diff --git a/scripts/get_maintainer.pl b/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
index fc169fd2a3cc..cffa658d2597 100755
--- a/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
+++ b/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ my $output_multiline = 1;
 my $output_separator = ", ";
 my $output_roles = 0;
 my $output_rolestats = 1;
+my $output_section_maxlen = 50;
 my $scm = 0;
 my $web = 0;
 my $subsystem = 0;
@@ -978,8 +979,8 @@ sub get_maintainer_role {
 
     my $role = "unknown";
     my $subsystem = $typevalue[$start];
-    if (length($subsystem) > 20) {
-	$subsystem = substr($subsystem, 0, 17);
+    if ($output_section_maxlen && length($subsystem) > $output_section_maxlen) {
+	$subsystem = substr($subsystem, 0, $output_section_maxlen - 3);
 	$subsystem =~ s/\s*$//;
 	$subsystem = $subsystem . "...";
     }
@@ -1021,8 +1022,8 @@ sub get_list_role {
     my $end = find_ending_index($index);
 
     my $subsystem = $typevalue[$start];
-    if (length($subsystem) > 20) {
-	$subsystem = substr($subsystem, 0, 17);
+    if ($output_section_maxlen && length($subsystem) > $output_section_maxlen) {
+	$subsystem = substr($subsystem, 0, $output_section_maxlen - 3);
 	$subsystem =~ s/\s*$//;
 	$subsystem = $subsystem . "...";
     }