Memory each autovacuum worker may use (-1 = use maintenance_work_mem).
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | autovacuum_work_mem |
| Category | Memory |
| Default | -1 |
| Value type | memory (kB/MB/GB) |
| Change scope | Reload (no restart) |
What it does
Caps the memory used by each autovacuum worker. -1 means fall back to maintenance_work_mem.
How to apply a change
Takes effect on configuration reload (sighup context). Run SELECT pg_reload_conf(); or send SIGHUP — no restart needed.
Inspect the current value and source with SHOW autovacuum_work_mem; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'autovacuum_work_mem';.
Tuning guidance
Set explicitly when you raise maintenance_work_mem for manual jobs but want to bound total autovacuum memory = value x autovacuum_max_workers.