diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/qu/quickemu/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/qu/quickemu/package.nix
index 664da83ba62b..b650ef91f88e 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/qu/quickemu/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/qu/quickemu/package.nix
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   quickemu,
   testers,
   installShellFiles,
+  fetchpatch2,
 }:
 let
   runtimePaths = [
@@ -73,6 +74,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
       quickemu
   '';
 
+  patches = [
+    # reduces windows vm ram requirements to 4G, to match microsoft recommendations
+    # TODO: remove on next release
+    (fetchpatch2 {
+      name = "decrease-windows-ram-requirements.patch";
+      url = "https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu/commit/f51697593a4650c5486661292e2febe1d16f8c71.patch";
+      hash = "sha256-J5hIvQGtkufOcjk2FZN65iox/W2zkLlg+Veg9TF11Fs=";
+    })
+  ];
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     makeWrapper
     installShellFiles