diff --git a/app/models/external_feed_entry.rb b/app/models/external_feed_entry.rb
index a6cc2c337b5..046119b8ead 100644
--- a/app/models/external_feed_entry.rb
+++ b/app/models/external_feed_entry.rb
@@ -26,8 +26,13 @@ class ExternalFeedEntry < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   before_save :infer_defaults
   validates_presence_of :external_feed_id, :workflow_state
-  validates_length_of :title, :maximum => maximum_text_length, :allow_nil => true, :allow_blank => true
-  validates_length_of :message, :maximum => maximum_text_length, :allow_nil => true, :allow_blank => true
+  validates :title, length: {maximum: maximum_text_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: true}
+  validates :message, length: {maximum: maximum_text_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: true}
+  validates :source_url, length: {maximum: maximum_text_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: true}
+  validates :url, length: {maximum: maximum_text_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: true}
+  validates :author_name, length: {maximum: maximum_string_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: false}
+  validates :author_url, length: {maximum: maximum_text_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: false}
+  validates :author_email, length: {maximum: maximum_string_length, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: false}
   sanitize_field :message, CanvasSanitize::SANITIZE
 
   attr_accessible :title, :message, :source_name, :source_url, :posted_at, :start_at, :end_at, :user, :url, :uuid, :author_name, :author_url, :author_email, :asset
diff --git a/db/migrate/20150926232040_expand_external_feed_url_columns.rb b/db/migrate/20150926232040_expand_external_feed_url_columns.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..999a6387ded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20150926232040_expand_external_feed_url_columns.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+class ExpandExternalFeedUrlColumns < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  tag :postdeploy
+
+  def self.up
+    change_column :external_feed_entries, :url, :text
+    change_column :external_feed_entries, :source_url, :text
+    change_column :external_feed_entries, :author_url, :text
+  end
+
+  def self.down
+    change_column :external_feed_entries, :url, :string
+    change_column :external_feed_entries, :source_url, :string
+    change_column :external_feed_entries, :author_url, :string
+  end
+end