diff --git a/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/discussion_topic_menu_view.js b/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/discussion_topic_menu_view.js
index 5c2bd591ff..5b701822b4 100644
--- a/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/discussion_topic_menu_view.js
+++ b/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/discussion_topic_menu_view.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
             initialize: function(options) {
                 this.course_settings = options.course_settings;
                 this.currentTopicId = options.topicId;
-                this.maxNameWidth = 100;
+                this.maxNameWidth = 26;
                 _.bindAll(this,
                     'toggleTopicDropdown', 'handleTopicEvent', 'hideTopicDropdown', 'ignoreClick'
                 );
@@ -90,9 +90,6 @@
                 this.dropdownButton.addClass('dropped');
                 this.topicMenu.show();
                 $(document.body).on('click.topicMenu', this.hideTopicDropdown);
-                // Set here because 1) the window might get resized and things could
-                // change and 2) can't set in initialize because the button is hidden
-                this.maxNameWidth = this.dropdownButton.width() - 40;
                 return this;
             },
 
@@ -127,7 +124,7 @@
             },
 
             setSelectedTopicName: function(text) {
-                return this.selectedTopic.html(this.fitName(text));
+                return this.selectedTopic.text(this.fitName(text));
             },
             /**
              * Return full name for the `topicElement` if it is passed.
@@ -148,29 +145,12 @@
                 }
             },
 
-            // @TODO move into utils.coffee
-            getNameWidth: function(name) {
-                var $test = $('<div>'),
-                    width;
-
-                $test.css({
-                    'font-size': this.dropdownButton.css('font-size'),
-                    'opacity': 0,
-                    'position': 'absolute',
-                    'left': -1000,
-                    'top': -1000
-                }).html(name).appendTo(document.body);
-                width = $test.width();
-                $test.remove();
-                return width;
-            },
-
             // @TODO move into utils.coffee
             fitName: function(name) {
                 var ellipsisText = gettext('…'),
-                    partialName, path, rawName;
+                    partialName, path, rawName, concatedLength;
 
-                if (this.getNameWidth(name) < this.maxNameWidth) {
+                if (name.length < this.maxNameWidth) {
                     return name;
                 } else {
                     path = _.map(name.split('/'), function(item){
@@ -178,15 +158,16 @@
                     });
                     while (path.length > 1) {
                         path.shift();
-                        partialName = ellipsisText + ' / ' + path.join(' / ');
-                        if (this.getNameWidth(partialName) < this.maxNameWidth) {
-                          return partialName;
+                        partialName = ellipsisText + '/' + path.join('/');
+                        if (partialName.length < this.maxNameWidth) {
+                            return partialName;
                         }
                     }
                     rawName = path[0];
                     name = ellipsisText + ' / ' + rawName;
-                    while (this.getNameWidth(name) > this.maxNameWidth) {
-                      rawName = rawName.slice(0, -1);
+                    if (name.length > this.maxNameWidth) {
+                      concatedLength = ellipsisText.length + ' / '.length + ellipsisText.length;
+                      rawName = rawName.slice(0, this.maxNameWidth - concatedLength);
                       name = ellipsisText + ' / ' + rawName + ' ' + ellipsisText;
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/discussion_topic_menu_view_spec.js b/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/discussion_topic_menu_view_spec.js
index 36a0481041..69f949367a 100644
--- a/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/discussion_topic_menu_view_spec.js
+++ b/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/discussion_topic_menu_view_spec.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
                 }, options);
                 this.view = new DiscussionTopicMenuView(options);
                 this.view.render().appendTo('#fixture-element');
-                this.defaultTextWidth = this.view.getNameWidth(this.completeText);
+                this.defaultTextWidth = this.completeText.length;
             };
 
             this.openMenu = function() {
@@ -34,7 +34,13 @@
                     'subcategories': {
                         'Basic Question Types': {
                             'subcategories': {},
-                            'children': ['Selection From Options', 'Numerical Input'],
+                            'children': [
+                                'Selection From Options',
+                                'Numerical Input',
+                                'Very long category name',
+                                'Very very very very long category name',
+                                'Name with <em>HTML</em>'
+                            ],
                             'entries': {
                                 'Selection From Options': {
                                     'sort_key': null,
@@ -45,11 +51,40 @@
                                     'sort_key': null,
                                     'is_cohorted': false,
                                     'id': 'c49f0dfb8fc94c9c8d9999cc95190c56'
+                                },
+                                'Very long category name': {
+                                    'sort_key': null,
+                                    'is_cohorted': false,
+                                    'id': 'c49f0dfb8fc94c9c8d9999cc95190c59'
+                                },
+                                'Very very very very long category name': {
+                                    'sort_key': null,
+                                    'is_cohorted': false,
+                                    'id': 'c49f0dfb8fc94c9c8d9999cc95190e32'
+                                },
+                                'Name with <em>HTML</em>': {
+                                    'sort_key': null,
+                                    'is_cohorted': false,
+                                    'id': 'c49f0dfb8fc94c9c8d9999cc95190363'
+                                }
+
+                            }
+                        },
+                        'Example Inline Discussion': {
+                            'subcategories': {},
+                            'children': [
+                                'What Are Your Goals for Creating a MOOC?',
+                            ],
+                            'entries': {
+                                'What Are Your Goals for Creating a MOOC?': {
+                                    'sort_key': null,
+                                    'is_cohorted': true,
+                                    'id': 'cba3e4cd91d0466b9ac50926e495b931'
                                 }
                             }
                         }
                     },
-                    'children': ['Basic Question Types'],
+                    'children': ['Basic Question Types', 'Example Inline Discussion'],
                     'entries': {}
                 },
                 'is_cohorted': true
@@ -68,31 +103,38 @@
           expect(this.completeText).toEqual(dropdownText);
         });
 
-        it('completely show just sub-category', function() {
+        it('truncation happens with specific title lengths', function() {
             var dropdownText;
             this.createTopicView();
-            this.view.maxNameWidth = this.defaultTextWidth - 10;
-            this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title').first().click();
+            this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title')[2].click();
             dropdownText = this.view.$el.find('.js-selected-topic').text();
-            expect(dropdownText.indexOf('…')).toEqual(0);
-            expect(dropdownText).toContain(this.selectedOptionText);
+            expect(dropdownText).toEqual('…/Very long category name');
+
+            this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title')[5].click();
+            dropdownText = this.view.$el.find('.js-selected-topic').text();
+            expect(dropdownText).toEqual('… / What Are Your Goals f …');
         });
 
-        it('partially show sub-category', function() {
+        it('truncation happens with longer title lengths', function() {
+            var dropdownText;
             this.createTopicView();
-            var parentWidth = this.view.getNameWidth(this.parentCategoryText),
-                dropdownText;
-            this.view.maxNameWidth = this.defaultTextWidth - parentWidth;
-            this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title').first().click();
+            this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title')[3].click();
             dropdownText = this.view.$el.find('.js-selected-topic').text();
-            expect(dropdownText.indexOf('…')).toEqual(0);
-            expect(dropdownText.lastIndexOf('…')).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+            expect(dropdownText).toEqual('… / Very very very very l …');
+        });
+
+        it('titles are escaped before display', function() {
+            var dropdownText;
+            this.createTopicView();
+            this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title')[4].click();
+            dropdownText = this.view.$el.find('.js-selected-topic').text();
+            expect(dropdownText).toContain('em&gt;');
         });
 
         it('broken span doesn\'t occur', function() {
             var dropdownText;
             this.createTopicView();
-            this.view.maxNameWidth = this.view.getNameWidth(this.selectedOptionText) + 100;
+            this.view.maxNameWidth = this.selectedOptionText.length + 100;
             this.view.$el.find('a.topic-title').first().click();
             dropdownText = this.view.$el.find('.js-selected-topic').text();
             expect(dropdownText.indexOf('/ span>')).toEqual(-1);