diff --git a/build.py b/build.py
index 22d60853d1f..5e2c1bbc893 100755
--- a/build.py
+++ b/build.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def find_java():
     return "java"
 
 def calculate_memory_args():
-    return "-Xmx600M -Djavac.maxmem.default=750M -Djavadoc.maxmem.default=750M -XX:MaxPermSize=256m".split(" ")
+    return "-Xmx600M -XX:MaxPermSize=256m".split(" ")
 
 def choose_omero_version():
     """
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 5cdd76905e9..4dfa477d16c 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -678,81 +678,94 @@ To get started using Eclipse, execute "./build.py build-dev" and import the top-
         <mkdir dir="target/docs"/>
         <copy file="docs/overview.html" tofile="target/docs/overview.html" overwrite="true"/>
         <replace file="target/docs/overview.html" token="@VERSION@" value="${omero.version}"/>
-        <javadoc
-            failonerror="true"
-            Verbose="false"
-            maxmemory="${javadoc.maxmem}"
-            destdir="${dist.dir}/docs/api"
-            author="true"
-            version="true"
-            use="true"
-            breakiterator="true"
-            windowtitle="OMERO (OME Remote Objects) Server"
-            overview="target/docs/overview.html"
-            stylesheetfile="docs/javadocsstyle.css">
-
-            <classpath>
-                <fileset dir="lib">
-                    <include name="**/*.jar"/>
-                    <exclude name="repository/omero/**"/>
-                    <exclude name="repository/omero-tools/**"/>
+        <presetdef name="nomemoryjavadoc">
+            <javadoc
+                failonerror="true"
+                Verbose="false"
+                destdir="${dist.dir}/docs/api"
+                author="true"
+                version="true"
+                use="true"
+                breakiterator="true"
+                windowtitle="OMERO (OME Remote Objects) Server"
+                overview="target/docs/overview.html"
+                stylesheetfile="docs/javadocsstyle.css">
+
+                <classpath>
+                    <fileset dir="lib">
+                        <include name="**/*.jar"/>
+                        <exclude name="repository/omero/**"/>
+                        <exclude name="repository/omero-tools/**"/>
+                    </fileset>
+                </classpath>
+
+                <fileset dir="components/common/" defaultexcludes="yes">
+                    <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
+                </fileset>
+                <fileset dir="components/server/" defaultexcludes="yes">
+                    <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
+                </fileset>
+                <fileset dir="components/romio/" defaultexcludes="yes">
+                    <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
+                </fileset>
+                <fileset dir="components/rendering/" defaultexcludes="yes">
+                    <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
+                </fileset>
+                <!-- Skipping generated files for blitz. Just too many -->
+                <fileset dir="components/blitz/src" defaultexcludes="yes" includes="**/*.java"/>
+                <fileset dir="components/tools/OmeroJava" defaultexcludes="yes">
+                    <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
                 </fileset>
-            </classpath>
 
-            <fileset dir="components/common/" defaultexcludes="yes">
-                <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
-            </fileset>
-            <fileset dir="components/server/" defaultexcludes="yes">
-                <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
-            </fileset>
-            <fileset dir="components/romio/" defaultexcludes="yes">
-                <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
-            </fileset>
-            <fileset dir="components/rendering/" defaultexcludes="yes">
-                <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
-            </fileset>
-            <!-- Skipping generated files for blitz. Just too many -->
-            <fileset dir="components/blitz/src" defaultexcludes="yes" includes="**/*.java"/>
-            <fileset dir="components/tools/OmeroJava" defaultexcludes="yes">
-                <patternset refid="all.java.files"/>
-            </fileset>
+                <doctitle><![CDATA[<h1> Omero API </h1>]]></doctitle>
+                <bottom><![CDATA[
+                <div id="ome-logo-for-top" style="display:none"><a href="http://hudson.openmicroscopy.org.uk/job/OMERO/javadoc/" target="_top"><div id="ome-logo-inner"><img src="http://hudson.openmicroscopy.org.uk/userContent/ome_docs_trac_banner.png" alt="OME Docs"></a></div></div>
+                <div id="doc-name-right" style="position: absolute;top: 90px;right: 20px;"><b>OmeroJava Api</b></div>
+                <p><i>Version: ${omero.version}</i></p>
+                <p><b><i>Copyright &#169; @@YEAR@@ The University of Dundee &amp; Open Microscopy Environment. All Rights Reserved.</i></b></p>
+                ]]></bottom>
+
+                <tag name="DEV.TODO" scope="all" description="To do:"/>
+
+                <group title="A. Core System"
+                        packages="ome.api:ome.conditions*:ome.parameters*:ome.system*"/>
+                <group title="B. Model"
+                        packages="ome.model*"/>
+                <group title="C. Client Packages"
+                        packages="ome.client*:ome.adapters*:pojos*"/>
+                <group title="D. Server Packages"
+                        packages="ome.api.local*:ome.services*:ome.logic*:ome.tools*:ome.security*:ome.io*:ome.annotations*"/>
+                <group title="E. Blitz Server"
+                        packages="ome.services.blitz*"/>
+                <group title="E. Blitz Client"
+                        packages="omero*:omeroj*"/>
+                <group title="G. Rendering Engine"
+                        packages="omeis*"/>
+                <group title="H. Utilities"
+                        packages="ome.util*"/>
+                <group title="I. Deprecated"
+                        packages="ome.dynamic*:ome.rules*"/>
+
+                <link href="http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5/docs/api/"/>
+                <link href="http://www.springframework.org/docs/api/"/>
+                <link href="http://www.hibernate.org/hib_docs/v3/api/"/>
+                <link href="http://aopalliance.sourceforge.net/doc/"/>
+                <link href="http://lucene.apache.org/java/2_2_0/api"/>
+
+            </javadoc>
+        </presetdef>
+
+        <if>
+            <isset property="javadoc.maxmem"/>
+            <then>
+                <nomemoryjavadoc
+                    maxmemory="${javadoc.maxmem}"/>
+            </then>
+            <else>
+                <nomemoryjavadoc/>
+            </else>
+        </if>
 
-            <doctitle><![CDATA[<h1> Omero API </h1>]]></doctitle>
-            <bottom><![CDATA[
-            <div id="ome-logo-for-top" style="display:none"><a href="http://hudson.openmicroscopy.org.uk/job/OMERO/javadoc/" target="_top"><div id="ome-logo-inner"><img src="http://hudson.openmicroscopy.org.uk/userContent/ome_docs_trac_banner.png" alt="OME Docs"></a></div></div>
-            <div id="doc-name-right" style="position: absolute;top: 90px;right: 20px;"><b>OmeroJava Api</b></div>
-            <p><i>Version: ${omero.version}</i></p>
-            <p><b><i>Copyright &#169; @@YEAR@@ The University of Dundee &amp; Open Microscopy Environment. All Rights Reserved.</i></b></p>
-            ]]></bottom>
-
-            <tag name="DEV.TODO" scope="all" description="To do:"/>
-
-            <group title="A. Core System"
-                    packages="ome.api:ome.conditions*:ome.parameters*:ome.system*"/>
-            <group title="B. Model"
-                    packages="ome.model*"/>
-            <group title="C. Client Packages"
-                    packages="ome.client*:ome.adapters*:pojos*"/>
-            <group title="D. Server Packages"
-                    packages="ome.api.local*:ome.services*:ome.logic*:ome.tools*:ome.security*:ome.io*:ome.annotations*"/>
-            <group title="E. Blitz Server"
-                    packages="ome.services.blitz*"/>
-            <group title="E. Blitz Client"
-                    packages="omero*:omeroj*"/>
-            <group title="G. Rendering Engine"
-                    packages="omeis*"/>
-            <group title="H. Utilities"
-                    packages="ome.util*"/>
-            <group title="I. Deprecated"
-                    packages="ome.dynamic*:ome.rules*"/>
-
-            <link href="http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5/docs/api/"/>
-            <link href="http://www.springframework.org/docs/api/"/>
-            <link href="http://www.hibernate.org/hib_docs/v3/api/"/>
-            <link href="http://aopalliance.sourceforge.net/doc/"/>
-            <link href="http://lucene.apache.org/java/2_2_0/api"/>
-
-        </javadoc>
         <replace dir="${dist.dir}/docs/api">
             <replacetoken><![CDATA[<HEAD>]]></replacetoken>
             <replacevalue><![CDATA[<HEAD profile="http://www.w3.org/2005/10/profile">
@@ -1057,8 +1070,12 @@ omero.version=${omero.version}
 
     <target name="print-mem">
         <echo>
+            *.maxmem.* settings
+            -------------------
             javac.maxmem=${javac.maxmem}
             javadoc.maxmem=${javadoc.maxmem}
+            javac.maxmem.default=${javac.maxmem.default}
+            javadoc.maxmem.default=${javadoc.maxmem.default}
         </echo>
     </target>
 </project>
diff --git a/components/antlib/resources/global.xml b/components/antlib/resources/global.xml
index bf7b22d64ce..b8ebf9a7a9d 100644
--- a/components/antlib/resources/global.xml
+++ b/components/antlib/resources/global.xml
@@ -208,6 +208,21 @@
         <taskdef resource="net/sf/antcontrib/antlib.xml"
                  classpath="${lib.dir}/repository/ant-contrib-1.0b3.jar"/>
 
+        <if>
+            <and>
+                <contains string="${os.arch}" substring="x86_64"/>
+                <contains string="${java.version}" substring="1.6" casesensitive="false" />
+            </and>
+            <then>
+                <property name="maxmem.set" value="false"/>
+            </then>
+            <else>
+                <property name="javac.maxmem.default" value="750M"/>
+                <property name="javadoc.maxmem.default" value="750M"/>
+                <property name="maxmem.set" value="true"/>
+            </else>
+        </if>
+
         <!-- prevent direct use of ant -->
         <if><not><isset property="build.py"/></not>
             <then>
diff --git a/components/antlib/resources/lifecycle.xml b/components/antlib/resources/lifecycle.xml
index 9abf4bef205..b25bf51144b 100644
--- a/components/antlib/resources/lifecycle.xml
+++ b/components/antlib/resources/lifecycle.xml
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 #
 # $Id$
-# 
+#
 # Copyright 2006 University of Dundee. All rights reserved.
 # Use is subject to license terms supplied in LICENSE.txt
-# 
+#
 #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -116,6 +116,19 @@ omero.version=${omero.version}
 		<copyResources/>
 	</target>
 
+	<presetdef name="nomemoryjava">
+		<javac
+			fork="yes"
+			sourcepath=""
+			source="${javac.source}"
+			target="${javac.target}"
+			encoding="UTF-8"
+			debug="${javac.debug}"
+			debuglevel="${javac.debuglevel}"
+			deprecation="on">
+		</javac>
+	</presetdef>
+
 	<!-- javac macro which can contain any number of path
 	elements for compilation. Usually src.dir and src.dest
 	will need to be compiled together because of inter-
@@ -128,21 +141,26 @@ omero.version=${omero.version}
 
 		<tempfile property="temp.file" deleteonexit="true" prefix="_omero_build_" suffix=".tmp"/>
 		<concat destfile="${temp.file}">-classpath ${toString:@{classpathref}}</concat>
-		<javac
-			fork="yes"
-			destdir="@{destdir}"
-			sourcepath=""
-			source="${javac.source}"
-			target="${javac.target}"
-			encoding="UTF-8"
-			debug="${javac.debug}"
-			debuglevel="${javac.debuglevel}"
-                        deprecation="on"
-			memoryMaximumSize="${javac.maxmem}"
-		>
-		        <compilerarg value="@${temp.file}"/>
-		        <srcelements/>
-		</javac>
+		<if>
+			<isset property="javac.maxmem"/>
+			<then>
+				<nomemoryjava
+					destdir="@{destdir}"
+					memoryMaximumSize="${javac.maxmem}"
+				>
+			        <compilerarg value="@${temp.file}"/>
+			        <srcelements/>
+				</nomemoryjava>
+			</then>
+			<else>
+				<nomemoryjava
+					destdir="@{destdir}"
+				>
+			        <compilerarg value="@${temp.file}"/>
+			        <srcelements/>
+				</nomemoryjava>
+			</else>
+		</if>
 		<delete file="${temp.file}" quiet="true" failonerror="false"/>
 		</sequential>
 	</macrodef>
@@ -163,6 +181,32 @@ omero.version=${omero.version}
 		<ivy:retrieve settingsRef="ivy.${ant.project.name}.test" pattern="${deps.lib.dir}/test/[artifact].[ext]" log="quiet" sync="false" symlink="true"/>
 		<taskdef name="testng" classname="org.testng.TestNGAntTask" classpathref="omero.test.classpath"/>
 		<taskdef resource="emma_ant.properties" classpathref="omero.classpath" />
+		<presetdef name="nomemorytestng">
+			<testng outputDir="${testreports.dir}"
+				haltonfailure="${test.with.fail}"
+				haltonskipped="${test.with.fail}"
+				verbose="${testng.verbose}"
+				useDefaultListeners="${testng.useDefaultListeners}"
+				listeners="org.uncommons.reportng.HTMLReporter,org.uncommons.reportng.JUnitXMLReporter"
+				>
+				<classpath>
+					<pathelement location="${emmaclasses.dir}"/>
+					<path refid="omero.test.classpath"/>
+					<pathelement location="${testclasses.dir}"/>
+					<pathelement location="${classes.dir}"/>
+					<pathelement location="${test.dir}"/>
+				</classpath>
+				<jvmarg value="-XX:MaxPermSize=256m"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Demma.coverage.out.file=${target.dir}/coverage.emma" />
+				<jvmarg value="-Dlog4j.configuration=log4j.xml"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.name=${omero.db.name}"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.host=${omero.db.host}"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.port=${omero.db.port}"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.user=${omero.db.user}"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.pass=${omero.db.pass}"/>
+				<jvmarg value="-Domero.data.dir=${omero.data.dir}"/>
+			</testng>
+		</presetdef>
 	</target>
 
 	<macrodef name="suite">
@@ -170,34 +214,26 @@ omero.version=${omero.version}
 		<attribute name="methods" default=""/>
 		<element name="files" implicit="yes"/>
 		<sequential>
-		<testng outputDir="${testreports.dir}"
-			haltonfailure="${test.with.fail}"
-			haltonskipped="${test.with.fail}"
-			verbose="${testng.verbose}"
+		<if>
+			<isset property="javac.maxmem"/>
+			<then>
+				<nomemorytestng
+                        groups="@{groups}"
+                        methods="@{methods}"
+				>
+					<files/>
+					<jvmarg value="-Xmx${javac.maxmem}"/>
+				</nomemorytestng>
+			</then>
+			<else>
+				<nomemorytestng
                         groups="@{groups}"
                         methods="@{methods}"
-                        useDefaultListeners="${testng.useDefaultListeners}"
-                        listeners="org.uncommons.reportng.HTMLReporter,org.uncommons.reportng.JUnitXMLReporter"
-			>
-			<classpath>
-				<pathelement location="${emmaclasses.dir}"/>
-				<path refid="omero.test.classpath"/>
-				<pathelement location="${testclasses.dir}"/>
-				<pathelement location="${classes.dir}"/>
-				<pathelement location="${test.dir}"/>
-			</classpath>
-			<files/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Xmx${javac.maxmem}"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-XX:MaxPermSize=256m"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Demma.coverage.out.file=${target.dir}/coverage.emma" />
-			<jvmarg value="-Dlog4j.configuration=log4j.xml"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.name=${omero.db.name}"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.host=${omero.db.host}"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.port=${omero.db.port}"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.user=${omero.db.user}"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Domero.db.pass=${omero.db.pass}"/>
-			<jvmarg value="-Domero.data.dir=${omero.data.dir}"/>
-		</testng>
+				>
+					<files/>
+				</nomemorytestng>
+			</else>
+		</if>
 		</sequential>
 	</macrodef>
 
diff --git a/etc/local.properties.example b/etc/local.properties.example
index 27ea7f4a637..b0bac7fe123 100644
--- a/etc/local.properties.example
+++ b/etc/local.properties.example
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ javac.target=1.5
 javac.debug=on
 javac.debuglevel=lines,vars,source
 # "300m" suffices on 32 bit machines
-javac.maxmem=500000000
-javadoc.maxmem=500000000
+#javac.maxmem=500000000
+#javadoc.maxmem=500000000
 exe4j.home=/opt/exe4j
 
 # Which version of Ice this build of OMERO is