diff --git a/python/mxnet/gluon/contrib/data/text.py b/python/mxnet/gluon/contrib/data/text.py
index 916b41880d45..9cfe5349d86b 100644
--- a/python/mxnet/gluon/contrib/data/text.py
+++ b/python/mxnet/gluon/contrib/data/text.py
@@ -91,8 +91,11 @@ def _get_data(self):
 
         data, label = self._read_batch(path)
 
-        self._data = nd.array(data, dtype=data.dtype).reshape((-1, self._seq_len))
-        self._label = nd.array(label, dtype=label.dtype).reshape((-1, self._seq_len))
+        # https://github.com/apache/incubator-mxnet/issues/18886 breaks this unless array size is 
+        # multiple of self._seq_len. Truncating the source is consistent with pre #18886 outcome
+        seq_len_mult = len(data) // self._seq_len * self._seq_len
+        self._data = nd.array(data, dtype=data.dtype)[:seq_len_mult].reshape((-1, self._seq_len))
+        self._label = nd.array(label, dtype=label.dtype)[:seq_len_mult].reshape((-1, self._seq_len))
 
     def __getitem__(self, idx):
         return self._data[idx], self._label[idx]