diff --git a/src/paperless_mail/mail.py b/src/paperless_mail/mail.py
index 5f7e29561..8e9170a6b 100644
--- a/src/paperless_mail/mail.py
+++ b/src/paperless_mail/mail.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ def apply_mail_action(
             folder=rule.folder,
             uid=message_uid,
             uid_validity=uid_validity,
-            subject=message_subject,
+            subject=message_subject[:256],
             received=message_date,
             status="SUCCESS",
         )
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ def apply_mail_action(
             folder=rule.folder,
             uid=message_uid,
             uid_validity=uid_validity,
-            subject=message_subject,
+            subject=message_subject[:256],
             received=message_date,
             status="FAILED",
             error=traceback.format_exc(),
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ def error_callback(
         uid=message_uid,
         uid_validity=uid_validity,
         defaults={
-            "subject": message_subject,
+            "subject": message_subject[:256],
             "received": received,
             "status": "FAILED",
             "error": traceback.format_exc(),
@@ -947,7 +947,7 @@ class MailAccountHandler(LoggingMixin):
             folder=rule.folder,
             uid_validity=self._current_uid_validity,
             defaults={
-                "subject": message.subject,
+                "subject": message.subject[:256],
                 "received": make_aware(message.date)
                 if is_naive(message.date)
                 else message.date,
diff --git a/src/paperless_mail/tests/test_mail.py b/src/paperless_mail/tests/test_mail.py
index bba505175..3a128fd4e 100644
--- a/src/paperless_mail/tests/test_mail.py
+++ b/src/paperless_mail/tests/test_mail.py
@@ -665,6 +665,37 @@ class TestMail(
             1,
         )
 
+    def test_handle_empty_message_long_subject(self) -> None:
+        """
+        GIVEN:
+            - A mail with no attachments and a subject longer than the
+              ProcessedMail.subject field
+        WHEN:
+            - The mail is handled by an attachments-only rule
+        THEN:
+            - The subject is truncated to the field length instead of raising
+        """
+        message = self.mailMocker.messageBuilder.create_message(
+            subject="A" * 300,
+            attachments=[],
+        )
+
+        account = MailAccount.objects.create()
+        rule = MailRule.objects.create(
+            account=account,
+            consumption_scope=MailRule.ConsumptionScope.ATTACHMENTS_ONLY,
+        )
+
+        self.mail_account_handler._handle_message(message, rule)
+
+        processed = ProcessedMail.objects.get(
+            rule=rule,
+            uid=message.uid,
+            folder=rule.folder,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(processed.status, "PROCESSED_WO_CONSUMPTION")
+        self.assertEqual(processed.subject, "A" * 256)
+
     def test_handle_unknown_mime_type(self) -> None:
         message = self.mailMocker.messageBuilder.create_message(
             attachments=[