diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index a19fa254..6a981278 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ php_enable_apc: true
 php_apc_shm_size: "96M"
 php_apc_enable_cli: "0"
 
+# Manage PHP CLI memory limit.
+php_set_cli_memory_limit: false
+php_cli_memory_limit: "512M"
+
 # If this is set to false, none of the following options will have any effect.
 # Any and all changes to /etc/php.ini will be your responsibility.
 php_use_managed_ini: true
diff --git a/tasks/configure-cli.yml b/tasks/configure-cli.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..408e6e48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/configure-cli.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+
+- name: Set PHP CLI memory limit.
+  block:
+    - name: Ensure PHP CLI config directory exists.
+      file:
+        dest: "/etc/php/{{ php_default_version_debian }}/cli/conf.d/"
+        state: directory
+    - name: Set PHP CLI memory limit.
+      template:
+        src: memory_limit.ini.j2
+        dest: "/etc/php/{{ php_default_version_debian }}/cli/conf.d/20-memory_limit.ini"
+  become: true
+  when: php_set_cli_memory_limit | bool
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index dbad7659..0ecf0087 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -75,3 +75,4 @@
 - include_tasks: configure-apcu.yml
 - include_tasks: configure-opcache.yml
 - include_tasks: configure-fpm.yml
+- include_tasks: configure-cli.yml
diff --git a/templates/memory_limit.ini.j2 b/templates/memory_limit.ini.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..645fce79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/memory_limit.ini.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+; {{ ansible_managed }}
+
+; configuration for increasing PHP CLI memory limit
+; priority=20
+memory_limit = {{ php_cli_memory_limit }}