diff --git a/parity/cli/mod.rs b/parity/cli/mod.rs
index 2508398e0..871b4fc46 100644
--- a/parity/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/parity/cli/mod.rs
@@ -466,6 +466,10 @@ usage! {
             "--ws-max-connections=[CONN]",
             "Maximum number of allowed concurrent WebSockets JSON-RPC connections.",
 
+            ARG arg_ws_max_payload: (usize) = 5usize, or |c: &Config| c.websockets.as_ref()?.max_payload,
+            "--ws-max-payload=[MB]",
+            "Specify maximum size for WS JSON-RPC requests in megabytes.",
+
         ["Metrics"]
             FLAG flag_metrics: (bool) = false, or |c: &Config| c.metrics.as_ref()?.enable.clone(),
             "--metrics",
@@ -903,6 +907,7 @@ struct Ws {
     origins: Option<Vec<String>>,
     hosts: Option<Vec<String>>,
     max_connections: Option<usize>,
+    max_payload: Option<usize>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Default, Debug, PartialEq, Deserialize)]
@@ -1323,6 +1328,7 @@ mod tests {
                 arg_ws_origins: "none".into(),
                 arg_ws_hosts: "none".into(),
                 arg_ws_max_connections: 100,
+                arg_ws_max_payload: 5,
 
                 // IPC
                 flag_no_ipc: false,
@@ -1512,6 +1518,7 @@ mod tests {
                     origins: Some(vec!["none".into()]),
                     hosts: None,
                     max_connections: None,
+                    max_payload: None,
                 }),
                 rpc: Some(Rpc {
                     disable: Some(true),
diff --git a/parity/configuration.rs b/parity/configuration.rs
index c2f3d3c10..5982594e5 100644
--- a/parity/configuration.rs
+++ b/parity/configuration.rs
@@ -951,6 +951,7 @@ impl Configuration {
             signer_path: self.directories().signer.into(),
             support_token_api,
             max_connections: self.args.arg_ws_max_connections,
+            max_payload: self.args.arg_ws_max_payload,
         };
 
         Ok(conf)
@@ -1483,6 +1484,7 @@ mod tests {
                     signer_path: expected.into(),
                     support_token_api: true,
                     max_connections: 100,
+                    max_payload: 5,
                 },
                 LogConfig {
                     color: !cfg!(windows),
diff --git a/parity/rpc.rs b/parity/rpc.rs
index 1022cfc9c..4cd639ba6 100644
--- a/parity/rpc.rs
+++ b/parity/rpc.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ pub struct WsConfiguration {
     pub hosts: Option<Vec<String>>,
     pub signer_path: PathBuf,
     pub support_token_api: bool,
+    pub max_payload: usize,
 }
 
 impl Default for WsConfiguration {
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ impl Default for WsConfiguration {
             hosts: Some(Vec::new()),
             signer_path: replace_home(&data_dir, "$BASE/signer").into(),
             support_token_api: true,
+            max_payload: 5,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -194,6 +196,7 @@ pub fn new_ws<D: rpc_apis::Dependencies>(
         rpc::WsExtractor::new(path.clone()),
         rpc::WsExtractor::new(path.clone()),
         rpc::WsStats::new(deps.stats.clone()),
+        conf.max_payload,
     );
 
     //	match start_result {
diff --git a/rpc/src/lib.rs b/rpc/src/lib.rs
index 6a83c8043..09b8bb4a6 100644
--- a/rpc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/lib.rs
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ pub fn start_ws<M, S, H, T, U, V>(
     extractor: T,
     middleware: V,
     stats: U,
+    max_payload: usize,
 ) -> Result<ws::Server, ws::Error>
 where
     M: jsonrpc_core::Metadata,
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@ where
         .allowed_origins(allowed_origins)
         .allowed_hosts(allowed_hosts)
         .max_connections(max_connections)
+        .max_payload(max_payload * 1024 * 1024)
         .session_stats(stats)
         .start(addr)
 }
diff --git a/rpc/src/tests/ws.rs b/rpc/src/tests/ws.rs
index ef6991afc..d2953066b 100644
--- a/rpc/src/tests/ws.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/tests/ws.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ pub fn serve() -> (Server<ws::Server>, usize, GuardedAuthCodes) {
             extractors::WsExtractor::new(Some(&authcodes.path)),
             extractors::WsExtractor::new(Some(&authcodes.path)),
             extractors::WsStats::new(stats),
+            5 * 1024 * 1024,
         )
         .unwrap()
     });