diff --git a/__tests__/react/type.js b/__tests__/react/type.js
index 048ec61a..a6dda71c 100644
--- a/__tests__/react/type.js
+++ b/__tests__/react/type.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ describe("userEvent.type", () => {
   );
 
   it.each(["input", "textarea"])(
-    "should type text in <%s> up to maxLength if provided",
+    "should enter text in <%s> up to maxLength if provided",
     (type) => {
       const onChange = jest.fn();
       const onKeyDown = jest.fn();
@@ -208,4 +208,58 @@ describe("userEvent.type", () => {
       expect(onKeyUp).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     }
   );
+
+  it.each(["input", "textarea"])(
+    "should append text in <%s> up to maxLength if provided",
+    (type) => {
+      const onChange = jest.fn();
+      const onKeyDown = jest.fn();
+      const onKeyPress = jest.fn();
+      const onKeyUp = jest.fn();
+      const maxLength = 10;
+
+      const { getByTestId } = render(
+        React.createElement(type, {
+          "data-testid": "input",
+          onChange,
+          onKeyDown,
+          onKeyPress,
+          onKeyUp,
+          maxLength,
+        })
+      );
+
+      const text1 = "superlong";
+      const text2 = "text";
+      const text = text1 + text2;
+      const slicedText = text.slice(0, maxLength);
+
+      const inputEl = getByTestId("input");
+
+      userEvent.type(inputEl, text1);
+      userEvent.type(inputEl, text2);
+
+      expect(inputEl).toHaveProperty("value", slicedText);
+      expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(slicedText.length);
+      expect(onKeyPress).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(text.length);
+      expect(onKeyDown).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(text.length);
+      expect(onKeyUp).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(text.length);
+
+      inputEl.value = "";
+      onChange.mockClear();
+      onKeyPress.mockClear();
+      onKeyDown.mockClear();
+      onKeyUp.mockClear();
+
+      userEvent.type(inputEl, text, {
+        allAtOnce: true,
+      });
+
+      expect(inputEl).toHaveProperty("value", slicedText);
+      expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(onKeyPress).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(onKeyDown).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(onKeyUp).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }
+  );
 });
diff --git a/__tests__/vue/type.js b/__tests__/vue/type.js
index c7616934..1b28410e 100644
--- a/__tests__/vue/type.js
+++ b/__tests__/vue/type.js
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ describe("userEvent.type", () => {
   );
 
   it.each(["input", "textarea"])(
-    "should type text in <%s> up to maxLength if provided",
+    "should enter text in <%s> up to maxLength if provided",
     (type) => {
       const input = jest.fn();
       const keydown = jest.fn();
@@ -189,4 +189,52 @@ describe("userEvent.type", () => {
       expect(keyup).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     }
   );
+
+  it.each(["input", "textarea"])(
+    "should append text in <%s> up to maxLength if provided",
+    (type) => {
+      const input = jest.fn();
+      const keydown = jest.fn();
+      const keypress = jest.fn();
+      const keyup = jest.fn();
+      const maxLength = 10;
+
+      const { getByTestId } = renderComponent(
+        type,
+        { input, keydown, keypress, keyup },
+        { maxLength }
+      );
+
+      const text1 = "superlong";
+      const text2 = "text";
+      const text = text1 + text2;
+      const slicedText = text.slice(0, maxLength);
+
+      const inputEl = getByTestId("input");
+
+      userEvent.type(inputEl, text1);
+      userEvent.type(inputEl, text2);
+
+      expect(inputEl).toHaveProperty("value", slicedText);
+      expect(keydown).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(text.length);
+      expect(keypress).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(text.length);
+      expect(keyup).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(text.length);
+
+      inputEl.value = "";
+      input.mockClear();
+      keydown.mockClear();
+      keypress.mockClear();
+      keyup.mockClear();
+
+      userEvent.type(inputEl, text, {
+        allAtOnce: true,
+      });
+
+      expect(inputEl).toHaveProperty("value", slicedText);
+      expect(input).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(keydown).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(keypress).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(keyup).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }
+  );
 });
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 1c612444..60b8f2c0 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -236,11 +236,13 @@ const userEvent = {
     };
     const opts = Object.assign(defaultOpts, userOpts);
 
-    const computedText =
-      element.maxLength > 0 ? text.slice(0, element.maxLength) : text;
-
     const previousText = element.value;
 
+    const computedText =
+      element.maxLength > 0
+        ? text.slice(0, Math.max(element.maxLength - previousText.length, 0))
+        : text;
+
     if (opts.allAtOnce) {
       if (element.readOnly) return;
       fireEvent.input(element, {