diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 5090f0f5..0f141118 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -169,6 +169,15 @@
 	
 	<property name="known.hosts" value="${build.dir}/known_hosts"/>
 
+    <!--
+        Java memory requirements.
+        
+        This is used as the max heap setting for all Java invocations.  This amount will
+        be more than some invocations require, but there's no harm in having a higher
+        limit for all of them.
+    -->
+	<property name="java.max.memory" value="640m"/>
+	   
 	<!--
 		*************************************************
 		***                                           ***
@@ -437,7 +446,7 @@
 		<element name="args" optional="yes"/>
 		<sequential>
 			<java classname="edu.internet2.middleware.shibboleth.utils.MetadataTool"
-				fork="true" failonerror="true" maxmemory="384m">
+				fork="true" failonerror="true" maxmemory="${java.max.memory}">
 				<classpath>
 					<fileset dir="${tools.metadatatool}/lib">
 						<include name="**/*.jar"/>
@@ -496,7 +505,7 @@
 		<element name="args" optional="yes"/>
 		<sequential>
 			<java classname="org.opensaml.xml.util.XmlTool"
-				fork="true" failonerror="true" maxmemory="384m">
+				fork="true" failonerror="true" maxmemory="${java.max.memory}">
 				<classpath>
 					<fileset dir="${tools.xmltool}/lib">
 						<include name="**/*.jar"/>
@@ -574,7 +583,7 @@
 		<attribute name="o"/>
 		<attribute name="x"/>
 		<sequential>
-			<java fork="true" maxmemory="512m" failonerror="true" classname="org.apache.xalan.xslt.Process">
+			<java fork="true" maxmemory="${java.max.memory}" failonerror="true" classname="org.apache.xalan.xslt.Process">
 				<classpath>
 					<fileset dir="${tools.xalan}/lib">
 						<include name="**/*.jar"/>
@@ -709,7 +718,7 @@
 	
 	<target name="import.metadata">
 		<echo>Importing metadata from ${entities.dir}/import.xml</echo>
-		<java fork="true" maxmemory="384m" failonerror="true" classname="org.apache.xalan.xslt.Process">
+		<java fork="true" maxmemory="${java.max.memory}" failonerror="true" classname="org.apache.xalan.xslt.Process">
 			<classpath>
 				<fileset dir="${tools.xalan}/lib">
 					<include name="**/*.jar"/>
@@ -754,7 +763,7 @@
 		<attribute name="s"/>
 		<sequential>
 			<java classname="uk.ac.sdss.mdcheck.MetadataCheck"
-				fork="true" failonerror="true" maxmemory="384m">
+				fork="true" failonerror="true" maxmemory="${java.max.memory}">
 				<classpath>
 					<fileset dir="${tools.mdcheck}/lib">
 						<include name="**/*.jar"/>