diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 94c9ca26..e08fb5ac 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/tools v0.9.1 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20220907171357-04be3eba64a2 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/appengine v1.6.7 // indirect
-	google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230410155749-daa745c078e1 // indirect
+	google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230524185152-1884fd1fac28 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.55.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.30.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.67.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 320461d7..a7b27d19 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -2816,8 +2816,8 @@ google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230113154510-dbe35b8444a5/go.mod h1:RGgjbofJ
 google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230124163310-31e0e69b6fc2/go.mod h1:RGgjbofJ8xD9Sq1VVhDM1Vok1vRONV+rg+CjzG4SZKM=
 google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230125152338-dcaf20b6aeaa/go.mod h1:RGgjbofJ8xD9Sq1VVhDM1Vok1vRONV+rg+CjzG4SZKM=
 google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230209215440-0dfe4f8abfcc/go.mod h1:RGgjbofJ8xD9Sq1VVhDM1Vok1vRONV+rg+CjzG4SZKM=
-google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230410155749-daa745c078e1 h1:KpwkzHKEF7B9Zxg18WzOa7djJ+Ha5DzthMyZYQfEn2A=
-google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230410155749-daa745c078e1/go.mod h1:nKE/iIaLqn2bQwXBg8f1g2Ylh6r5MN5CmZvuzZCgsCU=
+google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230524185152-1884fd1fac28 h1:+55/MuGJORMxCrkAgo2595fMAnN/4rweCuwibbqrvpc=
+google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20230524185152-1884fd1fac28/go.mod h1:nKE/iIaLqn2bQwXBg8f1g2Ylh6r5MN5CmZvuzZCgsCU=
 google.golang.org/grpc v0.0.0-20160317175043-d3ddb4469d5a/go.mod h1:yo6s7OP7yaDglbqo1J04qKzAhqBH6lvTonzMVmEdcZw=
 google.golang.org/grpc v1.19.0/go.mod h1:mqu4LbDTu4XGKhr4mRzUsmM4RtVoemTSY81AxZiDr8c=
 google.golang.org/grpc v1.20.1/go.mod h1:10oTOabMzJvdu6/UiuZezV6QK5dSlG84ov/aaiqXj38=
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 6d3a61e0..6d80d5b8 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ const (
 	configName = "sftpgo"
 	// ConfigEnvPrefix defines a prefix that environment variables will use
 	configEnvPrefix = "sftpgo"
+	envFileMaxSize  = 1048576
 )
 
 var (
@@ -654,6 +655,10 @@ func readEnvFiles(configDir string) {
 		info, err := entry.Info()
 		if err == nil && info.Mode().IsRegular() {
 			envFile := filepath.Join(envd, entry.Name())
+			if info.Size() > envFileMaxSize {
+				logger.Info(logSender, "", "env file %q too big: %s, skipping", entry.Name(), util.ByteCountIEC(info.Size()))
+				continue
+			}
 			err = gotenv.Load(envFile)
 			if err != nil {
 				logger.Error(logSender, "", "unable to load env vars from file %q, err: %v", envFile, err)
diff --git a/internal/config/config_test.go b/internal/config/config_test.go
index 2a706c55..63e96df7 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package config_test
 
 import (
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -101,10 +102,16 @@ func TestReadEnvFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	err := os.Mkdir(envd, os.ModePerm)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	content := make([]byte, 1048576+1)
+	_, err = rand.Read(content)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
 	err = os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(envd, "env1"), []byte("SFTPGO_SFTPD__MAX_AUTH_TRIES = 10"), 0666)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	err = os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(envd, "env2"), []byte(`{"invalid env": "value"}`), 0666)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(envd, "env3"), content, 0666)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	err = config.LoadConfig(configDir, "")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)