diff --git a/src/Utility/Text.php b/src/Utility/Text.php
index f73c3fea459..e6c191b51a7 100644
--- a/src/Utility/Text.php
+++ b/src/Utility/Text.php
@@ -608,49 +608,70 @@ public static function truncate($text, $length = 100, array $options = [])
                         }
                     }
 
-                    $truncate .= mb_substr($tag[3], 0, $left + $entitiesLength);
+                    if (!$options['exact']) {
+                        $words = explode(' ', $tag[3]);
+                        // Keep at least one word.
+                        if (count($words) === 1) {
+                            $truncate .= mb_substr($tag[3], 0, $left + $entitiesLength);
+                        } else {
+                            $wordLength = 0;
+                            $addWords = [];
+                            // Append words until the length is crossed.
+                            foreach ($words as $word) {
+                                // Add words until we have enough letters.
+                                if ($wordLength < $left + $entitiesLength) {
+                                    $addWords[] = $word;
+                                }
+                                // Include inter-word space.
+                                $wordLength += mb_strlen($word) + 1;
+                            }
+                            $truncate .= implode(' ', $addWords);
+
+                            // If the string is longer than requested, find the last space and cut there.
+                            $lastSpace = mb_strrpos($truncate, ' ');
+                            if (mb_strlen($truncate) > $totalLength && $lastSpace !== false) {
+                                $remainder = mb_substr($truncate, $lastSpace);
+                                $truncate = mb_substr($truncate, 0, $lastSpace);
+
+                                // Re-add close tags that were cut off.
+                                preg_match_all('/<\/([a-z]+)>/', $remainder, $droppedTags, PREG_SET_ORDER);
+                                if ($droppedTags) {
+                                    foreach ($droppedTags as $closingTag) {
+                                        if (!in_array($closingTag[1], $openTags)) {
+                                            array_unshift($openTags, $closingTag[1]);
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        $truncate .= mb_substr($tag[3], 0, $left + $entitiesLength);
+                    }
                     break;
                 }
-
                 $truncate .= $tag[3];
+
                 $totalLength += $contentLength;
                 if ($totalLength >= $length) {
                     break;
                 }
             }
-        } else {
-            if (mb_strlen($text) <= $length) {
-                return $text;
+
+            $truncate .= $options['ellipsis'];
+
+            foreach ($openTags as $tag) {
+                $truncate .= '</' . $tag . '>';
             }
-            $truncate = mb_substr($text, 0, $length - mb_strlen($options['ellipsis']));
+            return $truncate;
+        }
+
+        if (mb_strlen($text) <= $length) {
+            return $text;
         }
+        $truncate = mb_substr($text, 0, $length - mb_strlen($options['ellipsis']));
+
         if (!$options['exact']) {
             $spacepos = mb_strrpos($truncate, ' ');
-            if ($options['html']) {
-                $truncateCheck = mb_substr($truncate, 0, $spacepos);
-                $lastOpenTag = mb_strrpos($truncateCheck, '<');
-                $lastCloseTag = mb_strrpos($truncateCheck, '>');
-                if ($lastOpenTag > $lastCloseTag) {
-                    preg_match_all('/<[\w]+[^>]*>/s', $truncate, $lastTagMatches);
-                    $lastTag = array_pop($lastTagMatches[0]);
-                    $spacepos = mb_strrpos($truncate, $lastTag) + mb_strlen($lastTag);
-                }
-                $bits = mb_substr($truncate, $spacepos);
-                preg_match_all('/<\/([a-z]+)>/', $bits, $droppedTags, PREG_SET_ORDER);
-                if (!empty($droppedTags)) {
-                    if (!empty($openTags)) {
-                        foreach ($droppedTags as $closingTag) {
-                            if (!in_array($closingTag[1], $openTags)) {
-                                array_unshift($openTags, $closingTag[1]);
-                            }
-                        }
-                    } else {
-                        foreach ($droppedTags as $closingTag) {
-                            $openTags[] = $closingTag[1];
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
             $truncate = mb_substr($truncate, 0, $spacepos);
 
             // If truncate still empty, then we don't need to count ellipsis in the cut.
@@ -660,13 +681,6 @@ public static function truncate($text, $length = 100, array $options = [])
         }
 
         $truncate .= $options['ellipsis'];
-
-        if ($options['html']) {
-            foreach ($openTags as $tag) {
-                $truncate .= '</' . $tag . '>';
-            }
-        }
-
         return $truncate;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/Utility/TextTest.php b/tests/TestCase/Utility/TextTest.php
index f994012e5c9..d70e64e48ec 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/Utility/TextTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/Utility/TextTest.php
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ public function testTruncate()
         $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text1, 15, ['html' => true]), "The quick brow\xe2\x80\xa6");
         $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text1, 15, ['exact' => false, 'html' => true]), "The quick\xe2\x80\xa6");
         $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text2, 10, ['html' => true]), "Heiz&ouml;lr&uuml;c\xe2\x80\xa6");
-        $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text2, 10, ['exact' => false, 'html' => true]), "Heiz&ouml;\xe2\x80\xa6");
+        $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text2, 10, ['exact' => false, 'html' => true]), "Heiz&ouml;lr&uuml;c\xe2\x80\xa6");
         $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text3, 20, ['html' => true]), "<b>&copy; 2005-2007, Cake S\xe2\x80\xa6</b>");
         $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text4, 15, ['html' => true]), "<img src=\"mypic.jpg\"> This image ta\xe2\x80\xa6");
         $this->assertSame($this->Text->truncate($text4, 45, ['html' => true]), "<img src=\"mypic.jpg\"> This image tag is not XHTML conform!<br><hr/><b>But the\xe2\x80\xa6</b>");
@@ -576,43 +576,31 @@ public function testTruncate()
             'exact' => false,
             'html' => true
         ]);
-        $expected = '<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a>...</a></span></p>';
-        $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
-
-        $text = '<p><span style="font-size: medium;">El biógrafo de Steve Jobs, Walter
-Isaacson, explica porqué Jobs le pidió que le hiciera su biografía en
-este artículo de El País.</span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size:
-large;">Por qué Steve era distinto.</span></span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.elpais.com/
-articulo/primer/plano/Steve/era/distinto/elpepueconeg/
-20111009elpneglse_4/Tes">http://www.elpais.com/articulo/primer/plano/
-Steve/era/distinto/elpepueconeg/20111009elpneglse_4/Tes</a></span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ya se ha publicado la biografía de
-Steve Jobs escrita por Walter Isaacson  "<strong>Steve Jobs by Walter
-Isaacson</strong>", aquí os dejamos la dirección de amazon donde
-podeís adquirirla.</span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a>http://www.amazon.com/Steve-
-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537</a></span></p>';
-        $result = $this->Text->truncate($text, 500, [
-            'ellipsis' => '... ',
+        $expected = '<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a>Iamates...</a></span></p>';
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test truncate() method with both exact and html.
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testTruncateExactHtml()
+    {
+        $text = '<a href="http://example.org">hello</a> world';
+        $expected = '<a href="http://example.org">hell..</a>';
+        $result = Text::truncate($text, 6, array(
+            'ellipsis' => '..',
+            'exact' => true,
+            'html' => true
+        ));
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+
+        $expected = '<a href="http://example.org">hell..</a>';
+        $result = Text::truncate($text, 6, array(
+            'ellipsis' => '..',
             'exact' => false,
             'html' => true
-        ]);
-        $expected = '<p><span style="font-size: medium;">El biógrafo de Steve Jobs, Walter
-Isaacson, explica porqué Jobs le pidió que le hiciera su biografía en
-este artículo de El País.</span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size:
-large;">Por qué Steve era distinto.</span></span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.elpais.com/
-articulo/primer/plano/Steve/era/distinto/elpepueconeg/
-20111009elpneglse_4/Tes">http://www.elpais.com/articulo/primer/plano/
-Steve/era/distinto/elpepueconeg/20111009elpneglse_4/Tes</a></span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ya se ha publicado la biografía de
-Steve Jobs escrita por Walter Isaacson  "<strong>Steve Jobs by Walter
-Isaacson</strong>", aquí os dejamos la dirección de amazon donde
-podeís adquirirla.</span></p>
-<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a>... </a></span></p>';
+        ));
         $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
     }