diff --git a/common/configdir.c b/common/configdir.c
index 856411e6ac65..f08daabb6b77 100644
--- a/common/configdir.c
+++ b/common/configdir.c
@@ -26,14 +26,9 @@ char *opt_set_talstr(const char *arg, char **p)
 
 static char *opt_set_abspath(const char *arg, char **p)
 {
-	char* ret;
 	tal_free(*p);
-
-	ret = opt_set_charp(path_join(options_ctx, take(path_cwd(NULL)), arg),p);
-	if (strlen(*p) > OPT_SHOW_LEN)
-		errx(EXITCODE_INVALID_PATH, "absolute path of command line option exceeds %d chars: '%s'",
-                                    OPT_SHOW_LEN, *p);
-       return ret;
+	return opt_set_charp(path_join(options_ctx, take(path_cwd(NULL)), arg),
+			     p);
  }
 
 /* Tal wrappers for opt. */
@@ -43,6 +38,17 @@ static void *opt_allocfn(size_t size)
 			     TAL_LABEL(opt_allocfn_notleak, ""));
 }
 
+static void opt_show_longpath(char *buf, char *const *p)
+{
+       if (*p){
+               size_t len = strlen(*p);
+               buf[0] = '"';
+               strncpy(buf+1, *p, len);
+               buf[1+len] = '"';
+               buf[2+len] = '\0';
+       }
+}
+
 static void *tal_reallocfn(void *ptr, size_t size)
 {
 	if (!ptr)
@@ -315,7 +321,7 @@ void initial_config_opts(const tal_t *ctx,
 	/* Cmdline can also set lightning-dir. */
 	*config_basedir = NULL;
 	opt_register_early_arg("--lightning-dir=<dir>",
-			       opt_set_abspath, NULL,
+			       opt_set_abspath, opt_show_longpath,
 			       config_basedir,
 			       "Set base directory: network-specific subdirectory is under here");
 
@@ -336,7 +342,7 @@ void initial_config_opts(const tal_t *ctx,
 	/* If they set --conf it can still set --lightning-dir */
 	if (!*config_filename) {
 		opt_register_early_arg("--lightning-dir=<dir>",
-				       opt_restricted_forceconf_only, opt_show_charp,
+				       opt_restricted_forceconf_only, opt_show_longpath,
 				       config_basedir,
 				       "Set base directory: network-specific subdirectory is under here");
 	} else {
diff --git a/lightningd/options.c b/lightningd/options.c
index 968f0ae8220c..a87b21e0e632 100644
--- a/lightningd/options.c
+++ b/lightningd/options.c
@@ -1522,7 +1522,8 @@ static void add_config(struct lightningd *ld,
 {
 	char *name0 = tal_strndup(tmpctx, name, len);
 	char *answer = NULL;
-	char buf[OPT_SHOW_LEN + sizeof("...")];
+	// FIXME(vincenzopalazzo): accept arbitrary length
+	char buf[256];
 
 #if DEVELOPER
 	if (strstarts(name0, "dev-")) {
@@ -1590,7 +1591,6 @@ static void add_config(struct lightningd *ld,
 			/* Ignore hidden options (deprecated) */
 		} else if (opt->show) {
 			opt->show(buf, opt->u.carg);
-			strcpy(buf + OPT_SHOW_LEN - 1, "...");
 
 			if (streq(buf, "true") || streq(buf, "false")
 			    || (!streq(buf, "") && strspn(buf, "0123456789.") == strlen(buf))) {