diff --git a/pandas/core/format.py b/pandas/core/format.py
index 8bc74f2ff4c08..7135573d48644 100644
--- a/pandas/core/format.py
+++ b/pandas/core/format.py
@@ -846,9 +846,11 @@ def _write_hierarchical_rows(self, fmt_values, indent):
 
         frame = self.frame
         ncols = min(len(self.columns), self.max_cols)
+        nrows = min(len(self.frame), self.max_rows)
+
         truncate = (len(frame) > self.max_rows)
 
-        idx_values = frame.index.format(sparsify=False, adjoin=False,
+        idx_values = frame.index[:nrows].format(sparsify=False, adjoin=False,
                                         names=False)
         idx_values = lzip(*idx_values)
 
@@ -856,8 +858,8 @@ def _write_hierarchical_rows(self, fmt_values, indent):
 
             # GH3547
             sentinal = com.sentinal_factory()
-            levels = frame.index.format(sparsify=sentinal, adjoin=False,
-                                        names=False)
+            levels = frame.index[:nrows].format(sparsify=sentinal,
+                                                adjoin=False, names=False)
             # Truncate row names
             if truncate:
                 levels = [lev[:self.max_rows] for lev in levels]
diff --git a/vb_suite/frame_methods.py b/vb_suite/frame_methods.py
index a7c863345b9c5..63b2a154c75e9 100644
--- a/vb_suite/frame_methods.py
+++ b/vb_suite/frame_methods.py
@@ -157,7 +157,35 @@ def f(x):
 """
 
 frame_to_html_mixed = Benchmark('df.to_html()', setup,
-                                   start_date=datetime(2010, 6, 1))
+                                   start_date=datetime(2011, 11, 18))
+
+
+# truncated repr_html, single index
+
+setup = common_setup + """
+nrows=10000
+data=randn(nrows,10)
+idx=MultiIndex.from_arrays(np.tile(randn(3,nrows/100),100))
+df=DataFrame(data,index=idx)
+
+"""
+
+frame_html_repr_trunc_mi = Benchmark('df._repr_html_()', setup,
+                                   start_date=datetime(2013, 11, 25))
+
+# truncated repr_html, MultiIndex
+
+setup = common_setup + """
+nrows=10000
+data=randn(nrows,10)
+idx=randn(nrows)
+df=DataFrame(data,index=idx)
+
+"""
+
+frame_html_repr_trunc_si = Benchmark('df._repr_html_()', setup,
+                                   start_date=datetime(2013, 11, 25))
+
 
 # insert many columns