As of memcache 1.4.2, this is a user-configurable parameter: ReleaseNotes142 * memcached @ Github
Configurable maximum item size
Many people have asked for memcached to be able to store items larger
than 1MB, while it’s generally recommended that one not do this, it is
now supported on the commandline.A few enlightened folk have also asked for memcached to reduce the
maximum item size. That is also an option.The new -I parameter allows you to specify the maximum item size at
runtime. It supports a unit postfix to allow for natural expression of
item size.Examples:
memcached -I 128k # Refuse items larger than 128k. memcached -I 10m # Allow objects up to 10MB