diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 83fe44e2c..7303fad23 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
           David Brenner).
 - TW-1543 cmake complains "test" is not a valid target (on arch linux) (thanks
           to Renato Alves).
+- TW-1553 Setting defaultheight:0 makes burndown command hang (thanks to Tomas
+          Babej).
 - TW-1569 update wait:<wait-date> manpage entry (thanks to David Patrick).
 - TW-1572 Better urgency inheritance (thanks to Jens Erat).
 - TW-1575 `task log` mangles URLs when quoted (thanks to Luke Macken).
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdBurndown.cpp b/src/commands/CmdBurndown.cpp
index 756bdf47f..bcdb9a810 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdBurndown.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdBurndown.cpp
@@ -419,6 +419,12 @@ std::string Chart::render ()
     return std::string (STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL) + "\n";
   }
 
+  else if (_graph_height > 1000 || // each line is a string allloc
+           _graph_width  > 1000)
+  {
+    return std::string (STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE) + "\n";
+  }
+
   if (_max_value == 0)
     context.footnote (STRING_FEEDBACK_NO_MATCH);
 
diff --git a/src/l10n/deu-DEU.h b/src/l10n/deu-DEU.h
index 796c4c7a7..e46ea58a9 100644
--- a/src/l10n/deu-DEU.h
+++ b/src/l10n/deu-DEU.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Zeigt ein Burn-Down-Diagramm, per Tag"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Burn-Down"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Terminal-Fenster zu klein um Graph zu zeichnen"
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Tägliches"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Wöchentliches"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Monatliches"
diff --git a/src/l10n/eng-USA.h b/src/l10n/eng-USA.h
index a867d09e1..1521e973f 100644
--- a/src/l10n/eng-USA.h
+++ b/src/l10n/eng-USA.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Shows a graphical burndown chart, by day"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Burndown"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Terminal window too small to draw a graph."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Daily"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Weekly"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Monthly"
diff --git a/src/l10n/epo-RUS.h b/src/l10n/epo-RUS.h
index 0bb2bbd4d..4cf64e9f1 100644
--- a/src/l10n/epo-RUS.h
+++ b/src/l10n/epo-RUS.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Montras ĉiutagan abakon de taskbrulo"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Brulo"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Terminala fenestro tro malgranda por vidigi grafeon."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Ĉiutaga"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Ĉiusemajna"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Ĉiumonata"
diff --git a/src/l10n/esp-ESP.h b/src/l10n/esp-ESP.h
index 511513dc0..0227faed5 100644
--- a/src/l10n/esp-ESP.h
+++ b/src/l10n/esp-ESP.h
@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Muestra un diagrama burndown, por días"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Burndown"  // |esp-ESP|==|eng-USA|
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Ventana de terminal demasiado pequeña para dibujar una gráfica."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Diario"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Semanal"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Mensual"
diff --git a/src/l10n/fra-FRA.h b/src/l10n/fra-FRA.h
index ba8e78519..0425763c2 100644
--- a/src/l10n/fra-FRA.h
+++ b/src/l10n/fra-FRA.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Affiche un graphique d'avancement, par jour"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Burndown"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Terminal window too small to draw a graph."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Daily"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Weekly"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Monthly"
diff --git a/src/l10n/ita-ITA.h b/src/l10n/ita-ITA.h
index fddbe752f..cec2fee2b 100644
--- a/src/l10n/ita-ITA.h
+++ b/src/l10n/ita-ITA.h
@@ -586,6 +586,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Mostra un grafico del lavoro da svolgere, per giorno"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Lavoro da svolgere"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Finestra troppo piccola per mostrare il grafico."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Giornaliero"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Settimanale"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Mensile"
diff --git a/src/l10n/jpn-JPN.h b/src/l10n/jpn-JPN.h
index 64208b791..b7e59fca4 100644
--- a/src/l10n/jpn-JPN.h
+++ b/src/l10n/jpn-JPN.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Shows a graphical burndown chart, by day"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Burndown"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Terminal window too small to draw a graph."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Daily"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Weekly"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Monthly"
diff --git a/src/l10n/pol-POL.h b/src/l10n/pol-POL.h
index 641ef1a24..72c60e7ff 100644
--- a/src/l10n/pol-POL.h
+++ b/src/l10n/pol-POL.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Wyświetla dzienny postęp w postaci wykresu."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Postęp"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Okno terminal jest za małe do wyświetlenia wykresu."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Dzienny"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Tygodniowy"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Miesięczny"
diff --git a/src/l10n/por-PRT.h b/src/l10n/por-PRT.h
index 6b177f73c..c3e02efe2 100644
--- a/src/l10n/por-PRT.h
+++ b/src/l10n/por-PRT.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_USAGE_D      "Mostra um gráfico de burndown, por dia"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TITLE        "Burndown"  // |por-PRT|==|eng-USA|
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_SMALL    "Janela do terminal demasiado pequena para desenhar o gráfico."
+#define STRING_CMD_BURN_TOO_LARGE    "Terminal window too large to draw a graph."
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_DAILY        "Diário"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_WEEKLY       "Semanal"
 #define STRING_CMD_BURN_MONTHLY      "Mensal"