diff --git a/src/setfit/trainer.py b/src/setfit/trainer.py
index ba035d45..7994a424 100644
--- a/src/setfit/trainer.py
+++ b/src/setfit/trainer.py
@@ -579,7 +579,19 @@ def train_embeddings(
             SupConLoss,
         ):
             self.st_trainer.args.batch_sampler = BatchSamplers.GROUP_BY_LABEL
-        self.st_trainer.train()
+
+        # `args.max_length` is honored in the classifier phase (via `SetFitModel.fit`),
+        # but was previously ignored while finetuning the embedding body. Apply it to the
+        # body's truncation length for this phase too, clamping to the model's maximum as
+        # `_prepare_dataloader` does, and restore the original afterwards so that encoding
+        # at inference time is unaffected.
+        original_max_seq_length = self.model.model_body.max_seq_length
+        if args.max_length is not None:
+            self.model.model_body.max_seq_length = min(args.max_length, self.model.model_body.get_max_seq_length())
+        try:
+            self.st_trainer.train()
+        finally:
+            self.model.model_body.max_seq_length = original_max_seq_length
 
     def get_dataset(
         self, x: List[str], y: Union[List[int], List[List[int]]], args: TrainingArguments, max_pairs: int = -1
diff --git a/tests/test_trainer.py b/tests/test_trainer.py
index 923d8527..66125570 100644
--- a/tests/test_trainer.py
+++ b/tests/test_trainer.py
@@ -603,3 +603,28 @@ def test_trainer_wrong_args(model: SetFitModel) -> None:
     expected = "`args` must be a `TrainingArguments` instance imported from `setfit`."
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=expected):
         Trainer(model, dataset)
+
+
+def test_trainer_max_length_applied_to_embedding_phase(model: SetFitModel) -> None:
+    # Regression test for #561: `TrainingArguments.max_length` was honored when fitting the
+    # classifier head but silently ignored when finetuning the embedding body.
+    dataset = Dataset.from_dict({"text": ["a", "b", "c"], "label": [0, 1, 2]})
+    max_length = 32
+    assert max_length < model.model_body.get_max_seq_length()
+    original_max_seq_length = model.model_body.max_seq_length
+
+    args = TrainingArguments(num_iterations=1, max_length=max_length)
+    trainer = Trainer(model, args=args, train_dataset=dataset)
+
+    observed = {}
+
+    def fake_train() -> None:
+        observed["max_seq_length"] = model.model_body.max_seq_length
+
+    trainer.st_trainer.train = fake_train
+    trainer.train_embeddings(dataset["text"], dataset["label"], args=args)
+
+    # The body is truncated to `max_length` while the embeddings are trained, and the
+    # original truncation length is restored afterwards so inference is unaffected.
+    assert observed["max_seq_length"] == max_length
+    assert model.model_body.max_seq_length == original_max_seq_length