diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateTaskExecutor.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateTaskExecutor.java
index e93b5cf77592e..f7d4e1dc82c48 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateTaskExecutor.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterStateTaskExecutor.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.cluster;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.Nullable;
 
 import java.util.IdentityHashMap;
@@ -46,7 +47,12 @@ default void clusterStatePublished(ClusterStatePublicationEvent clusterStatePubl
      * This allows groupd task description but the submitting source.
      */
     default String describeTasks(List<T> tasks) {
-        return String.join(", ", tasks.stream().map(t -> (CharSequence)t.toString()).filter(t -> t.length() > 0)::iterator);
+        final StringBuilder output = new StringBuilder();
+        Strings.collectionToDelimitedStringWithLimit(
+            (Iterable<String>) () -> tasks.stream().map(Object::toString).filter(s -> s.isEmpty() == false).iterator(),
+            ", ", "", "", 1024, output
+        );
+        return output.toString();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/TaskBatcher.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/TaskBatcher.java
index bc93d9bca9482..78007317db80a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/TaskBatcher.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/TaskBatcher.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.cluster.service;
 
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Priority;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.TimeValue;
@@ -131,14 +132,28 @@ void runIfNotProcessed(BatchedTask updateTask) {
             }
 
             if (toExecute.isEmpty() == false) {
-                final String tasksSummary = processTasksBySource.entrySet().stream().map(entry -> {
+                run(updateTask.batchingKey, toExecute, buildTasksDescription(updateTask, toExecute, processTasksBySource));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final int MAX_TASK_DESCRIPTION_CHARS = 8 * 1024;
+
+    private String buildTasksDescription(BatchedTask updateTask,
+                                         List<BatchedTask> toExecute,
+                                         Map<String, List<BatchedTask>> processTasksBySource) {
+        final StringBuilder output = new StringBuilder();
+        Strings.collectionToDelimitedStringWithLimit(
+                (Iterable<String>) () -> processTasksBySource.entrySet().stream().map(entry -> {
                     String tasks = updateTask.describeTasks(entry.getValue());
                     return tasks.isEmpty() ? entry.getKey() : entry.getKey() + "[" + tasks + "]";
-                }).reduce((s1, s2) -> s1 + ", " + s2).orElse("");
-
-                run(updateTask.batchingKey, toExecute, tasksSummary);
-            }
+                }).filter(s -> s.isEmpty() == false).iterator(),
+                ", ", "", "", MAX_TASK_DESCRIPTION_CHARS, output
+        );
+        if (output.length() > MAX_TASK_DESCRIPTION_CHARS) {
+            output.append(" (").append(toExecute.size()).append(" tasks in total)");
         }
+        return output.toString();
     }
 
     /**