diff --git a/qa/rpc-tests/prioritise_transaction.py b/qa/rpc-tests/prioritise_transaction.py
index e1771231c..b96e6a21a 100755
--- a/qa/rpc-tests/prioritise_transaction.py
+++ b/qa/rpc-tests/prioritise_transaction.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def setup_network(self):
         self.nodes = []
         self.is_network_split = False
 
-        self.nodes.append(start_node(0, self.options.tmpdir, ["-debug", "-printpriority=1"]))
+        self.nodes.append(start_node(0, self.options.tmpdir, ["-debug", "-printpriority=1", "-maxmempool=10"]))
         self.relayfee = self.nodes[0].getnetworkinfo()['relayfee']
 
     def run_test(self):
diff --git a/src/policy/policy.h b/src/policy/policy.h
index 814e6c0b6..6ff8b0be6 100644
--- a/src/policy/policy.h
+++ b/src/policy/policy.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static const unsigned int MAX_P2SH_SIGOPS = 15;
 /** The maximum number of sigops we're willing to relay/mine in a single tx */
 static const unsigned int MAX_STANDARD_TX_SIGOPS_COST = MAX_BLOCK_SIGOPS_COST/5;
 /** Default for -maxmempool, maximum megabytes of mempool memory usage */
-static const unsigned int DEFAULT_MAX_MEMPOOL_SIZE = 300;
+static const unsigned int DEFAULT_MAX_MEMPOOL_SIZE = 5;
 /** Default for -bytespersigop */
 static const unsigned int DEFAULT_BYTES_PER_SIGOP = 20;
 /** The maximum number of witness stack items in a standard P2WSH script */