diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 196aba3..cefc74b 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ regress.
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-03: `make test`, and so `docker build .`, fits a machine with 4 GiB of
+  memory: tests hash passwords with 1 MiB instead of upaasd's 64 MiB, so
+  `GOMAXPROCS=4 make test` peaks at about 1.4 GiB instead of 2.7 GiB. upaasd
+  still hashes with 64 MiB, and one test hashes and verifies a password at that
+  cost (#261).
+
 - 2026-10-02: In a window too narrow for the top bar, such as 390 px, the New
   App and Logout buttons move to a second row instead of running into "by
   @sneak"; the bar keeps a gap between its two sides at every width (#272).
diff --git a/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go b/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
index 211d3c6..d784811 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ func createAppServices(
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, authErr)
 
+	// 1 MiB per password hash instead of 64 MiB; see auth.Service.ArgonMemory.
+	authSvc.ArgonMemory = 1024
+
 	appSvc, appErr := app.New(fx.Lifecycle(nil), app.ServiceParams{
 		Logger:   logInstance,
 		Database: dbInstance,
diff --git a/internal/service/auth/auth.go b/internal/service/auth/auth.go
index 0277a47..6dd8db8 100644
--- a/internal/service/auth/auth.go
+++ b/internal/service/auth/auth.go
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@ type ServiceParams struct {
 
 // Service provides authentication functionality.
 type Service struct {
+	// ArgonMemory is the memory each argon2id hash takes, in KiB. New sets
+	// argonMemory, 64 MiB, and upaasd never changes it. Tests lower it, since
+	// many 64 MiB hashes at once under the race detector need more memory
+	// than a 4 GiB build machine has. A hash verifies only with the value it
+	// was made with.
+	ArgonMemory uint32
+
 	log    *slog.Logger
 	db     *database.Database
 	store  *sessions.CookieStore
@@ -77,10 +84,11 @@ func New(_ fx.Lifecycle, params ServiceParams) (*Service, error) {
 	}
 
 	return &Service{
-		log:    params.Logger.Get(),
-		db:     params.Database,
-		store:  store,
-		params: &params,
+		ArgonMemory: argonMemory,
+		log:         params.Logger.Get(),
+		db:          params.Database,
+		store:       store,
+		params:      &params,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -97,7 +105,7 @@ func (svc *Service) HashPassword(password string) (string, error) {
 		[]byte(password),
 		salt,
 		argonTime,
-		argonMemory,
+		svc.ArgonMemory,
 		argonThreads,
 		argonKeyLen,
 	)
@@ -132,7 +140,7 @@ func (svc *Service) VerifyPassword(hashedPassword, password string) bool {
 		[]byte(password),
 		salt,
 		argonTime,
-		argonMemory,
+		svc.ArgonMemory,
 		argonThreads,
 		argonKeyLen,
 	)
diff --git a/internal/service/auth/auth_test.go b/internal/service/auth/auth_test.go
index 3e0c8c2..e284db7 100644
--- a/internal/service/auth/auth_test.go
+++ b/internal/service/auth/auth_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ func setupTestService(t *testing.T) (*auth.Service, func()) {
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	// 1 MiB per hash instead of 64 MiB; see Service.ArgonMemory. The tests
+	// that use setupAuthService keep 64 MiB.
+	svc.ArgonMemory = 1024
+
 	// t.TempDir() automatically cleans up after test
 	cleanup := func() {}
 
@@ -237,6 +241,21 @@ func TestVerifyPassword(testingT *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestHashPasswordWithUpaasdMemory hashes and verifies a password with the
+// memory New sets, which upaasd uses. setupTestService lowers it.
+func TestHashPasswordWithUpaasdMemory(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	svc := setupAuthService(t, false)
+	require.Equal(t, uint32(64*1024), svc.ArgonMemory)
+
+	hash, err := svc.HashPassword("correctpassword")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.True(t, svc.VerifyPassword(hash, "correctpassword"))
+	assert.False(t, svc.VerifyPassword(hash, "wrongpassword"))
+}
+
 func TestIsSetupRequired(testingT *testing.T) {
 	testingT.Parallel()