diff --git a/pkg/cmd/codespace/create.go b/pkg/cmd/codespace/create.go
index fa484173d..d8b24d016 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/codespace/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/codespace/create.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func newCreateCmd(app *App) *cobra.Command {
 	createCmd.Flags().DurationVar(&opts.idleTimeout, "idle-timeout", 0, "allowed inactivity before codespace is stopped, e.g. \"10m\", \"1h\"")
 	createCmd.Flags().Var(&opts.retentionPeriod, "retention-period", "allowed time after shutting down before the codespace is automatically deleted (maximum 30 days), e.g. \"1h\", \"72h\"")
 	createCmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.devContainerPath, "devcontainer-path", "", "path to the devcontainer.json file to use when creating codespace")
-	createCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&opts.displayName, "display-name", "d", "", "display name for the codespace")
+	createCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&opts.displayName, "display-name", "d", "", "display name for the codespace (48 characters or less)")
 
 	return createCmd
 }
@@ -282,6 +282,10 @@ func (a *App) Create(ctx context.Context, opts createOptions) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if len(opts.displayName) > 48 { // 48 is the max length of the display name in the API
+		return fmt.Errorf("error creating codespace: display name should contains 48 characters max or less")
+	}
+
 	createParams := &api.CreateCodespaceParams{
 		RepositoryID:           repository.ID,
 		Branch:                 branch,
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/codespace/create_test.go b/pkg/cmd/codespace/create_test.go
index ae85fc34a..bbb8d84d0 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/codespace/create_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/codespace/create_test.go
@@ -184,6 +184,25 @@ func TestApp_Create(t *testing.T) {
 			wantStderr: "  ✓ Codespaces usage for this repository is paid for by monalisa\n",
 			wantErr:    fmt.Errorf("error getting machine type: there is no such machine for the repository: %s\nAvailable machines: %v", "MEGA", []string{"GIGA", "TERA"}),
 		},
+		{
+			name: "create codespace with display name more than 48 characters results in error",
+			fields: fields{
+				apiClient: apiCreateDefaults(&apiClientMock{
+					CreateCodespaceFunc: func(ctx context.Context, params *api.CreateCodespaceParams) (*api.Codespace, error) {
+						return &api.Codespace{
+							Name: "monalisa-dotfiles-abcd1234",
+						}, nil
+					},
+				}),
+			},
+			opts: createOptions{
+				repo:        "monalisa/dotfiles",
+				machine:     "GIGA",
+				displayName: "this-is-very-long-display-name-with-49-characters",
+			},
+			wantStderr: "  ✓ Codespaces usage for this repository is paid for by monalisa\n",
+			wantErr:    fmt.Errorf("error creating codespace: display name should contains 48 characters max or less"),
+		},
 		{
 			name: "create codespace with devcontainer path results in selecting the correct machine type",
 			fields: fields{