diff --git a/main/jade_abort.c b/main/jade_abort.c
index 6a630094..caeecc35 100644
--- a/main/jade_abort.c
+++ b/main/jade_abort.c
@@ -13,11 +13,16 @@ extern void __real_abort(void);
 
 void jade_abort(const char* file, const int line_n)
 {
+    // Only try to show the error message once - if showing it fails and aborts
+    // again, go straight on to the real abort rather than looping forever
+    static bool message_attempted = false;
+
     // Clear senstitive data
     keychain_clear();
     sensitive_clear_stack();
 
-    if (gui_initialized() && !gui_is_gui_task()) {
+    if (!message_attempted && gui_initialized() && !gui_is_gui_task()) {
+        message_attempted = true;
         char details[128];
         const int ret = snprintf(details, sizeof(details), "%s:%d", file, line_n);
         const char* message[3] = { "Internal error", "", "Restarting" };
diff --git a/main/ui/dialogs.c b/main/ui/dialogs.c
index 7fe1b2f7..2e6efd5c 100644
--- a/main/ui/dialogs.c
+++ b/main/ui/dialogs.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ gui_activity_t* make_show_message_activity(const char* message[], const size_t m
         const size_t msgextent = message_size * h;
         toppad = msgextent < yextent ? (yextent - msgextent) / 2 : 0; // top padding to centre message
         JADE_LOGD("ypct, yextent, msgextent, toppad: %u, %u, %u, %u", ypct, yextent, msgextent, toppad);
-        JADE_ASSERT(toppad < 100); // sanity check
+        JADE_ASSERT(toppad <= UINT8_MAX); // stored as a uint8_t padding
 
         switch (message_size) {
         case 2: