diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/defaults/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/defaults/main.yaml
index 8e5bbc1f69..09181af561 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ gerrit_home_dir: /home/gerrit2
 gerrit_site_dir: "{{ gerrit_home_dir }}/review_site"
 gerrit_run_compose_up: false
 gerrit_run_init: false
+gerrit_packed_git_open_files: 4096
 gerrit_container_image: docker.io/opendevorg/gerrit:2.13
 gerrit_container_volumes:
   - /home/gerrit2/review_site/cache:/var/gerrit/cache
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2 b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2
index 94ebeca1a1..8476b2d8de 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ services:
     environment:
       JAVA_OPTIONS: "-Xmx{{ gerrit_heap_limit }}"
 {% endif %}
+    ulimits:
+      core: 0
+      nofile: {{ gerrit_packed_git_open_files * 2 }}
   # Utility "service" to allow us to run ad-hoc commands
   shell:
     image: {{ gerrit_container_image }}
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config
index 0ed72bb23d..0315ecb91c 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 {% endif %}
 [gc]
 [core]
-	packedGitOpenFiles = 4096
+	packedGitOpenFiles = {{ gerrit_packed_git_open_files }}
 	packedGitLimit = 400m
 	packedGitWindowSize = 16k
 [sshd]