectedOutput,
+            (new PluginOutput($input))->setCharacterLimit(10)->render(),
+            'PluginOutput::render does not return expected values'
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testRenderTextWithHtml()
+    {
+        $input = <<<'INPUT'
+Hello <h3>World</h3>, this "is" 'a <strong>test</strong>.
+INPUT;
+
+        $expectedOutput = <<<'EXPECTED_OUTPUT'
+Hello <h3>World</h3>, this "is" 'a <strong>test</strong>.
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT;
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $expectedOutput,
+            (new PluginOutput($input))->render(),
+            'PluginOutput::render does not return expected values'
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testRenderTextWithHtmlAndStates()
+    {
+        $input = <<<'INPUT'
+Hello <h3>World</h3>, this "is" a <strong>test</strong>.
+[OK] Dummy state
+    \_ [OK] Fake "state"
+    \_ [WARNING] Fake state again
+text <span> ends </span> here
+INPUT;
+
+        $expectedOutput = <<<'EXPECTED_OUTPUT'
+Hello <h3>World</h3>, this "is" a <strong>test</strong>.
+<span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-ok"></span> Dummy state
+    \_ <span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-ok"></span> Fake "state"
+    \_ <span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-warning"></span> Fake state again
+text <span> ends </span> here
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT;
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $expectedOutput,
+            (new PluginOutput($input))->render(),
+            'PluginOutput::render does not return expected values'
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testRenderTextWithHtmlIncludingStatesAndSpecialChars()
+    {
+        $input = <<<'INPUT'
+Hello <h3>World</h3>, this "is" a <strong>test</strong>.
+[OK] Dummy state
+    special chars: !@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?`-=[]\;',./
+text <span> ends </span> here
+INPUT;
+
+        $expectedOutput = <<<'EXPECTED_OUTPUT'
+Hello <h3>World</h3>, this "is" a <strong>test</strong>.
+<span class="state-ball ball-size-m state-ok"></span> Dummy state
+    special chars: !@#$%^&amp;*()_+{}|:"&lt;&gt;?`-=[]\;',&#x200B;./
+text <span> ends </span> here
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT;
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $expectedOutput,
+            (new PluginOutput($input))->render(),
+            'PluginOutput::render does not return expected values'
+        );
+    }
+}