diff --git a/CHANGELOG.txt b/CHANGELOG.txt
index bc7a769a16156ac098e09290b1729575de83c177..f9f444d9c3f74876564ee5f4ec52970e6d4cd0d7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.txt
+++ b/CHANGELOG.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 
 Drupal 7.42, xxxx-xx-xx (development version)
 -----------------------
+- Improved the description of the "Trimmed" format option on text fields
+  (translatable string change, and minor UI and data structure change).
 
 Drupal 7.41, 2015-10-21
 -----------------------
diff --git a/modules/field/modules/text/text.module b/modules/field/modules/text/text.module
index 68fc3cb44bc230da1960031e36ca2d7787e3d000..bf0d29d5a1ff65f37cb2319afa8a26d85fc49ee7 100644
--- a/modules/field/modules/text/text.module
+++ b/modules/field/modules/text/text.module
@@ -223,11 +223,13 @@ function text_field_formatter_settings_form($field, $instance, $view_mode, $form
 
   if (strpos($display['type'], '_trimmed') !== FALSE) {
     $element['trim_length'] = array(
-      '#title' => t('Trim length'),
+      '#title' => t('Trimmed limit'),
       '#type' => 'textfield',
+      '#field_suffix' => t('characters'),
       '#size' => 10,
       '#default_value' => $settings['trim_length'],
       '#element_validate' => array('element_validate_integer_positive'),
+      '#description' => t('If the summary is not set, the trimmed %label field will be shorter than this character limit.', array('%label' => $instance['label'])),
       '#required' => TRUE,
     );
   }
@@ -245,7 +247,7 @@ function text_field_formatter_settings_summary($field, $instance, $view_mode) {
   $summary = '';
 
   if (strpos($display['type'], '_trimmed') !== FALSE) {
-    $summary = t('Trim length') . ': ' . check_plain($settings['trim_length']);
+    $summary = t('Trimmed limit: @trim_length characters', array('@trim_length' => $settings['trim_length']));
   }
 
   return $summary;