diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bab56af..859fd81 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ git-crypt unlock /path/to/testing_machine_key.txt
 
 ```
 git clone https://github.com/rusher/connector-test-machine.git
-source connector-test-machine/launch.sh -tTYPE -vVERSION -dDATABASE -nNATIVE
+source connector-test-machine/launch.sh -tTYPE -vVERSION -dDATABASE -nNATIVE -pPACKET_SIZE -lLOCAL
 ```
 
 possible TYPE value : 
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ possible TYPE value :
 
 version is mandatory for non skysql env.
 
-NATIVE permits to indicate if MySQL must use 'mysql_native_password' as default authentication plugin. Possible value "1" or "0". Default value "1".
+Optional options : 
+* PACKET_SIZE permitting to set max_allowed_packet in mb (default 20 if not set)
+* LOCAL permit to install MariaDB server locally (not using docker, permitting unix socket testing)
+* NATIVE permits to indicate if MySQL must use 'mysql_native_password' as default authentication plugin. Possible value "1" or "0". Default value "1".
+
 
 environment key CONNECTOR_TEST_SECRET_KEY must be set for skysql and enterprise. 
 
diff --git a/launch.sh b/launch.sh
index 047c735..32afe80 100755
--- a/launch.sh
+++ b/launch.sh
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ install_local () {
 
     # configuration addition (ssl mostly)
     sudo cp $PROJ_PATH/travis/unix.cnf /etc/mysql/conf.d/unix.cnf
+    sudo echo 'max_allowed_packet=${PACKET_SIZE}M' >> /etc/mysql/conf.d/unix.cnf
+    sudo echo 'innodb_log_file_size=${PACKET_SIZE}0M' >> /etc/mysql/conf.d/unix.cnf
+
     sudo ls -lrt /etc/mysql/conf.d/
     sudo chmod +xr /etc/mysql/conf.d/unix.cnf
     tail /etc/mysql/conf.d/unix.cnf
@@ -189,13 +192,15 @@ launch_docker () {
 export PROJ_PATH="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
 echo "parsing parameters"
 
-while getopts ":t:v:d:n:l:debug:" flag; do
+PACKET_SIZE=20
+while getopts ":t:v:d:n:l:p:debug:" flag; do
     case "${flag}" in
         t) TYPE=${OPTARG};;
         v) VERSION=${OPTARG};;
         d) DATABASE=${OPTARG};;
         n) NATIVE=${OPTARG};;
         l) LOCAL=${OPTARG};;
+        p) PACKET_SIZE=${OPTARG};;
         debug) DEBUG=${OPTARG};;
     esac
 done
@@ -208,6 +213,7 @@ echo "DEBUG: ${DEBUG}"
 echo "NATIVE: ${NATIVE}"
 echo "LOCAL: ${LOCAL}"
 echo "PROJ_PATH: ${PROJ_PATH}"
+echo "PACKET_SIZE: ${PACKET_SIZE}"
 
 export TEST_DB_DATABASE=$DATABASE
 export TYPE_VERS=$"$TYPE:$VERSION"
diff --git a/travis/docker-compose.yml b/travis/docker-compose.yml
index fa5e55e..08b5fd2 100644
--- a/travis/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/travis/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ version: '2.1'
 services:
   db:
     image: $TYPE_VERS
-    command: --max-connections=500 --max-allowed-packet=20M --innodb-log-file-size=200M --character-set-server=utf8mb4 --collation-server=utf8mb4_unicode_ci --ssl-ca=/etc/sslcert/ca.crt --ssl-cert=/etc/sslcert/server.crt --ssl-key=/etc/sslcert/server.key --bind-address=0.0.0.0 --performance-schema=ON $ADDITIONAL_CONF
+    command: --max-connections=500 --max-allowed-packet=${PACKET_SIZE}M --innodb-log-file-size=${PACKET_SIZE}0M --character-set-server=utf8mb4 --collation-server=utf8mb4_unicode_ci --ssl-ca=/etc/sslcert/ca.crt --ssl-cert=/etc/sslcert/server.crt --ssl-key=/etc/sslcert/server.key --bind-address=0.0.0.0 --performance-schema=ON $ADDITIONAL_CONF
     ports:
       - 3305:3306
     volumes:
diff --git a/travis/maxscale-compose.yml b/travis/maxscale-compose.yml
index 5d6363f..0f18888 100644
--- a/travis/maxscale-compose.yml
+++ b/travis/maxscale-compose.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ version: '2.1'
 services:
   db:
     image: mariadb:10.5
-    command: --max-connections=500 --max-allowed-packet=20m --innodb-log-file-size=200M --character-set-server=utf8mb4 --collation-server=utf8mb4_unicode_ci --ssl-ca=/etc/sslcert/ca.crt --ssl-cert=/etc/sslcert/server.crt --ssl-key=/etc/sslcert/server.key --bind-address=0.0.0.0
+    command: --max-connections=500 --max-allowed-packet=${PACKET_SIZE}M --innodb-log-file-size=${PACKET_SIZE}0M --character-set-server=utf8mb4 --collation-server=utf8mb4_unicode_ci --ssl-ca=/etc/sslcert/ca.crt --ssl-cert=/etc/sslcert/server.crt --ssl-key=/etc/sslcert/server.key --bind-address=0.0.0.0
     ports:
       - 3305:3306
     volumes:
diff --git a/travis/unix.cnf b/travis/unix.cnf
index 62dfb5d..ddd50de 100644
--- a/travis/unix.cnf
+++ b/travis/unix.cnf
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 [mysqld]
 max_connections=500
-max_allowed_packet=20M
-innodb_log_file_size=200M
 character_set_server=utf8mb4
 collation_server=utf8mb4_unicode_ci
 ssl_ca=/etc/ssl/mariadb/ca.crt
 ssl_cert=/etc/ssl/mariadb/server.crt
 ssl_key=/etc/ssl/mariadb/server.key
+