diff --git a/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-3.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy b/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-3.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy
index a2066dfb942c..2d7111cd2a2a 100644
--- a/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-3.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy
+++ b/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-3.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ class CassandraClientTest extends AgentInstrumentationSpecification {
 
   def setupSpec() {
     cassandra = new GenericContainer("cassandra:3")
+      // limit memory usage
+      .withEnv("JVM_OPTS", "-Xmx128m -Xms128m")
       .withExposedPorts(9042)
       .withLogConsumer(new Slf4jLogConsumer(logger))
       .withStartupTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(120))
diff --git a/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy b/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy
index f216def00813..3711bfd09149 100644
--- a/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy
+++ b/instrumentation/cassandra/cassandra-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/CassandraClientTest.groovy
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class CassandraClientTest extends AgentInstrumentationSpecification {
 
   def setupSpec() {
     cassandra = new GenericContainer("cassandra:4.0")
+      // limit memory usage
+      .withEnv("JVM_OPTS", "-Xmx128m -Xms128m")
       .withExposedPorts(9042)
       .withLogConsumer(new Slf4jLogConsumer(logger))
       .withStartupTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(120))