diff --git a/pitest-maven/src/main/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverter.java b/pitest-maven/src/main/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverter.java
index c1b5ceaab..40da3bdb4 100644
--- a/pitest-maven/src/main/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverter.java
+++ b/pitest-maven/src/main/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverter.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public ReportOptions update(ReportOptions option, Xpp3Dom configuration) {
     convertExcludes(option, configuration);
     convertGroups(option, configuration);
     convertTestFailureIgnore(option, configuration);
+    convertArgLine(option, configuration);
     return option;
   }
 
@@ -68,6 +69,18 @@ private void convertExcludes(ReportOptions option, Xpp3Dom configuration) {
     option.setExcludedTestClasses(excludes);
   }
 
+  private void convertArgLine(ReportOptions option, Xpp3Dom configuration) {
+    if (option.getArgLine() != null) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    Xpp3Dom argLine = configuration.getChild("argLine");
+    if (argLine != null) {
+      option.setArgLine(argLine.getValue());
+    }
+  }
+
+
   private Predicate<String> filenameToClassFilter(String filename) {
     return new Glob(filename.replace(".java", "").replace("/", "."));
   }
diff --git a/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/MojoToReportOptionsConverterTest.java b/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/MojoToReportOptionsConverterTest.java
index 98b3d332a..211895a52 100644
--- a/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/MojoToReportOptionsConverterTest.java
+++ b/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/MojoToReportOptionsConverterTest.java
@@ -471,7 +471,6 @@ public void testAutoAddsKotlinSourceDirsWhenPresent() throws IOException {
 
   }
 
-
   private ReportOptions parseConfig(final String xml) {
     try {
       final String pom = createPomWithConfiguration(xml);
diff --git a/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverterTest.java b/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverterTest.java
index 5ad0f1648..6a10d5b97 100644
--- a/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverterTest.java
+++ b/pitest-maven/src/test/java/org/pitest/maven/SurefireConfigConverterTest.java
@@ -164,6 +164,29 @@ public void shouldConvertTestFailureIgnoreWhenAbsent() throws Exception {
     assertThat(actual.skipFailingTests()).isFalse();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void convertsArgline() throws Exception {
+    this.surefireConfig = makeConfig("<argLine>-Xmx1024m</argLine>");
+
+    ReportOptions actual = this.testee
+        .update(this.options, this.surefireConfig);
+
+    assertThat(actual.getArgLine()).isEqualTo("-Xmx1024m");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void doesNotConvertArglineWhenAlreadySetInPitestConfig() throws Exception {
+    this.surefireConfig = makeConfig("<argLine>-Xmx1024m</argLine>");
+
+    this.options.setArgLine("-foo");
+
+    ReportOptions actual = this.testee
+            .update(this.options, this.surefireConfig);
+
+    assertThat(actual.getArgLine()).isEqualTo("-foo");
+  }
+
+
   private Xpp3Dom makeConfig(String s) throws Exception {
     String xml = "<configuration>" + s + "</configuration>";
     InputStream stream = new ByteArrayInputStream(xml.getBytes("UTF-8"));