diff --git a/app/controllers/execution_environments_controller.rb b/app/controllers/execution_environments_controller.rb
index 308425f7..2eed11a4 100644
--- a/app/controllers/execution_environments_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/execution_environments_controller.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class ExecutionEnvironmentsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def execution_environment_params
-    params[:execution_environment].permit(:docker_image, :exposed_ports, :editor_mode, :file_extension, :file_type_id, :help, :indent_size, :name, :permitted_execution_time, :pool_size, :run_command, :test_command, :testing_framework).merge(user_id: current_user.id, user_type: current_user.class.name)
+    params[:execution_environment].permit(:docker_image, :exposed_ports, :editor_mode, :file_extension, :file_type_id, :help, :indent_size, :memory_limit, :name, :permitted_execution_time, :pool_size, :run_command, :test_command, :testing_framework).merge(user_id: current_user.id, user_type: current_user.class.name)
   end
   private :execution_environment_params
 
diff --git a/app/models/execution_environment.rb b/app/models/execution_environment.rb
index 0ecc2424..dd8ee8b4 100644
--- a/app/models/execution_environment.rb
+++ b/app/models/execution_environment.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class ExecutionEnvironment < ActiveRecord::Base
   validate :valid_test_setup?
   validate :working_docker_image?, if: :validate_docker_image?
   validates :docker_image, presence: true
+  validates :memory_limit, numericality: {greater_than_or_equal_to: DockerClient::MINIMUM_MEMORY_LIMIT, only_integer: true}, presence: true
   validates :name, presence: true
   validates :permitted_execution_time, numericality: {only_integer: true}, presence: true
   validates :pool_size, numericality: {only_integer: true}, presence: true
diff --git a/app/views/execution_environments/_form.html.slim b/app/views/execution_environments/_form.html.slim
index dc4a759d..67bf216b 100644
--- a/app/views/execution_environments/_form.html.slim
+++ b/app/views/execution_environments/_form.html.slim
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
     = f.label(:exposed_ports)
     = f.text_field(:exposed_ports, class: 'form-control', placeholder: '3000, 4000')
     .help-block == t('.hints.exposed_ports')
+  .form-group
+    = f.label(:memory_limit)
+    = f.number_field(:memory_limit, class: 'form-control', min: DockerClient::MINIMUM_MEMORY_LIMIT, value: f.object.memory_limit || DockerClient::DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT)
   .form-group
     = f.label(:permitted_execution_time)
     = f.number_field(:permitted_execution_time, class: 'form-control', min: 1)
diff --git a/app/views/execution_environments/show.html.slim b/app/views/execution_environments/show.html.slim
index 60c01364..b0cc38b2 100644
--- a/app/views/execution_environments/show.html.slim
+++ b/app/views/execution_environments/show.html.slim
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ h1
 = row(label: 'execution_environment.name', value: @execution_environment.name)
 = row(label: 'execution_environment.user', value: link_to(@execution_environment.author, @execution_environment.author))
 = row(label: 'execution_environment.file_type', value: @execution_environment.file_type.present? ? link_to(@execution_environment.file_type, @execution_environment.file_type) : nil)
-- [:docker_image, :exposed_ports, :permitted_execution_time, :pool_size, :run_command, :test_command].each do |attribute|
+- [:docker_image, :exposed_ports, :memory_limit, :permitted_execution_time, :pool_size, :run_command, :test_command].each do |attribute|
   = row(label: "execution_environment.#{attribute}", value: @execution_environment.send(attribute))
 = row(label: 'execution_environment.testing_framework', value: @testing_framework_adapter.try(:framework_name))
 = row(label: 'execution_environment.help', value: render_markdown(@execution_environment.help))
diff --git a/config/locales/de.yml b/config/locales/de.yml
index 0bacc13e..800a1497 100644
--- a/config/locales/de.yml
+++ b/config/locales/de.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ de:
         file_type: Standard-Dateityp
         file_type_id: Standard-Dateityp
         help: Hilfetext
+        memory_limit: Speicher-Limit (in MB)
         name: Name
         permitted_execution_time: Erlaubte Ausführungszeit (in Sekunden)
         pool_size: Docker-Container-Pool-Größe
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index e43dee29..33e101f2 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ en:
         file_type: Default File Type
         file_type_id: Default File Type
         help: Help Text
+        memory_limit: Memory Limit (in MB)
         name: Name
         permitted_execution_time: Permitted Execution Time (in Seconds)
         pool_size: Docker Container Pool Size
diff --git a/db/migrate/20150317083739_add_memory_limit_to_execution_environments.rb b/db/migrate/20150317083739_add_memory_limit_to_execution_environments.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2ee957c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20150317083739_add_memory_limit_to_execution_environments.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+class AddMemoryLimitToExecutionEnvironments < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :execution_environments, :memory_limit, :integer
+
+    reversible do |direction|
+      direction.up do
+        ExecutionEnvironment.update_all(memory_limit: DockerClient::DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 94538e85..3cfd596c 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20150310150712) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20150317083739) do
 
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20150310150712) do
     t.string   "user_type"
     t.integer  "pool_size"
     t.integer  "file_type_id"
+    t.integer  "memory_limit"
   end
 
   create_table "exercises", force: true do |t|
diff --git a/lib/docker_client.rb b/lib/docker_client.rb
index 360508f9..f47dad26 100644
--- a/lib/docker_client.rb
+++ b/lib/docker_client.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ require 'concurrent'
 
 class DockerClient
   CONTAINER_WORKSPACE_PATH = '/workspace'
+  DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT = 256
   LOCAL_WORKSPACE_ROOT = Rails.root.join('tmp', 'files', Rails.env)
+  MINIMUM_MEMORY_LIMIT = 4
   RETRY_COUNT = 2
 
   attr_reader :assigned_ports
@@ -23,16 +25,32 @@ class DockerClient
     @config ||= CodeOcean::Config.new(:docker).read(erb: true)
   end
 
+  def self.container_creation_options(execution_environment)
+    {
+      'Image' => find_image_by_tag(execution_environment.docker_image).info['RepoTags'].first,
+      'Memory' => execution_environment.memory_limit.megabytes,
+      'OpenStdin' => true,
+      'StdinOnce' => true
+    }
+  end
+
+  def self.container_start_options(execution_environment, local_workspace_path)
+    {
+      'Binds' => mapped_directories(local_workspace_path),
+      'PortBindings' => mapped_ports(execution_environment)
+    }
+  end
+
   def copy_file_to_workspace(options = {})
     FileUtils.cp(options[:file].native_file.path, local_file_path(options))
   end
 
   def self.create_container(execution_environment)
     tries ||= 0
-    container = Docker::Container.create('Image' => find_image_by_tag(execution_environment.docker_image).info['RepoTags'].first, 'OpenStdin' => true, 'StdinOnce' => true)
+    container = Docker::Container.create(container_creation_options(execution_environment))
     local_workspace_path = generate_local_workspace_path
     FileUtils.mkdir(local_workspace_path)
-    container.start('Binds' => mapped_directories(local_workspace_path), 'PortBindings' => mapped_ports(execution_environment))
+    container.start(container_start_options(execution_environment, local_workspace_path))
     container
   rescue Docker::Error::NotFoundError => error
     destroy_container(container)
diff --git a/spec/factories/execution_environment.rb b/spec/factories/execution_environment.rb
index be78029e..1e1b10fb 100644
--- a/spec/factories/execution_environment.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/execution_environment.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :coffee_script, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-coffee:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_coffee
     help
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :html, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-html:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_html
     help
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :java, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-java:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_java
     help
@@ -41,6 +44,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :jruby, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-jruby:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_rb
     help
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :node_js, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-node:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_js
     help
@@ -67,6 +72,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :python, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-python:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_py
     help
@@ -81,6 +87,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :ruby, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-ruby:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_rb
     help
@@ -95,6 +102,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :sinatra, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-sinatra:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_rb
     exposed_ports '4567'
@@ -110,6 +118,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
 
   factory :sqlite, class: ExecutionEnvironment do
     created_by_teacher
+    default_memory_limit
     docker_image 'hklement/ubuntu-sqlite:latest'
     association :file_type, factory: :dot_sql
     help
@@ -122,6 +131,10 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
     testing_framework 'SqlResultSetComparatorAdapter'
   end
 
+  trait :default_memory_limit do
+    memory_limit DockerClient::DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT
+  end
+
   trait :help do
     help { Forgery(:lorem_ipsum).words(Forgery(:basic).number(at_least: 50, at_most: 100)) }
   end
diff --git a/spec/lib/docker_client_spec.rb b/spec/lib/docker_client_spec.rb
index 9af7b90b..287891c7 100644
--- a/spec/lib/docker_client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/docker_client_spec.rb
@@ -25,6 +25,34 @@ describe DockerClient, docker: true do
     end
   end
 
+  describe '.container_creation_options' do
+    let(:container_creation_options) { described_class.container_creation_options(execution_environment) }
+
+    it 'specifies the Docker image' do
+      expect(container_creation_options).to include('Image' => described_class.find_image_by_tag(execution_environment.docker_image).info['RepoTags'].first)
+    end
+
+    it 'specifies the memory limit' do
+      expect(container_creation_options).to include('Memory' => execution_environment.memory_limit.megabytes)
+    end
+
+    it 'specifies to open the standard input stream once' do
+      expect(container_creation_options).to include('OpenStdin' => true, 'StdinOnce' => true)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '.container_start_options' do
+    let(:container_start_options) { described_class.container_start_options(execution_environment, '') }
+
+    it 'specifies mapped directories' do
+      expect(container_start_options).to include('Binds' => kind_of(Array))
+    end
+
+    it 'specifies mapped ports' do
+      expect(container_start_options).to include('PortBindings' => kind_of(Hash))
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '.create_container' do
     let(:create_container) { described_class.create_container(execution_environment) }
 
@@ -39,25 +67,25 @@ describe DockerClient, docker: true do
       create_container
     end
 
-    it 'creates a container waiting for input' do
-      expect(Docker::Container).to receive(:create).with('Image' => kind_of(String), 'OpenStdin' => true, 'StdinOnce' => true).and_call_original
+    it 'creates a container' do
+      expect(described_class).to receive(:container_creation_options).with(execution_environment).and_call_original
+      expect(Docker::Container).to receive(:create).with(kind_of(Hash)).and_call_original
       create_container
     end
 
     it 'starts the container' do
-      expect_any_instance_of(Docker::Container).to receive(:start)
+      expect(described_class).to receive(:container_start_options).with(execution_environment, kind_of(String)).and_call_original
+      expect_any_instance_of(Docker::Container).to receive(:start).with(kind_of(Hash)).and_call_original
       create_container
     end
 
     it 'configures mapped directories' do
       expect(described_class).to receive(:mapped_directories).and_call_original
-      expect_any_instance_of(Docker::Container).to receive(:start).with(hash_including('Binds' => kind_of(Array)))
       create_container
     end
 
     it 'configures mapped ports' do
       expect(described_class).to receive(:mapped_ports).with(execution_environment).and_call_original
-      expect_any_instance_of(Docker::Container).to receive(:start).with(hash_including('PortBindings' => kind_of(Hash)))
       create_container
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/execution_environment_spec.rb b/spec/models/execution_environment_spec.rb
index ad603741..a5ad2ae8 100644
--- a/spec/models/execution_environment_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/execution_environment_spec.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,21 @@ describe ExecutionEnvironment do
     expect(execution_environment.errors[:docker_image]).to be_present
   end
 
+  it 'validates the minimum value of the memory limit' do
+    execution_environment.update(memory_limit: DockerClient::MINIMUM_MEMORY_LIMIT / 2)
+    expect(execution_environment.errors[:memory_limit]).to be_present
+  end
+
+  it 'validates the numericality of the memory limit' do
+    execution_environment.update(memory_limit: Math::PI)
+    expect(execution_environment.errors[:memory_limit]).to be_present
+  end
+
+  it 'validates the presence of a memory limit' do
+    execution_environment.update(memory_limit: nil)
+    expect(execution_environment.errors[:memory_limit]).to be_present
+  end
+
   it 'validates the presence of a name' do
     expect(execution_environment.errors[:name]).to be_present
   end