diff --git a/bin/main.ml b/bin/main.ml
index 62cab54..ff66aa3 100644
--- a/bin/main.ml
+++ b/bin/main.ml
@@ -29,11 +29,13 @@ let print_timing ~time name f =
     out
 
 let main file func_name input loop timeout_ms allowed_paths allowed_hosts config
-    memory_max log_level log_file wasi stdin time =
+    memory_max http_max log_level log_file wasi stdin time =
   let input = if stdin then read_stdin () else input in
   let allowed_paths = split_allowed_paths allowed_paths in
   let config = split_config config in
-  let memory = Manifest.{ max_pages = memory_max } in
+  let memory =
+    Manifest.{ max_pages = memory_max; max_http_response_bytes = http_max }
+  in
   let manifest =
     print_timing ~time "loaded manifest" @@ fun () ->
     try
@@ -92,6 +94,13 @@ let memory_max =
   let doc = "Max number of memory pages." in
   Arg.(value & opt (some int) None & info [ "memory-max" ] ~docv:"PAGES" ~doc)
 
+let http_max =
+  let doc = "Max number of bytes allowed in an HTTP response." in
+  Arg.(
+    value
+    & opt (some int) None
+    & info [ "http-response-max" ] ~docv:"BYTES" ~doc)
+
 let timeout =
   let doc = "Plugin timeout in milliseconds." in
   Arg.(value & opt int 30000 & info [ "timeout"; "t" ] ~docv:"MILLIS" ~doc)
@@ -147,8 +156,8 @@ let time =
 let main_t =
   Term.(
     const main $ file $ func_name $ input $ loop $ timeout $ allowed_paths
-    $ allowed_hosts $ config $ memory_max $ log_level $ log_file $ wasi $ stdin
-    $ time)
+    $ allowed_hosts $ config $ memory_max $ http_max $ log_level $ log_file
+    $ wasi $ stdin $ time)
 
 let cmd = Cmd.v (Cmd.info "extism-call") main_t
 let () = exit (Cmd.eval cmd)
diff --git a/manifest/extism_manifest.ml b/manifest/extism_manifest.ml
index a217a1b..7a01b7b 100644
--- a/manifest/extism_manifest.ml
+++ b/manifest/extism_manifest.ml
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ type base64 = string
 let yojson_of_base64 x = `String (Base64.encode_exn x)
 let base64_of_yojson j = Yojson.Safe.Util.to_string j
 
-type memory_options = { max_pages : int option [@yojson.option] }
+type memory_options = {
+  max_pages : int option; [@yojson.option]
+  max_http_response_bytes : int option; [@yojson.option]
+}
 [@@deriving yojson]
 
 type dict = (string * string) list
@@ -98,11 +101,29 @@ let of_file filename =
   t_of_yojson j
 
 let with_config config t = { t with config = Some config }
-let with_memory_max max t = { t with memory = Some { max_pages = Some max } }
+
+let with_memory_max max t =
+  match t.memory with
+  | None ->
+      {
+        t with
+        memory = Some { max_http_response_bytes = None; max_pages = Some max };
+      }
+  | Some m -> { t with memory = Some { m with max_pages = Some max } }
+
+let with_http_response_max_bytes max t =
+  match t.memory with
+  | None ->
+      {
+        t with
+        memory = Some { max_http_response_bytes = Some max; max_pages = None };
+      }
+  | Some m ->
+      { t with memory = Some { m with max_http_response_bytes = Some max } }
 
 let%test "rountrip" =
   let config = [ ("a", Some "b"); ("b", Some "c") ] in
-  let memory = { max_pages = Some 5 } in
+  let memory = { max_pages = Some 5; max_http_response_bytes = Some 9999 } in
   let t =
     create ~config ~memory ~allowed_hosts:[ "example.com" ]
       ~allowed_paths:[ ("a", "b") ]
diff --git a/manifest/extism_manifest.mli b/manifest/extism_manifest.mli
index b766147..debae00 100644
--- a/manifest/extism_manifest.mli
+++ b/manifest/extism_manifest.mli
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@
 
 type memory_options = {
   max_pages : int option;
-      (** [max_pages] can be used to limit the total number of pages used by the
-          runtime *)
+  (** [max_pages] can be used to limit the total number of pages used by the
+      runtime *)
+  max_http_response_bytes: int option;
+  (** [max_http_response_bytes] can be used to limit the size of the response returned by
+      [extism_http_request] *)
 }
 [@@deriving yojson]
 (** Memory options *)
@@ -128,4 +131,7 @@ val with_config : config -> t -> t
 (** Returns a new {!t} with the [config] field updated *)
 
 val with_memory_max : int -> t -> t
-(** Returns a new {!t} with [memory.max_pages] updates *)
+(** Returns a new {!t} with [memory.max_pages] updated *)
+
+val with_http_response_max_bytes : int -> t -> t
+(** Returns a new {!t} with [memory.max_http_response_bytes] updated *)