diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerImpl.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerImpl.java
index 51c1987b7..ddc3cc6a3 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerImpl.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerImpl.java
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ private void flatten0(final @NotNull Component input, final @NotNull FlattenerLi
         flattener.handle(input, listener, depth + 1);
       }
 
-      if (!input.children().isEmpty()) {
+      if (!input.children().isEmpty() && listener.shouldContinue()) {
         for (final Component child : input.children()) {
           this.flatten0(child, listener, depth + 1);
         }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/FlattenerListener.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/FlattenerListener.java
index 91584f6d5..83f9b9b0c 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/FlattenerListener.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/FlattenerListener.java
@@ -50,6 +50,16 @@ default void pushStyle(final @NotNull Style style) {
    */
   void component(final @NotNull String text);
 
+  /**
+   * Determine if the flattener should continue running.
+   *
+   * @return {@code true} if the flattener should continue or {@code false} if it should stop
+   * @since 4.15.0
+   */
+  default boolean shouldContinue() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Pop a pushed style.
    *
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java b/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java
index 79300b918..a80e7929c 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java
@@ -88,12 +88,31 @@ public TrackingFlattener assertStyles(final Style... styles) {
     }
   }
 
+  static class CancellingFlattener extends TrackingFlattener {
+    int maxCount;
+
+    CancellingFlattener(final int maxCount) {
+      this.maxCount = maxCount;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean shouldContinue() {
+      return this.strings.size() < this.maxCount;
+    }
+  }
+
   private TrackingFlattener testFlatten(final ComponentFlattener flattener, final Component toFlatten) {
     final TrackingFlattener listener = new TrackingFlattener();
     flattener.flatten(toFlatten, listener);
     return listener;
   }
 
+  private CancellingFlattener testCancellingFlatten(final ComponentFlattener flattener, final Component toFlatten, final int maxCount) {
+    final CancellingFlattener listener = new CancellingFlattener(maxCount);
+    flattener.flatten(toFlatten, listener);
+    return listener;
+  }
+
   @Test
   void testEmpty() {
     ComponentFlattener.basic().flatten(Component.empty(), input -> Assertions.fail("Should not be called"));
@@ -249,4 +268,17 @@ void testFailsWhenInSameHierarchy() {
     // complex supertype
     assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> builder.complexMapper(Component.class, ($, $$) -> {}));
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testEarlyExit() {
+    final Component component = Component.text("Hello")
+      .append(Component.text("How are you?")
+        .append(Component.text("Not great")
+          .append(Component.text("Goodbye"))));
+
+    this.testCancellingFlatten(ComponentFlattener.basic(), component, 3)
+      .assertBalanced()
+      .assertPushesAndPops(3)
+      .assertContents("Hello", "How are you?", "Not great");
+  }
 }