Container exceeded memory limit CI/CD Origin: Build & delivery Last updated 25 Oct 2026

Bitbucket Pipelines: Container 'Build' exceeded memory limit / Docker container exited with code 137

A Bitbucket Pipelines step used more memory than the step allows (4 GB by default, 1 GB for service containers) and was killed.

Exact message you may see Container 'Build' exceeded memory limitContainer 'docker' exceeded memory limitBitbucket Pipelines exceeded memory limitBuild container exceeded memory limit
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Seen on: Bitbucket Pipelines

Meaning

Each step gets a memory allotment shared by the build container and services (Docker service defaults to 1 GB). Raise the size: 2x, tune the Docker service memory in definitions, or reduce the tool's memory use.

Common causes

  • Build tools (webpack, Gradle, tsc) exceeding the limit
  • Docker service container needing more than 1 GB
  • Many parallel processes in one step
  • Memory leak in tests
  • Services (databases) consuming the step's memory

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Use size: 2x on the step (doubles memory)
  2. Raise Docker memory in definitions: services: docker: memory: 3072
  3. Limit workers and heap size

Detailed fix by platform

Bitbucket Pipelines

  1. size: 2x costs double build minutes; set only on heavy steps

Code examples

Bigger step and Docker memory

yaml
definitions:
  services:
    docker:
      memory: 3072
pipelines:
  default:
    - step:
        size: 2x
        services: [docker]
        script:
          - docker build -t app .

How to diagnose

  1. Step — Which step was killed?
  2. Memory — Docker or build container?
  3. Workers — Parallelism reduced?

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: Build & delivery. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

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