diff --git a/roles/postgresql_server/default/main.yml b/roles/postgresql_server/default/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4ce8ae9660
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/postgresql_server/default/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+small_postgres_instance: false
diff --git a/roles/postgresql_server/templates/postgresql.conf b/roles/postgresql_server/templates/postgresql.conf
index 2f603bb365..4b26ec6cea 100644
--- a/roles/postgresql_server/templates/postgresql.conf
+++ b/roles/postgresql_server/templates/postgresql.conf
@@ -121,8 +121,13 @@ temp_buffers = 32MB                     # min 800kB
 
 # 8 MB is probably on the high side.  We can probably do with 4MB.  But we
 # were seeing a problem and we have the RAM so we're going to try this.   
+{% if small_postgres_instance %}
+work_mem = 4MB
+maintenance_work_mem = 1GB              # min 1MB
+{% else %}
 work_mem = 32MB
 maintenance_work_mem = 2GB              # min 1MB
+{% endif %}
 #max_stack_depth = 2MB                  # min 100kB                       
 
 # - Free Space Map -