diff --git a/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java b/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java
index 0c009e2e8de9..126913852898 100644
--- a/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java
+++ b/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package com.intellij.compiler.server;
 import com.intellij.ProjectTopics;
 import com.intellij.application.options.PathMacrosImpl;
 import com.intellij.compiler.CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration;
+import com.intellij.compiler.impl.javaCompiler.javac.JavacConfiguration;
 import com.intellij.compiler.server.impl.CompileServerClasspathManager;
 import com.intellij.execution.ExecutionAdapter;
 import com.intellij.execution.ExecutionException;
@@ -733,7 +734,14 @@ public class BuildManager implements ApplicationComponent{
     cmdLine.setExePath(vmExecutablePath);
     //cmdLine.addParameter("-XX:MaxPermSize=150m");
     //cmdLine.addParameter("-XX:ReservedCodeCacheSize=64m");
-    final int heapSize = config.COMPILER_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE;
+    int heapSize = config.COMPILER_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE;
+
+    // todo: remove when old make implementation is removed
+    if (heapSize == CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration.DEFAULT_COMPILE_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE) {
+      // check if javac is set to use larger heap, and if so, use it.
+      heapSize = Math.max(heapSize, JavacConfiguration.getOptions(project, JavacConfiguration.class).MAXIMUM_HEAP_SIZE);
+    }
+
     final int xms = heapSize / 2;
     if (xms > 32) {
       cmdLine.addParameter("-Xms" + xms + "m");
diff --git a/java/compiler/openapi/src/com/intellij/compiler/CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration.java b/java/compiler/openapi/src/com/intellij/compiler/CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration.java
index 4ca2921f9b73..813b8915782e 100644
--- a/java/compiler/openapi/src/com/intellij/compiler/CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration.java
+++ b/java/compiler/openapi/src/com/intellij/compiler/CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration.java
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import com.intellij.util.xmlb.XmlSerializerUtil;
     )}
 )
 public class CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration implements PersistentStateComponent<CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration> {
+  public static final int DEFAULT_COMPILE_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE = 700;
+  public static final String DEFAULT_COMPILE_PROCESS_VM_OPTIONS = "-XX:MaxPermSize=150m";
 
   public boolean AUTO_SHOW_ERRORS_IN_EDITOR = true;
   @Deprecated public boolean CLOSE_MESSAGE_VIEW_IF_SUCCESS = true;
@@ -38,8 +40,8 @@ public class CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration implements PersistentStateComponent<
   public boolean USE_COMPILE_SERVER = true;
   public boolean MAKE_PROJECT_ON_SAVE = false;
   public boolean PARALLEL_COMPILATION = true;
-  public int COMPILER_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE = 700;
-  public String COMPILER_PROCESS_ADDITIONAL_VM_OPTIONS = "-XX:MaxPermSize=150m";
+  public int COMPILER_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE = DEFAULT_COMPILE_PROCESS_HEAP_SIZE;
+  public String COMPILER_PROCESS_ADDITIONAL_VM_OPTIONS = DEFAULT_COMPILE_PROCESS_VM_OPTIONS;
 
   public static CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration getInstance(Project project) {
     return ServiceManager.getService(project, CompilerWorkspaceConfiguration.class);