diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/reporters/renderers/dotRenderer.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/reporters/renderers/dotRenderer.ts
index 5b323fc05ea2..86a8e09ccb10 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/reporters/renderers/dotRenderer.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/reporters/renderers/dotRenderer.ts
@@ -27,54 +27,74 @@ function getIcon(task: Task) {
   }
 }
 
-function render(tasks: Task[]): string {
+function render(tasks: Task[], width: number): string {
   const all = getTests(tasks)
-  const output: string[] = []
+  let currentIcon = pending
+  let currentTasks = 0
+  let previousLineWidth = 0
+  let output = ''
 
   // The log-update uses various ANSI helper utilities, e.g. ansi-warp, ansi-slice,
   // when printing. Passing it hundreds of single characters containing ANSI codes reduces
   // performances. We can optimize it by reducing amount of ANSI codes, e.g. by coloring
   // multiple tasks at once instead of each task separately.
-  let currentIcon = pending
-  let currentTasks = 0
-
-  const addOutput = () => output.push(currentIcon.color(currentIcon.char.repeat(currentTasks)))
+  const addOutput = () => {
+    const { char, color } = currentIcon
+    const availableWidth = width - previousLineWidth
+    if (availableWidth > currentTasks) {
+      output += color(char.repeat(currentTasks))
+      previousLineWidth += currentTasks
+    }
+    else {
+      // We need to split the line otherwise it will mess up log-update's height calculation
+      // and spam the scrollback buffer with dots.
+
+      // Fill the current line first
+      let buf = `${char.repeat(availableWidth)}\n`
+      const remaining = currentTasks - availableWidth
+
+      // Then fill as many full rows as possible
+      const fullRows = Math.floor(remaining / width)
+      buf += `${char.repeat(width)}\n`.repeat(fullRows)
+
+      // Add remaining dots which don't make a full row
+      const partialRow = remaining % width
+      if (partialRow > 0) {
+        buf += char.repeat(partialRow)
+        previousLineWidth = partialRow
+      }
+      else {
+        previousLineWidth = 0
+      }
 
+      output += color(buf)
+    }
+  }
   for (const task of all) {
     const icon = getIcon(task)
-    const isLast = all.indexOf(task) === all.length - 1
-
     if (icon === currentIcon) {
       currentTasks++
-
-      if (isLast)
-        addOutput()
-
       continue
     }
-
     // Task mode/state has changed, add previous group to output
     addOutput()
 
     // Start tracking new group
     currentTasks = 1
     currentIcon = icon
-
-    if (isLast)
-      addOutput()
   }
-
-  return output.join('')
+  addOutput()
+  return output
 }
 
 export function createDotRenderer(_tasks: Task[], options: DotRendererOptions) {
   let tasks = _tasks
   let timer: any
 
-  const log = options.logger.logUpdate
+  const { logUpdate: log, outputStream } = options.logger
 
   function update() {
-    log(render(tasks))
+    log(render(tasks, outputStream.columns))
   }
 
   return {
@@ -94,7 +114,7 @@ export function createDotRenderer(_tasks: Task[], options: DotRendererOptions) {
         timer = undefined
       }
       log.clear()
-      options.logger.log(render(tasks))
+      options.logger.log(render(tasks, outputStream.columns))
       return this
     },
     clear() {