Maven "OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace" During Build - Fix MAVEN_OPTS

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

The Maven JVM ran out of Metaspace, the area that holds loaded class metadata. Heavy plugin sets, annotation processors, and large multi-module reactors load many classes and can exceed the Metaspace ceiling.

What this error means

The build fails with java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace, often mid-reactor on a large multi-module project or while a code-generation plugin loads many classes. Heap may be plentiful; Metaspace is what is exhausted.

mvn output

[ERROR] Java heap dumped
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace
  at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
[INFO] BUILD FAILURE

Common causes

Metaspace ceiling too low for the class load

A capped -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize (or a small default in a constrained container) is exhausted by the volume of classes loaded across many plugins and modules.

Class-heavy plugins and processors

Annotation processors, bytecode tools, and large frameworks load thousands of classes. In a single long-lived Maven JVM, that metadata accumulates.

How to fix it

Raise Metaspace via MAVEN_OPTS

Give the Maven JVM more Metaspace (and a heap dump on OOM for diagnosis).

Terminal

export MAVEN_OPTS="-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=1g -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError"
mvn -B clean verify

Fork heavy work into separate JVMs

Run tests in a forked VM with its own bounded memory so the main Maven JVM is not the one accumulating class metadata.

pom.xml (surefire)

<configuration>
  <forkCount>1</forkCount>
  <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
  <argLine>-XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=512m</argLine>
</configuration>

How to prevent it

Set -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize in MAVEN_OPTS relative to the runner, fork test JVMs with bounded memory, and use a larger runner for class-heavy reactors.

Frequently asked questions

What causes "Maven "OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace""?

A capped -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize (or a small default in a constrained container) is exhausted by the volume of classes loaded across many plugins and modules.

How do I fix Maven "OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace"?