diff --git a/syncplay/constants.py b/syncplay/constants.py
index 6025433..0795efb 100644
--- a/syncplay/constants.py
+++ b/syncplay/constants.py
@@ -58,3 +58,4 @@ UI_COMMAND_REGEX = r"^(?P<command>[^\ ]+)(?:\ (?P<parameter>.+))?"
 UI_OFFSET_REGEX = r"^(?:o|offset)\ ?(?P<sign>[/+-])?(?P<time>\d{1,4}(?:[^\d\.](?:\d{1,6})){0,2}(?:\.(?:\d{1,3}))?)$"
 UI_SEEK_REGEX = r"^(?:s|seek)?\ ?(?P<sign>[+-])?(?P<time>\d{1,4}(?:[^\d\.](?:\d{1,6})){0,2}(?:\.(?:\d{1,3}))?)$"
 PARSE_TIME_REGEX = r'(:?(?:(?P<hours>\d+?)[^\d\.])?(?:(?P<minutes>\d+?))?[^\d\.])?(?P<seconds>\d+?)(?:\.(?P<miliseconds>\d+?))?$'
+SERVER_MAX_TEMPLATE_LENGTH = 10000
diff --git a/syncplay/messages.py b/syncplay/messages.py
index 38a5fa2..4a4ae89 100644
--- a/syncplay/messages.py
+++ b/syncplay/messages.py
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ en = {
       "server-password-argument" : 'server password',
       "server-isolate-room-argument" : 'should rooms be isolated?',
       "server-motd-argument": "path to file from which motd will be fetched",
-      "server-messed-up-motd": "Message of the Day has unescaped placeholders. All $ signs should be doubled ($$).",
+      "server-messed-up-motd-unescaped-placeholders": "Message of the Day has unescaped placeholders. All $ signs should be doubled ($$).",
+      "server-messed-up-motd-too-long": "Message of the Day is too long - maximum of {} chars, {} given.",
       "server-http-reply-argument": "path to file from which http reply will be fetched",
       "server-default-http-reply": "This server should not be requested with your browser, but with Syncplay software available from http://syncplay.pl",
       
diff --git a/syncplay/server.py b/syncplay/server.py
index 23cbe50..a1a50cd 100644
--- a/syncplay/server.py
+++ b/syncplay/server.py
@@ -93,17 +93,17 @@ class SyncFactory(Factory):
             tmpl = codecs.open(self._motdFilePath, "r", "utf-8-sig").read()
             args = dict(version=syncplay.version, userIp=userIp, username=username, room=room)
             try:
-                return Template(tmpl).substitute(args)
+                motd = Template(tmpl).substitute(args)
+                return motd if len(motd) < constants.SERVER_MAX_TEMPLATE_LENGTH else getMessage("en", "server-messed-up-motd-too-long").format(constants.SERVER_MAX_TEMPLATE_LENGTH, len(motd))
             except ValueError: 
-                print getMessage("en", "server-messed-up-motd")
-                return ""
+                return getMessage("en", "server-messed-up-motd-unescaped-placeholders")
         else:
             return ""
 
     def gethttpRequestReply(self):
         if(self._httpReplyFilePath and os.path.isfile(self._httpReplyFilePath)):
             tmpl = codecs.open(self._httpReplyFilePath, "r", "utf-8-sig").read()
-            return tmpl
+            return tmpl.encode('utf-8')
         else:
             return getMessage("en", "server-default-http-reply")
 
diff --git a/syncplayServer.py b/syncplayServer.py
index d6198dc..23ff879 100644
--- a/syncplayServer.py
+++ b/syncplayServer.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from syncplay.ui.ConfigurationGetter import ServerConfigurationGetter
 argsGetter = ServerConfigurationGetter()
 args = argsGetter.getConfiguration()
 if(not args.isolate_rooms):
-    reactor.listenTCP(int(args.port), SyncFactory(args.password, args.motd_file))
+    reactor.listenTCP(int(args.port), SyncFactory(args.password, args.motd_file, args.http_reply_file))
 else:
     reactor.listenTCP(int(args.port), SyncIsolatedFactory(args.password, args.motd_file, args.http_reply_file))
 reactor.run()