diff --git a/mariadb/Dockerfile b/mariadb/Dockerfile
index 8fa9a79d..6b534651 100644
--- a/mariadb/Dockerfile
+++ b/mariadb/Dockerfile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,id=mariadb-apk-${TARGETARCH},sharing=locked,target=/var/c
 # base image. Set to 10 minutes just incase it ran on very old or overallocated
 # hardware.
 ENV S6_CMD_WAIT_FOR_SERVICES_MAXTIME=600000
-# Default value of 256 MB in bytes
-ENV DB_MAX_ALLOWED_PACKET=268435456
+# Default Mariadb value of 16 MB (bytes)
+ENV MYSQL_MAX_ALLOWED_PACKET=16777216
 
 COPY --link rootfs /
diff --git a/mariadb/README.md b/mariadb/README.md
index 1937280e..a659a605 100644
--- a/mariadb/README.md
+++ b/mariadb/README.md
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ default database connection configuration.
 | :------------------- | :------ | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
 | MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD  |         | The database root user password. Defaults to `DB_ROOT_PASSWORD`                       |
 | MYSQL_ROOT_USER      |         | The database root user (used to create the site database). Defaults to `DB_ROOT_USER` |
+| MYSQL_MAX_ALLOWED_PACKET | 16777216 | Max packet length to send to or receive from the server, [documentation](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/ref/mdb/system-variables/max_allowed_packet/) |
 
 ## Logs