Telegram Bot
Modify php.ini to Set memory_limit = -1 (Unlimited Memory Usage)
3 min read
The memory_limit directive in PHP controls the maximum amount of memory a script can use. Setting it to -1 removes all memory restrictions, allowing PHP scripts to use as much RAM as needed.
For closely related memory_limit topics, see How to Update PHP Memory Limit for Magento 2, Magento CLI PHP Memory Limit, and Increasing PHP Limits.
Locate the php.ini File
To modify php.ini, you first need to locate it.
Check Current PHP Configuration
Run this command:
php --iniIt will return something like:
Configuration File (php.ini) Path: /etc/php/7.4/apache2
Loaded Configuration File: /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.iniThis tells you the correct php.ini file to edit.
Alternatively, create a PHP script:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>Look for "Loaded Configuration File" in the output.
Modify php.ini to Set memory_limit = -1
Open php.ini with a text editor
sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini # Ubuntu/Debian (Apache)sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/cli/php.ini # Ubuntu/Debian (CLI)sudo nano /etc/php.ini # CentOS/RHELFind the line
memory_limit = 128Mor
memory_limit = 512MChange it to
memory_limit = -1Save and exit
Press Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter.
Restart PHP and Web Server
For Apache:
sudo systemctl restart apache2For Nginx with PHP-FPM:
sudo systemctl restart php7.4-fpm
sudo systemctl restart nginxFor cPanel (if applicable):
service httpd restartVerify the Change
Run:
php -i | grep memory_limitExpected output:
memory_limit => -1 => -1Alternatively, create a PHP file:
<?php
echo ini_get('memory_limit');
?>Visit the page in your browser and check if it returns -1.
Alternative: Modify .htaccess (For Shared Hosting)
If you cannot edit php.ini, try adding this to .htaccess:
php_value memory_limit -1Then restart your web server.
Alternative: Modify via ini_set() (For Specific Scripts)
If you only want to remove memory limits for a specific PHP script, use:
ini_set('memory_limit', '-1');
Warnings & Best Practices
When to Use memory_limit = -1:
- Running memory-heavy scripts (e.g., image processing, database exports, large file processing).
- Debugging memory allocation issues.
When Not to Use memory_limit = -1:
- On shared hosting (may crash other users websites).
- In production without monitoring (can cause server crashes).
Alternative:
Instead of unlimited memory, set a high but safe value, e.g.:
memory_limit = 512M
memory_limit = 1G- Edit php.ini, set
memory_limit = -1. - Restart Apache/Nginx.
- Verify using
php -i | grep memory_limit. - Consider alternatives like .htaccess or ini_set() if needed.
- Use unlimited memory only when necessary to prevent crashes.
USD - United States Dollar
EUR - Euro
GBP - British Pound
CAD - Canadian Dollar
CHF - Swiss Franc
JPY - Japanese Yen
AUD - Australian Dollar
RUB - Russian Ruble
TRY - Turkish Lira
CNY - Chinese Yuan
INR - Indian Rupee
UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia