diff --git a/src/wireviz/wv_bom.py b/src/wireviz/wv_bom.py
index bd848ed..d68afd5 100644
--- a/src/wireviz/wv_bom.py
+++ b/src/wireviz/wv_bom.py
@@ -36,18 +36,18 @@ def partnumbers2list(
 
 def bom_list(bom, restrict_printed_lengths=True, filter_entries=False):
     entries_as_dict = []
+    bom_columns = []
+    has_content = set()
     # First pass, get all bom dict and identify filled columns
     for entry in bom.values():
         entry.restrict_printed_lengths = restrict_printed_lengths
-        entries_as_dict.append(entry.bom_dict)
-
-    has_content = {}
-    bom_columns = list(entries_as_dict[0].keys())
-    has_content = {
-        k
-        for k in bom_columns
-        if any(e[k] for e in entries_as_dict)
-    }
+        entry_as_dict = entry.bom_dict_pretty_column
+        entries_as_dict.append(entry_as_dict)
+        for k in entry_as_dict:
+            if k not in bom_columns:
+                bom_columns.append(k)
+            if entry_as_dict[k] is not None and entry_as_dict[k] != "":
+                has_content.add(k)
 
     headers = bom_columns
     if filter_entries:
@@ -55,7 +55,12 @@ def bom_list(bom, restrict_printed_lengths=True, filter_entries=False):
 
     entries_as_list = []
     for entry in entries_as_dict:
-        entries_as_list.append([v for k, v in entry.items() if k in headers])
+        entries_as_list.append([entry.get(k, "") for k in headers])
+
+    # sanity check
+    expected_length = len(entries_as_list[0])
+    for e in entries_as_list:
+        assert len(e) == expected_length, f'entries {e} length is not {expected_length}'
 
     table = [headers] + entries_as_list
 
diff --git a/src/wireviz/wv_dataclasses.py b/src/wireviz/wv_dataclasses.py
index ffd36a7..acb5c72 100644
--- a/src/wireviz/wv_dataclasses.py
+++ b/src/wireviz/wv_dataclasses.py
@@ -342,15 +342,19 @@ class BomEntry:
             if not isinstance(self.qty_multiplier, str):
                 self.qty *= float(self.qty_multiplier)
 
+    def restrict_length(data, max_len):
+        return f"{data[:max_len]} ..."
+
     @property
     def description_str(self):
         description = self.description
         if (
-            self.restrict_printed_lengths
-            and len(description) > self.MAX_PRINTED_DESCRIPTION
+            not self.restrict_printed_lengths or
+            'href' in description or
+            len(description) < self.MAX_PRINTED_DESCRIPTION
         ):
-            description = f"{description[:self.MAX_PRINTED_DESCRIPTION]} (...)"
-        return description
+            return description
+        return f"{description[:self.MAX_PRINTED_DESCRIPTION]} (...)"
 
     @property
     def designators_str(self):
@@ -406,6 +410,10 @@ class BomEntry:
             return self.partnumbers.BOM_KEY_TO_COLUMNS[key]
         raise ValueError(f"key '{key}' not found in bom keys")
 
+    @property
+    def bom_dict_pretty_column(self):
+        return {self.bom_column(k): v for k, v in self.bom_dict.items()}
+
     def scale_per_harness(self, qty_multipliers):
         if self.scaled_per_harness:
             logging.warn("{self}: Already scaled")