diff --git a/hc/api/schemas.py b/hc/api/schemas.py
index 54787071..a57aaaa2 100644
--- a/hc/api/schemas.py
+++ b/hc/api/schemas.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 check = {
     "type": "object",
     "properties": {
-        "name": {"type": "string"},
-        "tags": {"type": "string"},
+        "name": {"type": "string", "maxLength": 100},
+        "tags": {"type": "string", "maxLength": 500},
         "timeout": {"type": "number", "minimum": 60, "maximum": 604800},
         "grace": {"type": "number", "minimum": 60, "maximum": 604800},
         "channels": {"type": "string"},
diff --git a/hc/api/tests/test_create_check.py b/hc/api/tests/test_create_check.py
index e787ee12..9c018a42 100644
--- a/hc/api/tests/test_create_check.py
+++ b/hc/api/tests/test_create_check.py
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ class CreateCheckTestCase(BaseTestCase):
         self.post({"api_key": "abc", "name": False},
                   expected_fragment="name is not a string")
 
+    def test_it_rejects_long_name(self):
+        self.post({"api_key": "abc", "name": "01234567890" * 20},
+                  expected_fragment="name is too long")
+
     def test_unique_accepts_only_whitelisted_values(self):
         existing = Check(user=self.alice, name="Foo")
         existing.save()
diff --git a/hc/lib/jsonschema.py b/hc/lib/jsonschema.py
index 1e5842a4..6e7be664 100644
--- a/hc/lib/jsonschema.py
+++ b/hc/lib/jsonschema.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ def validate(obj, schema, obj_name="value"):
     if schema.get("type") == "string":
         if not isinstance(obj, string_types):
             raise ValidationError("%s is not a string" % obj_name)
+        if "maxLength" in schema and len(obj) > schema["maxLength"]:
+            raise ValidationError("%s is too long" % obj_name)
 
     elif schema.get("type") == "number":
         if not isinstance(obj, int):
diff --git a/hc/lib/tests/test_jsonschema.py b/hc/lib/tests/test_jsonschema.py
index 65e10b5f..2ac32402 100644
--- a/hc/lib/tests/test_jsonschema.py
+++ b/hc/lib/tests/test_jsonschema.py
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ class JsonSchemaTestCase(TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
             validate(123, {"type": "string"})
 
+    def test_it_checks_string_length(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            validate("abcd", {"type": "string", "maxLength": 3})
+
     def test_it_validates_numbers(self):
         validate(123, {"type": "number", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 1000})