diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 5e419df..ac1a0f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ jobs:
           TAG=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/Release_}
           echo "version=$TAG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
+      - name: Install build tools (Linux)
+        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update -q
+          sudo apt-get install -y musl-tools
+
       - name: Install build tools (macOS)
         if: runner.os == 'macOS'
         run: |
@@ -74,8 +80,13 @@ jobs:
           GOOS: ${{ matrix.goos }}
           GOARCH: ${{ matrix.goarch }}
           VERSION: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
+          CC: ${{ matrix.goos == 'linux' && 'musl-gcc' || '' }}
         run: |
-          make obitools
+          if [ "$GOOS" = "linux" ]; then
+            make LDFLAGS='-linkmode=external -extldflags=-static' obitools
+          else
+            make obitools
+          fi
           mkdir -p artifacts
           # Create a single tar.gz with all binaries for this platform
           tar -czf artifacts/obitools4_${VERSION}_${{ matrix.output_name }}.tar.gz -C build .
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1801300..8cd2a0c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ BLUE   := \033[0;34m
 NC     := \033[0m
 
 GOFLAGS=
+LDFLAGS=
 GOCMD=go
-GOBUILD=$(GOCMD) build $(GOFLAGS)
+GOBUILD=$(GOCMD) build $(GOFLAGS) $(if $(LDFLAGS),-ldflags='$(LDFLAGS)')
 GOGENERATE=$(GOCMD) generate
 GOCLEAN=$(GOCMD) clean
 GOTEST=$(GOCMD) test
diff --git a/pkg/obidefault/batch.go b/pkg/obidefault/batch.go
index 5a128fa..83e9d3a 100644
--- a/pkg/obidefault/batch.go
+++ b/pkg/obidefault/batch.go
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 package obidefault
 
-var _BatchSize = 2000
+// _BatchSize is the minimum number of sequences per batch (floor).
+// Used as the minSeqs argument to RebatchBySize.
+var _BatchSize = 1
+
+// _BatchSizeMax is the maximum number of sequences per batch (ceiling).
+// A batch is flushed when this count is reached regardless of memory usage.
+var _BatchSizeMax = 2000
 
 // SetBatchSize sets the size of the sequence batches.
 //
@@ -24,3 +30,42 @@ func BatchSize() int {
 func BatchSizePtr() *int {
 	return &_BatchSize
 }
+
+// BatchSizeMax returns the maximum number of sequences per batch.
+func BatchSizeMax() int {
+	return _BatchSizeMax
+}
+
+func BatchSizeMaxPtr() *int {
+	return &_BatchSizeMax
+}
+
+// _BatchMem holds the maximum cumulative memory (in bytes) per batch when
+// memory-based batching is requested. A value of 0 disables memory-based
+// batching and falls back to count-based batching.
+var _BatchMem = 128 * 1024 * 1024 // 128 MB default; set to 0 to disable
+var _BatchMemStr = ""
+
+// SetBatchMem sets the memory budget per batch in bytes.
+func SetBatchMem(n int) {
+	_BatchMem = n
+}
+
+// BatchMem returns the current memory budget per batch in bytes.
+// A value of 0 means memory-based batching is disabled.
+func BatchMem() int {
+	return _BatchMem
+}
+
+func BatchMemPtr() *int {
+	return &_BatchMem
+}
+
+// BatchMemStr returns the raw --batch-mem string value as provided on the CLI.
+func BatchMemStr() string {
+	return _BatchMemStr
+}
+
+func BatchMemStrPtr() *string {
+	return &_BatchMemStr
+}
diff --git a/pkg/obiiter/batchiterator.go b/pkg/obiiter/batchiterator.go
index 76b6ab5..e7d51a1 100644
--- a/pkg/obiiter/batchiterator.go
+++ b/pkg/obiiter/batchiterator.go
@@ -444,6 +444,67 @@ func (iterator IBioSequence) Rebatch(size int) IBioSequence {
 	return newIter
 }
 
+// RebatchBySize reorganises the stream into batches bounded by two independent
+// upper limits: maxCount (max number of sequences) and maxBytes (max cumulative
+// estimated memory). A batch is flushed as soon as either limit would be
+// exceeded. A single sequence larger than maxBytes is always emitted alone.
+// Passing 0 for a limit disables that constraint; if both are 0 it falls back
+// to Rebatch(obidefault.BatchSizeMax()).
+func (iterator IBioSequence) RebatchBySize(maxBytes int, maxCount int) IBioSequence {
+	if maxBytes <= 0 && maxCount <= 0 {
+		return iterator.Rebatch(obidefault.BatchSizeMax())
+	}
+
+	newIter := MakeIBioSequence()
+
+	newIter.Add(1)
+
+	go func() {
+		newIter.WaitAndClose()
+	}()
+
+	go func() {
+		order := 0
+		iterator = iterator.SortBatches()
+		buffer := obiseq.MakeBioSequenceSlice()
+		bufBytes := 0
+		source := ""
+
+		flush := func() {
+			if len(buffer) > 0 {
+				newIter.Push(MakeBioSequenceBatch(source, order, buffer))
+				order++
+				buffer = obiseq.MakeBioSequenceSlice()
+				bufBytes = 0
+			}
+		}
+
+		for iterator.Next() {
+			seqs := iterator.Get()
+			source = seqs.Source()
+			for _, s := range seqs.Slice() {
+				sz := s.MemorySize()
+				countFull := maxCount > 0 && len(buffer) >= maxCount
+				memFull := maxBytes > 0 && bufBytes+sz > maxBytes && len(buffer) > 0
+				if countFull || memFull {
+					flush()
+				}
+				buffer = append(buffer, s)
+				bufBytes += sz
+			}
+		}
+		flush()
+
+		newIter.Done()
+	}()
+
+	if iterator.IsPaired() {
+		newIter.MarkAsPaired()
+	}
+
+	return newIter
+}
+
 func (iterator IBioSequence) FilterEmpty() IBioSequence {
 
 	newIter := MakeIBioSequence()
@@ -638,7 +699,7 @@ func (iterator IBioSequence) FilterOn(predicate obiseq.SequencePredicate,
 		trueIter.MarkAsPaired()
 	}
 
-	return trueIter.Rebatch(size)
+	return trueIter.RebatchBySize(obidefault.BatchMem(), obidefault.BatchSizeMax())
 }
 
 func (iterator IBioSequence) FilterAnd(predicate obiseq.SequencePredicate,
@@ -694,7 +755,7 @@ func (iterator IBioSequence) FilterAnd(predicate obiseq.SequencePredicate,
 		trueIter.MarkAsPaired()
 	}
 
-	return trueIter.Rebatch(size)
+	return trueIter.RebatchBySize(obidefault.BatchMem(), obidefault.BatchSizeMax())
 }
 
 // Load all sequences availables from an IBioSequenceBatch iterator into
diff --git a/pkg/obiiter/fragment.go b/pkg/obiiter/fragment.go
index 7e2fd1b..f1b0703 100644
--- a/pkg/obiiter/fragment.go
+++ b/pkg/obiiter/fragment.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package obiiter
 import (
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
+	"git.metabarcoding.org/obitools/obitools4/obitools4/pkg/obidefault"
 	"git.metabarcoding.org/obitools/obitools4/obitools4/pkg/obiseq"
 )
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ func IFragments(minsize, length, overlap, size, nworkers int) Pipeable {
 		}
 		go f(iterator)
 
-		return newiter.SortBatches().Rebatch(size)
+		return newiter.SortBatches().RebatchBySize(obidefault.BatchMem(), obidefault.BatchSizeMax())
 	}
 
 	return ifrg
diff --git a/pkg/obioptions/options.go b/pkg/obioptions/options.go
index 5109ac3..5ebb471 100644
--- a/pkg/obioptions/options.go
+++ b/pkg/obioptions/options.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	"git.metabarcoding.org/obitools/obitools4/obitools4/pkg/obidefault"
 	"git.metabarcoding.org/obitools/obitools4/obitools4/pkg/obiformats"
+	"git.metabarcoding.org/obitools/obitools4/obitools4/pkg/obiutils"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"github.com/DavidGamba/go-getoptions"
@@ -55,7 +56,15 @@ func RegisterGlobalOptions(options *getoptions.GetOpt) {
 
 	options.IntVar(obidefault.BatchSizePtr(), "batch-size", obidefault.BatchSize(),
 		options.GetEnv("OBIBATCHSIZE"),
-		options.Description("Number of sequence per batch for paralelle processing"))
+		options.Description("Minimum number of sequences per batch (floor, default 1)"))
+
+	options.IntVar(obidefault.BatchSizeMaxPtr(), "batch-size-max", obidefault.BatchSizeMax(),
+		options.GetEnv("OBIBATCHSIZEMAX"),
+		options.Description("Maximum number of sequences per batch (ceiling, default 2000)"))
+
+	options.StringVar(obidefault.BatchMemStrPtr(), "batch-mem", "",
+		options.GetEnv("OBIBATCHMEM"),
+		options.Description("Maximum memory per batch (e.g. 128K, 64M, 1G; default: 128M). Set to 0 to disable."))
 
 	options.Bool("solexa", false,
 		options.GetEnv("OBISOLEXA"),
@@ -157,6 +166,15 @@ func ProcessParsedOptions(options *getoptions.GetOpt, parseErr error) {
 	if options.Called("solexa") {
 		obidefault.SetReadQualitiesShift(64)
 	}
+
+	if options.Called("batch-mem") {
+		n, err := obiutils.ParseMemSize(obidefault.BatchMemStr())
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("Invalid --batch-mem value %q: %v", obidefault.BatchMemStr(), err)
+		}
+		obidefault.SetBatchMem(n)
+		log.Printf("Memory-based batching enabled: %s per batch", obidefault.BatchMemStr())
+	}
 }
 
 func GenerateOptionParser(program string,
diff --git a/pkg/obioptions/version.go b/pkg/obioptions/version.go
index 7f851b0..89279ab 100644
--- a/pkg/obioptions/version.go
+++ b/pkg/obioptions/version.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package obioptions
 // Version is automatically updated by the Makefile from version.txt
 // The patch number (third digit) is incremented on each push to the repository
 
-var _Version = "Release 4.4.21"
+var _Version = "Release 4.4.22"
 
 // Version returns the version of the obitools package.
 //
diff --git a/pkg/obiseq/biosequence.go b/pkg/obiseq/biosequence.go
index a362a34..b136bb2 100644
--- a/pkg/obiseq/biosequence.go
+++ b/pkg/obiseq/biosequence.go
@@ -273,6 +273,28 @@ func (s *BioSequence) Len() int {
 	return len(s.sequence)
 }
 
+// MemorySize returns an estimate of the memory footprint of the BioSequence
+// in bytes. It accounts for the sequence, quality scores, feature data,
+// annotations, and fixed struct overhead. The estimate is conservative
+// (cap rather than len for byte slices) so it is suitable for memory-based
+// batching decisions.
+func (s *BioSequence) MemorySize() int {
+	if s == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+	// fixed struct overhead (strings, pointers, mutex pointer)
+	const overhead = 128
+	n := overhead
+	n += cap(s.sequence)
+	n += cap(s.qualities)
+	n += cap(s.feature)
+	n += len(s.id)
+	n += len(s.source)
+	// rough annotation estimate: each key+value pair ~64 bytes on average
+	n += len(s.annotations) * 64
+	return n
+}
+
 // HasQualities checks if the BioSequence has sequence qualitiy scores.
 //
 // This function does not have any parameters.
diff --git a/pkg/obiseq/pool.go b/pkg/obiseq/pool.go
index efe0bda..7c5be1f 100644
--- a/pkg/obiseq/pool.go
+++ b/pkg/obiseq/pool.go
@@ -1,13 +1,20 @@
 package obiseq
 
 import (
+	"runtime"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"git.metabarcoding.org/obitools/obitools4/obitools4/pkg/obiutils"
 )
 
+const _LargeSliceThreshold = 100 * 1024        // 100 kb — below: leave to GC, above: trigger explicit GC
+const _GCBytesBudget = int64(256 * 1024 * 1024) // trigger GC every 256 MB of large discards
+
+var _largeSliceDiscardedBytes = atomic.Int64{}
+
 var _BioSequenceByteSlicePool = sync.Pool{
 	New: func() interface{} {
 		bs := make([]byte, 0, 300)
@@ -34,6 +41,13 @@ func RecycleSlice(s *[]byte) {
 		}
 		if cap(*s) <= 1024 {
 			_BioSequenceByteSlicePool.Put(s)
+		} else if cap(*s) >= _LargeSliceThreshold {
+			n := int64(cap(*s))
+			*s = nil
+			prev := _largeSliceDiscardedBytes.Load()
+			if _largeSliceDiscardedBytes.Add(n)/_GCBytesBudget > prev/_GCBytesBudget {
+				runtime.GC()
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/obitools/obiconvert/sequence_reader.go b/pkg/obitools/obiconvert/sequence_reader.go
index d05c881..cbda802 100644
--- a/pkg/obitools/obiconvert/sequence_reader.go
+++ b/pkg/obitools/obiconvert/sequence_reader.go
@@ -214,6 +214,8 @@ func CLIReadBioSequences(filenames ...string) (obiiter.IBioSequence, error) {
 
 	iterator = iterator.Speed("Reading sequences")
 
+	iterator = iterator.RebatchBySize(obidefault.BatchMem(), obidefault.BatchSizeMax())
+
 	return iterator, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go b/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go
index fa29d29..a146fc6 100644
--- a/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go
+++ b/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go
@@ -291,5 +291,5 @@ func IndexReferenceDB(iterator obiiter.IBioSequence) obiiter.IBioSequence {
 		go f()
 	}
 
-	return indexed.Rebatch(obidefault.BatchSize())
+	return indexed.RebatchBySize(obidefault.BatchMem(), obidefault.BatchSizeMax())
 }
diff --git a/pkg/obiutils/memsize.go b/pkg/obiutils/memsize.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2f78d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/obiutils/memsize.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+package obiutils
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"unicode"
+)
+
+// ParseMemSize parses a human-readable memory size string and returns the
+// equivalent number of bytes. The value is a number optionally followed by a
+// unit suffix (case-insensitive):
+//
+//	B  or (no suffix) — bytes
+//	K  or KB           — kibibytes  (1 024)
+//	M  or MB           — mebibytes  (1 048 576)
+//	G  or GB           — gibibytes  (1 073 741 824)
+//	T  or TB           — tebibytes  (1 099 511 627 776)
+//
+// Examples: "512", "128K", "128k", "64M", "1G", "2GB"
+func ParseMemSize(s string) (int, error) {
+	s = strings.TrimSpace(s)
+	if s == "" {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("empty memory size string")
+	}
+
+	// split numeric prefix from unit suffix
+	i := 0
+	for i < len(s) && (unicode.IsDigit(rune(s[i])) || s[i] == '.') {
+		i++
+	}
+	numStr := s[:i]
+	unit := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(s[i:]))
+	// strip trailing 'B' from two-letter units (KB→K, MB→M …)
+	if len(unit) == 2 && unit[1] == 'B' {
+		unit = unit[:1]
+	}
+
+	val, err := strconv.ParseFloat(numStr, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid memory size %q: %w", s, err)
+	}
+
+	var multiplier float64
+	switch unit {
+	case "", "B":
+		multiplier = 1
+	case "K":
+		multiplier = 1024
+	case "M":
+		multiplier = 1024 * 1024
+	case "G":
+		multiplier = 1024 * 1024 * 1024
+	case "T":
+		multiplier = 1024 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024
+	default:
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("unknown memory unit %q in %q", unit, s)
+	}
+
+	return int(val * multiplier), nil
+}
+
+// FormatMemSize formats a byte count as a human-readable string with the
+// largest unit that produces a value ≥ 1 (e.g. 1536 → "1.5K").
+func FormatMemSize(n int) string {
+	units := []struct {
+		suffix string
+		size   int
+	}{
+		{"T", 1024 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024},
+		{"G", 1024 * 1024 * 1024},
+		{"M", 1024 * 1024},
+		{"K", 1024},
+	}
+	for _, u := range units {
+		if n >= u.size {
+			v := float64(n) / float64(u.size)
+			if v == float64(int(v)) {
+				return fmt.Sprintf("%d%s", int(v), u.suffix)
+			}
+			return fmt.Sprintf("%.1f%s", v, u.suffix)
+		}
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%dB", n)
+}
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
index 711adc7..9ed60f8 100644
--- a/version.txt
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-4.4.21
+4.4.22