diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/examples/ExampleGenerator.java b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/examples/ExampleGenerator.java
index 0ab60e5befa..15055d0ba6c 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/examples/ExampleGenerator.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/examples/ExampleGenerator.java
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ private Object resolvePropertyToExample(String propertyName, String mediaType, P
             Property innerType = ((ArrayProperty) property).getItems();
             if (innerType != null) {
                 int arrayLength = null == ((ArrayProperty) property).getMaxItems() ? 2 : ((ArrayProperty) property).getMaxItems();
+                // max 10 examples to avoid OOM
+                if (arrayLength > 10) {
+                    logger.warn("value of maxItems of property {} is {}; limiting to 10 examples", property, arrayLength);
+                    arrayLength = 10;
+                }
                 Object[] objectProperties = new Object[arrayLength];
                 Object objProperty = resolvePropertyToExample(propertyName, mediaType, innerType, processedModels);
                 for(int i=0; i < arrayLength; i++) {