diff --git a/app/gabsocial/features/compose/components/compose_form.js b/app/gabsocial/features/compose/components/compose_form.js
index fb82cf21f..6e145ecec 100644
--- a/app/gabsocial/features/compose/components/compose_form.js
+++ b/app/gabsocial/features/compose/components/compose_form.js
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ import ImmutablePureComponent from 'react-immutable-pure-component';
 import { length } from 'stringz';
 import { countableText } from '../util/counter';
 import Icon from 'gabsocial/components/icon';
-import initialState from '../../../initial_state';
+import { maxTootChars } from '../../../initial_state';
 
-const maxChars = initialState.max_toot_chars;
 const allowedAroundShortCode = '><\u0085\u0020\u00a0\u1680\u2000\u2001\u2002\u2003\u2004\u2005\u2006\u2007\u2008\u2009\u200a\u202f\u205f\u3000\u2028\u2029\u0009\u000a\u000b\u000c\u000d';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
@@ -117,7 +116,7 @@ class ComposeForm extends ImmutablePureComponent {
     const { isSubmitting, isChangingUpload, isUploading, anyMedia } = this.props;
     const fulltext = [this.props.spoilerText, countableText(this.props.text)].join('');
 
-    if (isSubmitting || isUploading || isChangingUpload || length(fulltext) > maxChars || (fulltext.length !== 0 && fulltext.trim().length === 0 && !anyMedia)) {
+    if (isSubmitting || isUploading || isChangingUpload || length(fulltext) > maxTootChars || (fulltext.length !== 0 && fulltext.trim().length === 0 && !anyMedia)) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -204,7 +203,7 @@ class ComposeForm extends ImmutablePureComponent {
     const condensed = shouldCondense && !this.props.text && !this.state.composeFocused;
     const disabled = this.props.isSubmitting;
     const text     = [this.props.spoilerText, countableText(this.props.text)].join('');
-    const disabledButton = disabled || this.props.isUploading || this.props.isChangingUpload || length(text) > maxChars || (text.length !== 0 && text.trim().length === 0 && !anyMedia);
+    const disabledButton = disabled || this.props.isUploading || this.props.isChangingUpload || length(text) > maxTootChars || (text.length !== 0 && text.trim().length === 0 && !anyMedia);
     const shouldAutoFocus = autoFocus && !showSearch && !isMobile(window.innerWidth)
 
     let publishText = '';
@@ -281,7 +280,7 @@ class ComposeForm extends ImmutablePureComponent {
               <PrivacyDropdownContainer />
               <SpoilerButtonContainer />
             </div>
-            <div className='character-counter__wrapper'><CharacterCounter max={maxChars} text={text} /></div>
+            <div className='character-counter__wrapper'><CharacterCounter max={maxTootChars} text={text} /></div>
           </div>
         }
 
diff --git a/app/gabsocial/initial_state.js b/app/gabsocial/initial_state.js
index 1d1ba3fb7..1b6f0bb5f 100644
--- a/app/gabsocial/initial_state.js
+++ b/app/gabsocial/initial_state.js
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ export const forceSingleColumn = !getMeta('advanced_layout');
 export const funding = getMeta('funding');
 export const promoItems = getMeta('promo_items');
 export const unreadCount = getMeta('unread_count');
+export const maxTootChars = getMeta('max_toot_chars');
 
 export default initialState;