diff --git a/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/types.go b/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/types.go
index 081e0928d..0a9e695e8 100644
--- a/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/types.go
+++ b/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/types.go
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ type Instance struct {
 	IngressIpRanges []string `json:"ingressIpRanges"`
 	// +optional
 	HostUrl string `json:"hostUrl"`
+	// +optional
+	// if not set, the default size is 64GB
+	RootVolumeSizeGB *int32 `json:"rootVolumeSizeGB"`
 }
 
 // Describes an image or vm template.
diff --git a/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index d84e431f2..5fbe04519 100644
--- a/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/holodeck/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -232,6 +232,11 @@ func (in *Instance) DeepCopyInto(out *Instance) {
 		*out = make([]string, len(*in))
 		copy(*out, *in)
 	}
+	if in.RootVolumeSizeGB != nil {
+		in, out := &in.RootVolumeSizeGB, &out.RootVolumeSizeGB
+		*out = new(int32)
+		**out = **in
+	}
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new Instance.
diff --git a/pkg/provider/aws/create.go b/pkg/provider/aws/create.go
index 289585bc1..116469002 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/aws/create.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/aws/create.go
@@ -320,6 +320,11 @@ func (p *Provider) createEC2Instance(cache *AWS) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting AMI: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// if the root volume size is not set, use the default size
+	if p.Spec.RootVolumeSizeGB != nil {
+		storageSizeGB = *p.Spec.RootVolumeSizeGB
+	}
+
 	instanceIn := &ec2.RunInstancesInput{
 		ImageId:                           p.Spec.Image.ImageId,
 		InstanceType:                      types.InstanceType(p.Spec.Type),