diff --git a/src/.docker_modules/picard/2.18.11/PicardCommandLine b/src/.docker_modules/picard/2.18.11/PicardCommandLine
index ce067365785f2f03c722668eff8d80a94b9b34d3..24e2d2ac4a4e633e7a158ed68e7f8d6ed90fc90b 100644
--- a/src/.docker_modules/picard/2.18.11/PicardCommandLine
+++ b/src/.docker_modules/picard/2.18.11/PicardCommandLine
@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@ PicardCommandLine)
         ;;
 esac
 
-exec java ${JAVA_OPTIONS-} -jar /usr/share/java/picard.jar "$@"
+exec java -Xmx12g ${JAVA_OPTIONS-} -jar /usr/share/java/picard.jar "$@"