diff --git a/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py b/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py
index e2e37a17704185..31153445697fdd 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_zipfile.py
@@ -1844,11 +1844,14 @@ def test_comments(self):
             self.assertEqual(zipf.comment, b"an updated comment")
 
         # check that comments are correctly shortened in append mode
+        # and the file is indeed truncated
         with zipfile.ZipFile(TESTFN,mode="w") as zipf:
             zipf.comment = b"original comment that's longer"
             zipf.writestr("foo.txt", "O, for a Muse of Fire!")
+        original_zip_size = os.path.getsize(TESTFN)
         with zipfile.ZipFile(TESTFN,mode="a") as zipf:
             zipf.comment = b"shorter comment"
+        self.assertTrue(original_zip_size > os.path.getsize(TESTFN))
         with zipfile.ZipFile(TESTFN,mode="r") as zipf:
             self.assertEqual(zipf.comment, b"shorter comment")
 
diff --git a/Lib/zipfile.py b/Lib/zipfile.py
index 73e89666309ffe..e95e2b2d452df4 100644
--- a/Lib/zipfile.py
+++ b/Lib/zipfile.py
@@ -1942,6 +1942,8 @@ def _write_end_record(self):
                              centDirSize, centDirOffset, len(self._comment))
         self.fp.write(endrec)
         self.fp.write(self._comment)
+        if self.mode == "a":
+            self.fp.truncate()
         self.fp.flush()
 
     def _fpclose(self, fp):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-04-03-16-13-59.bpo-40105.hfM2c0.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-04-03-16-13-59.bpo-40105.hfM2c0.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..f71a7a1e697a48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-04-03-16-13-59.bpo-40105.hfM2c0.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+ZipFile truncates files to avoid corruption when a shorter comment is provided
+in append ("a") mode. Patch by Jan Mazur.