diff --git a/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf b/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
index 2d70b6d6..c1d28da6 100644
--- a/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
+++ b/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
@@ -599,11 +599,14 @@ filtermaxseconds = 1200
 # <var name="filtermaxmbytes" type="int">
 # 
 # <brief>Maximum virtual memory space for filter processes
-# (setrlimit(RLIMIT_AS)), in megabytes.</brief> <descr>Note that this
-# includes any mapped libs (there is no reliable Linux way to limit the
-# data space only), so we need to be a bit generous here. Anything over
-# 2000 will be ignored on 32 bits machines.</descr></var>
-filtermaxmbytes = 2000
+# (setrlimit(RLIMIT_AS)), in megabytes.</brief>
+#
+# <descr>Note that this includes any mapped libs (there is no reliable
+# Linux way to limit the data space only), so we need to be a bit generous
+# here. Anything over 2000 will be ignored on 32 bits machines. The
+# previous default value of 2000 would prevent java pdftk to work when
+# executed from Python rclpdf.py.</descr></var>
+filtermaxmbytes = 3000
 
 # <var name="thrQSizes" type="string">
 #