diff --git a/client/conf/server.properties.in b/client/conf/server.properties.in
index 42d98a6eb29..9fb777f1e21 100644
--- a/client/conf/server.properties.in
+++ b/client/conf/server.properties.in
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ http.port=8080
 # Max inactivity time in minutes for the session
 session.timeout=30
 
+# Max allowed API request payload / content size in bytes
+request.content.size=1048576
+
 # Options to configure and enable HTTPS on management server
 #
 # For management server to pickup these configuration settings, the configured
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ServerDaemon.java b/client/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ServerDaemon.java
index 63cdc45b8dc..763c274c7f5 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ServerDaemon.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/ServerDaemon.java
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ import java.lang.management.ManagementFactory;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
-import com.cloud.utils.Pair;
-import com.cloud.utils.server.ServerProperties;
 import org.apache.commons.daemon.Daemon;
 import org.apache.commons.daemon.DaemonContext;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.jmx.MBeanContainer;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.ForwardedRequestCustomizer;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.HttpConfiguration;
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.eclipse.jetty.server.SecureRequestCustomizer;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.Server;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.ServerConnector;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.SslConnectionFactory;
+import org.eclipse.jetty.server.handler.ContextHandler;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.handler.HandlerCollection;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.handler.MovedContextHandler;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.handler.RequestLogHandler;
@@ -50,10 +51,10 @@ import org.eclipse.jetty.util.ssl.SslContextFactory;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.QueuedThreadPool;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.ScheduledExecutorScheduler;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext;
-import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
+import com.cloud.utils.Pair;
 import com.cloud.utils.PropertiesUtil;
-import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import com.cloud.utils.server.ServerProperties;
 
 /***
  * The ServerDaemon class implements the embedded server, it can be started either
@@ -79,6 +80,8 @@ public class ServerDaemon implements Daemon {
     private static final String KEYSTORE_PASSWORD = "https.keystore.password";
     private static final String WEBAPP_DIR = "webapp.dir";
     private static final String ACCESS_LOG = "access.log";
+    private static final String REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE_KEY = "request.content.size";
+    private static final int DEFAULT_REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE = 1048576;
 
     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////// Server Configuration ///////////////////
@@ -90,6 +93,7 @@ public class ServerDaemon implements Daemon {
     private int httpPort = 8080;
     private int httpsPort = 8443;
     private int sessionTimeout = 30;
+    private int maxFormContentSize = DEFAULT_REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE;
     private boolean httpsEnable = false;
     private String accessLogFile = "access.log";
     private String bindInterface = null;
@@ -136,6 +140,7 @@ public class ServerDaemon implements Daemon {
             setWebAppLocation(properties.getProperty(WEBAPP_DIR));
             setAccessLogFile(properties.getProperty(ACCESS_LOG, "access.log"));
             setSessionTimeout(Integer.valueOf(properties.getProperty(SESSION_TIMEOUT, "30")));
+            setMaxFormContentSize(Integer.valueOf(properties.getProperty(REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE_KEY, String.valueOf(DEFAULT_REQUEST_CONTENT_SIZE))));
         } catch (final IOException e) {
             LOG.warn("Failed to read configuration from server.properties file", e);
         } finally {
@@ -186,6 +191,7 @@ public class ServerDaemon implements Daemon {
 
         // Extra config options
         server.setStopAtShutdown(true);
+        server.setAttribute(ContextHandler.MAX_FORM_CONTENT_SIZE_KEY, maxFormContentSize);
 
         // HTTPS Connector
         createHttpsConnector(httpConfig);
@@ -257,6 +263,7 @@ public class ServerDaemon implements Daemon {
         final WebAppContext webApp = new WebAppContext();
         webApp.setContextPath(contextPath);
         webApp.setInitParameter("org.eclipse.jetty.servlet.Default.dirAllowed", "false");
+        webApp.setMaxFormContentSize(maxFormContentSize);
 
         // GZIP handler
         final GzipHandler gzipHandler = new GzipHandler();
@@ -355,4 +362,8 @@ public class ServerDaemon implements Daemon {
     public void setSessionTimeout(int sessionTimeout) {
         this.sessionTimeout = sessionTimeout;
     }
+
+    public void setMaxFormContentSize(int maxFormContentSize) {
+        this.maxFormContentSize = maxFormContentSize;
+    }
 }