diff --git a/src/grpp/grpp_specfunc_fermi_sk.c b/src/grpp/grpp_specfunc_fermi_sk.c
index 1355db11a4..fef0989816 100644
--- a/src/grpp/grpp_specfunc_fermi_sk.c
+++ b/src/grpp/grpp_specfunc_fermi_sk.c
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ double libgrpp_specfunc_fermi_sk(int k, double x) {
 //   return sum;
 // }
 
+// To format the rest of this file clang-format would require 1.4 GB of memory.
+//
+// clang-format off
 static const double specfunc_fermi_sk_table[2001][10] = {
     // x = -10.0000
     {-4.5391685990113197e-05, -4.5395807735951667e-05, -4.5397868702434395e-05,
diff --git a/tools/docker/Dockerfile.test_precommit b/tools/docker/Dockerfile.test_precommit
index 255d473e9d..b7581f467b 100644
--- a/tools/docker/Dockerfile.test_precommit
+++ b/tools/docker/Dockerfile.test_precommit
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ FROM ubuntu:24.04
 WORKDIR /opt/cp2k-precommit
 COPY ./tools/precommit/ /opt/cp2k-precommit/
 RUN ./install_requirements.sh
-ENV PATH="/opt/venv/bin:$PATH"
+ENV PATH="/opt/venv/bin:/opt/cp2k-precommit:$PATH"
 
 # Install sources.
 WORKDIR /opt/cp2k
diff --git a/tools/docker/generate_dockerfiles.py b/tools/docker/generate_dockerfiles.py
index ed3704f411..2ed94fd7ed 100755
--- a/tools/docker/generate_dockerfiles.py
+++ b/tools/docker/generate_dockerfiles.py
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ FROM ubuntu:24.04
 WORKDIR /opt/cp2k-precommit
 COPY ./tools/precommit/ /opt/cp2k-precommit/
 RUN ./install_requirements.sh
-ENV PATH="/opt/venv/bin:$PATH"
+ENV PATH="/opt/venv/bin:/opt/cp2k-precommit:$PATH"
 
 # Install sources.
 WORKDIR /opt/cp2k
diff --git a/tools/precommit/Dockerfile b/tools/precommit/Dockerfile
index 46f1e35989..f886074270 100644
--- a/tools/precommit/Dockerfile
+++ b/tools/precommit/Dockerfile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ FROM ubuntu:24.04
 WORKDIR /opt/cp2k-precommit
 COPY . /opt/cp2k-precommit/
 RUN ./install_requirements.sh
-ENV PATH="/opt/venv/bin:$PATH"
+ENV PATH="/opt/venv/bin:/opt/cp2k-precommit:$PATH"
 
 ARG REVISION
 ENV REVISION=${REVISION}
diff --git a/tools/precommit/clang_format_wrapper.sh b/tools/precommit/clang_format_wrapper.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f8f9b3cdd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/precommit/clang_format_wrapper.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# author: Ole Schuett
+
+if (($# != 1)); then
+  echo "Usage: clang_format_wrapper.sh <file>"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# For some files the clang-format requires too much memory. As a work-around we
+# use the "clang-format off" marker to disable formatting. To actually reduce
+# the memory usage this script hides the offending sections from clang-format.
+
+# Look for "clang-format off" markers to split the file into sections.
+if csplit --quiet --prefix="section" "$1" "/clang-format off/"; then
+  # Format only the first section, ie. the one before "clang-format off".
+  clang-format --style=llvm -i section00
+  # Join all sections back together.
+  cat section* > "$1"
+  # Remove intermediary files.
+  rm section*
+else
+  # No markers found, just call clang-format directly.
+  clang-format --style=llvm -i "$1"
+fi
+
+#EOF
diff --git a/tools/precommit/precommit_server.py b/tools/precommit/precommit_server.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 09f436a203..7bc72c10ec
--- a/tools/precommit/precommit_server.py
+++ b/tools/precommit/precommit_server.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def mdformat():
 # ======================================================================================
 @app.route("/clangformat", methods=["POST"])
 def clangformat():
-    return run_tool(["clang-format", "--style=llvm", "-i"])
+    return run_tool(["clang_format_wrapper.sh"])
 
 
 # ======================================================================================