diff --git a/orca-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolver.java b/orca-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolver.java
index b34d15bc1c..518b6d682d 100644
--- a/orca-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolver.java
+++ b/orca-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolver.java
@@ -252,8 +252,7 @@ public void resolveArtifacts(@Nonnull Map<String, Object> pipeline) {
       return;
     }
 
-    List<Artifact> priorArtifacts =
-        getArtifactsForPipelineId((String) pipeline.get("id"), new ExecutionCriteria());
+    List<Artifact> priorArtifacts = getPriorArtifacts(pipeline);
     LinkedHashSet<Artifact> resolvedArtifacts =
         resolveExpectedArtifacts(expectedArtifacts, receivedArtifacts, priorArtifacts, true);
     LinkedHashSet<Artifact> allArtifacts = new LinkedHashSet<>(receivedArtifacts);
@@ -277,6 +276,16 @@ public void resolveArtifacts(@Nonnull Map<String, Object> pipeline) {
     }
   }
 
+  private List<Artifact> getPriorArtifacts(final Map<String, Object> pipeline) {
+    // set pageSize to a single record to avoid hydrating all of the stored Executions for
+    // the pipeline, since getArtifactsForPipelineId only uses the most recent Execution from the
+    // returned Observable<Execution>
+    ExecutionCriteria criteria = new ExecutionCriteria();
+    criteria.setPageSize(1);
+    criteria.setSortType(ExecutionRepository.ExecutionComparator.START_TIME_OR_ID);
+    return getArtifactsForPipelineId((String) pipeline.get("id"), criteria);
+  }
+
   public Artifact resolveSingleArtifact(
       ExpectedArtifact expectedArtifact,
       List<Artifact> possibleMatches,
diff --git a/orca-core/src/test/groovy/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolverSpec.groovy b/orca-core/src/test/groovy/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolverSpec.groovy
index cbfde12f99..6c4ad54402 100644
--- a/orca-core/src/test/groovy/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolverSpec.groovy
+++ b/orca-core/src/test/groovy/com/netflix/spinnaker/orca/pipeline/util/ArtifactResolverSpec.groovy
@@ -32,8 +32,20 @@ import static com.netflix.spinnaker.orca.test.model.ExecutionBuilder.stage
 
 class ArtifactResolverSpec extends Specification {
   ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper()
+
+  def pipelineId = "abc"
+
+  def expectedExecutionCriteria = {
+    def criteria = new ExecutionRepository.ExecutionCriteria()
+    criteria.setPageSize(1)
+    return criteria
+  }()
+
   def executionRepository = Stub(ExecutionRepository) {
-    retrievePipelinesForPipelineConfigId(*_) >> Observable.empty();
+    // only a call to retrievePipelinesForPipelineConfigId() with these argument values is expected
+    retrievePipelinesForPipelineConfigId(pipelineId, expectedExecutionCriteria) >> Observable.empty();
+    // any other interaction is unexpected
+    0 * _
   }
 
   def makeArtifactResolver() {