diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/base/configmap.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/base/configmap.yaml
index ca57e4b..925de97 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize/base/configmap.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize/base/configmap.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,16 @@ data:
   # containers) so the in-memory record set + secondary indices + FTS fit.
   # Keep ~25% headroom below the container's memory limit for ephemeral
   # work (request handling, gitsheets tree mutations, etc.).
-  NODE_OPTIONS: "--max-old-space-size=1536"
+  #
+  # 2048 (was 1536): a fresh boot rebuilding in-memory state from the full
+  # `published` import (~31.8k people + ~10.4k tag-assignments + secondary
+  # indices) OOM'd at the 1536 ceiling. The native FTS5 store is off-heap;
+  # the V8 heap holds the record maps + indices. 2048 boots cleanly and runs
+  # stable; it is deliberately kept modest because these nodes are only
+  # ~3.9Gi — an earlier 3072/3.5Gi trial let the pod grow until it starved
+  # the node's kubelet (NodeNotReady). See the memory-optimization issue for
+  # the (suspiciously large ~60x) on-disk-to-heap expansion worth reducing.
+  NODE_OPTIONS: "--max-old-space-size=2048"
   PORT: "3001"
   STORAGE_BACKEND: "filesystem"
   # The runtime-served branch. `published` is the long-term sandbox + prod
diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/base/deployment.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/base/deployment.yaml
index 2486e3a..bddf30b 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize/base/deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize/base/deployment.yaml
@@ -64,12 +64,19 @@ spec:
           resources:
             requests:
               cpu: 100m
-              memory: 768Mi
+              memory: 1Gi
             limits:
               cpu: 1000m
               # Holds the full public dataset + secondary indices + FTS in
-              # memory (~31k people, 268 projects, 10k tag-assignments, …)
-              memory: 2Gi
+              # memory (~31.8k people, 268 projects, 10.4k tag-assignments, …).
+              # 2.5Gi (was 2Gi): a cold boot rebuilding state from the full
+              # `published` import exceeded the prior 1536Mi heap; raised to
+              # NODE_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=2048 (see configmap.yaml),
+              # with the container limit just above that for the off-heap FTS5
+              # store + ephemeral request work. Kept at 2.5Gi (not higher) so
+              # a single pod can't starve a node — these nodes are only ~3.9Gi
+              # and a 3.5Gi trial drove one NodeNotReady. ~1.4Gi node headroom.
+              memory: 2560Mi
           securityContext:
             runAsNonRoot: true
             runAsUser: 1000