diff --git a/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/overlays/windows/GenericMessageWindow.java b/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/overlays/windows/GenericMessageWindow.java
index 01d119a479..a3887eec38 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/overlays/windows/GenericMessageWindow.java
+++ b/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/main/overlays/windows/GenericMessageWindow.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package haveno.desktop.main.overlays.windows;
 
 import haveno.desktop.main.overlays.Overlay;
+import haveno.desktop.util.GUIUtil;
 import haveno.desktop.util.Layout;
 import javafx.scene.control.Label;
 import javafx.scene.control.TextArea;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ import static haveno.desktop.util.FormBuilder.addTextArea;
 
 public class GenericMessageWindow extends Overlay<GenericMessageWindow> {
     private String preamble;
+    private static final double MAX_TEXT_AREA_HEIGHT = 250;
 
     public GenericMessageWindow() {
         super();
@@ -57,17 +59,7 @@ public class GenericMessageWindow extends Overlay<GenericMessageWindow> {
         textArea.setText(message);
         textArea.setEditable(false);
         textArea.setWrapText(true);
-        // sizes the textArea to fit within its parent container
-        double verticalSizePercentage = ensureRange(countLines(message) / 20.0, 0.2, 0.7);
-        textArea.setPrefSize(Layout.INITIAL_WINDOW_WIDTH, Layout.INITIAL_WINDOW_HEIGHT * verticalSizePercentage);
-    }
-
-    private static int countLines(String str) {
-        String[] lines = str.split("\r\n|\r|\n");
-        return  lines.length;
-    }
-
-    private static double ensureRange(double value, double min, double max) {
-        return Math.min(Math.max(value, min), max);
+        textArea.setPrefWidth(Layout.INITIAL_WINDOW_WIDTH);
+        GUIUtil.adjustHeightAutomatically(textArea, MAX_TEXT_AREA_HEIGHT);
     }
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/util/GUIUtil.java b/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/util/GUIUtil.java
index a17262f532..34391cc233 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/util/GUIUtil.java
+++ b/desktop/src/main/java/haveno/desktop/util/GUIUtil.java
@@ -1181,6 +1181,10 @@ public class GUIUtil {
     }
 
     public static void adjustHeightAutomatically(TextArea textArea) {
+        adjustHeightAutomatically(textArea, null);
+    }
+
+    public static void adjustHeightAutomatically(TextArea textArea, Double maxHeight) {
         textArea.sceneProperty().addListener((o, oldScene, newScene) -> {
             if (newScene != null) {
                 // avoid javafx css warning
@@ -1192,7 +1196,8 @@ public class GUIUtil {
                 textArea.prefHeightProperty().bind(Bindings.createDoubleBinding(() -> {
                     Insets padding = textArea.getInsets();
                     double topBottomPadding = padding.getTop() + padding.getBottom();
-                    return textArea.getFont().getSize() + text.getBoundsInLocal().getHeight() + topBottomPadding;
+                    double prefHeight = textArea.getFont().getSize() + text.getBoundsInLocal().getHeight() + topBottomPadding;
+                    return maxHeight == null ? prefHeight : Math.min(prefHeight, maxHeight);
                 }, text.boundsInLocalProperty()));
 
                 text.boundsInLocalProperty().addListener((observableBoundsAfter, boundsBefore, boundsAfter) -> {