diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 617874aed7..5a8746d9fc 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 * Change the required permission for the checkout info link from
   document check in to document checkout details view.
 * Lower the log severity when links don't resolve.
+* Add DOCUMENTS_HASH_BLOCK_SIZE to control the size of the file
+  block when calculating a document's checksum.
 
 3.1.10 (2019-04-04)
 ===================
diff --git a/docs/releases/3.1.11.rst b/docs/releases/3.1.11.rst
index a92cf49531..2efe86bb2d 100644
--- a/docs/releases/3.1.11.rst
+++ b/docs/releases/3.1.11.rst
@@ -7,12 +7,43 @@ Released: April XX, 2019
 Changes
 -------
 
+Memory usage
+^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The ``DOCUMENTS_HASH_BLOCK_SIZE`` setting was added to limit the number of
+bytes that will be read into memory when calculating the checksum of a new
+document. For compatibility with the current bevahor this setting defaults to
+0 which means that it is disabled. Disabling the setting will cause the
+entire document's file to be loaded into memory. If documents are not
+processing due to out of memory errors (large documents or devices with
+limited memory), set ``DOCUMENTS_HASH_BLOCK_SIZE`` to a value other than 0.
+Limited tests suggest 65535 to be a good alternative.
+
+
+Tag wizard step
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The tag wizard step was fixed and will now allow attaching multple tags to a
+new document.
+
+
+Permissions
+^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Previously the document checkout information link required one of the following
+permissions: document check in, document check in override, or document
+checkout. Meanwhile the document checkout information view would require the
+document checkout detail view permission. This difference in permissions
+has been eliminated and the link will now required the document checkout
+detail view permission, same as the view. Update your user role permissions
+accordingly.
+
+
 Other changes
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-* Fix multiple tag selection wizard step.
-* Update the check out info link permission. Update the link permission to
-  match the same required permission as the view.
+* Lower the log severity when links don't resolve.
+
 
 Removals
 --------
@@ -112,6 +143,6 @@ Backward incompatible changes
 Bugs fixed or issues closed
 ---------------------------
 
-* :gitlab-issue:`563` Recursive Watch Folder
+* None
 
 .. _PyPI: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/mayan-edms/
diff --git a/mayan/apps/documents/models.py b/mayan/apps/documents/models.py
index f5b973e01d..441622d941 100644
--- a/mayan/apps/documents/models.py
+++ b/mayan/apps/documents/models.py
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ from .permissions import permission_document_view
 from .settings import (
     setting_disable_base_image_cache, setting_disable_transformed_image_cache,
     setting_display_width, setting_display_height, setting_fix_orientation,
-    setting_language, setting_zoom_max_level, setting_zoom_min_level
+    setting_hash_block_size, setting_language, setting_zoom_max_level,
+    setting_zoom_min_level
 )
 from .signals import (
     post_document_created, post_document_type_change, post_version_upload
@@ -56,8 +57,8 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 # document image cache name hash function
-def HASH_FUNCTION(data):
-    return hashlib.sha256(data).hexdigest()
+def hash_function():
+    return hashlib.sha256()
 
 
 def UUID_FUNCTION(*args, **kwargs):
@@ -697,10 +698,25 @@ class DocumentVersion(models.Model):
         Open a document version's file and update the checksum field using
         the user provided checksum function
         """
+        block_size = setting_hash_block_size.value
+        if block_size == 0:
+            # If the setting value is 0 that means disable read limit. To disable
+            # the read limit passing None won't work, we pass -1 instead as per
+            # the Python documentation.
+            # https://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/inputoutput.html#methods-of-file-objects
+            block_size = -1
+
         if self.exists():
-            source = self.open()
-            self.checksum = force_text(HASH_FUNCTION(source.read()))
-            source.close()
+            hash_object = hash_function()
+            with self.open() as file_object:
+                while (True):
+                    data = file_object.read(block_size)
+                    if not data:
+                        break
+
+                    hash_object.update(data)
+
+            self.checksum = force_text(hash_object.hexdigest())
             if save:
                 self.save()
 
diff --git a/mayan/apps/documents/settings.py b/mayan/apps/documents/settings.py
index 794c433a5e..25001f96b5 100644
--- a/mayan/apps/documents/settings.py
+++ b/mayan/apps/documents/settings.py
@@ -62,6 +62,14 @@ setting_fix_orientation = namespace.add_setting(
         'feature and it is disabled by default.'
     )
 )
+setting_hash_block_size = namespace.add_setting(
+    global_name='DOCUMENTS_HASH_BLOCK_SIZE', default=0,
+    help_text=_(
+        'Size of blocks to use when calculating the document file\'s '
+        'checksum. A value of 0 disables the block calculation and the entire '
+        'file will be loaded into memory.'
+    )
+)
 setting_language = namespace.add_setting(
     global_name='DOCUMENTS_LANGUAGE', default=DEFAULT_LANGUAGE,
     help_text=_('Default documents language (in ISO639-3 format).')