diff --git a/assets/items.psd b/assets/items.psd
index 78087d3e9..944dd993d 100644
Binary files a/assets/items.psd and b/assets/items.psd differ
diff --git a/src/main/resources/application.conf b/src/main/resources/application.conf
index bfcd52137..4f31b80a5 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/application.conf
+++ b/src/main/resources/application.conf
@@ -746,6 +746,12 @@ opencomputers {
       # does not consume energy on a per-use basis. When standing still or
       # moving very slowly this also does not trigger.
       hoverBootMove: 1
+
+      # Cost for simple operations on the data card, such as hashing.
+      dataCardSimple: 0.25
+
+      # Cost for complex operations on the data card, such as inflate/deflate.
+      dataCardComplex: 4.0
     }
 
     # The rate at which different blocks accept external power. All of these
@@ -1125,6 +1131,18 @@ opencomputers {
     # happen one time per game, not per world, not per death. Once. If this
     # is still too much for your taste, disable it here ;-)
     giveManualToNewPlayers: true
+
+    # Soft limit for size of byte arrays passed to data card callbacks. If this
+    # limit is exceeded, a longer sleep is enforced (see dataCardTimeout).
+    dataCardSoftLimit: 8192
+
+    # Hard limit for size of byte arrays passed to data card callbacks. If this
+    # limit is exceeded, the call fails and does nothing.
+    dataCardHardLimit: 1048576
+
+    # Time in seconds to pause a calling machine when the soft limit for a data
+    # card callback is exceeded.
+    dataCardTimeout: 1.0
   }
 
   # Settings for mod integration (the mod previously known as OpenComponents).
diff --git a/src/main/resources/assets/opencomputers/textures/items/DataCard.png b/src/main/resources/assets/opencomputers/textures/items/DataCard.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88cac2868
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/main/resources/assets/opencomputers/textures/items/DataCard.png differ
diff --git a/src/main/resources/assets/opencomputers/textures/items/DataCard.png.mcmeta b/src/main/resources/assets/opencomputers/textures/items/DataCard.png.mcmeta
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..341f7f627
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/resources/assets/opencomputers/textures/items/DataCard.png.mcmeta
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "animation": {
+    "frametime": 1,
+    "frames": [
+      { "index": 0, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 1, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 2, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 3, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 4, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 5, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 6, "time": 4 },
+      { "index": 7, "time": 4 }
+    ]
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/Settings.scala b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/Settings.scala
index f957f9a55..4920c2aa9 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/Settings.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/Settings.scala
@@ -193,6 +193,8 @@ class Settings(val config: Config) {
   val hoverBootJump = config.getDouble("power.cost.hoverBootJump") max 0
   val hoverBootAbsorb = config.getDouble("power.cost.hoverBootAbsorb") max 0
   val hoverBootMove = config.getDouble("power.cost.hoverBootMove") max 0
+  val dataCardSimple = config.getDouble("power.cost.dataCardSimple") max 0
+  val dataCardComplex = config.getDouble("power.cost.dataCardComplex") max 0
 
   // power.rate
   val accessPointRate = config.getDouble("power.rate.accessPoint") max 0
@@ -312,6 +314,9 @@ class Settings(val config: Config) {
   val assemblerBlacklist = config.getStringList("misc.assemblerBlacklist")
   val threadPriority = config.getInt("misc.threadPriority")
   val giveManualToNewPlayers = config.getBoolean("misc.giveManualToNewPlayers")
+  val dataCardSoftLimit = config.getInt("misc.dataCardSoftLimit") max 0
+  val dataCardHardLimit = config.getInt("misc.dataCardHardLimit") max 0
+  val dataCardTimeout = config.getDouble("misc.dataCardTimeout") max 0
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
   // printer
diff --git a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/item/DataCard.scala b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/item/DataCard.scala
index 61127695f..b0a487249 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/item/DataCard.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/item/DataCard.scala
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 package li.cil.oc.common.item
 
-class DataCard(val parent: Delegator) extends traits.Delegate
\ No newline at end of file
+class DataCard(val parent: Delegator) extends traits.Delegate
diff --git a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/integration/opencomputers/DriverDataCard.scala b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/integration/opencomputers/DriverDataCard.scala
index c4c954c2c..94b1322ee 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/integration/opencomputers/DriverDataCard.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/integration/opencomputers/DriverDataCard.scala
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 package li.cil.oc.integration.opencomputers
 
+import li.cil.oc.api.driver.EnvironmentAware
+import li.cil.oc.api.driver.EnvironmentHost
 import li.cil.oc.common.Slot
 import li.cil.oc.server.component
-import li.cil.oc.{Constants, api}
-import li.cil.oc.api.driver.{EnvironmentHost, EnvironmentAware}
+import li.cil.oc.Constants
+import li.cil.oc.api
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack
 
-
-object DriverDataCard extends Item with EnvironmentAware{
+object DriverDataCard extends Item with EnvironmentAware {
   override def worksWith(stack: ItemStack) = isOneOf(stack,
     api.Items.get(Constants.ItemName.DataCard))
 
-  override def createEnvironment(stack: ItemStack, host: EnvironmentHost) = new component.DataCard
+  override def createEnvironment(stack: ItemStack, host: EnvironmentHost) = new component.DataCard()
 
   override def slot(stack: ItemStack) = Slot.Card
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/server/component/DataCard.scala b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/server/component/DataCard.scala
index 83e60a6c6..b6e12d76a 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/server/component/DataCard.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/server/component/DataCard.scala
@@ -1,19 +1,25 @@
 package li.cil.oc.server.component
 
-import java.security.MessageDigest
-import java.util.zip.{InflaterOutputStream, DeflaterOutputStream}
+import java.util.zip.DeflaterOutputStream
+import java.util.zip.InflaterOutputStream
 
 import com.google.common.hash.Hashing
+import li.cil.oc.OpenComputers
+import li.cil.oc.Settings
+import li.cil.oc.api
+import li.cil.oc.api.Network
+import li.cil.oc.api.machine.Arguments
+import li.cil.oc.api.machine.Callback
+import li.cil.oc.api.machine.Context
+import li.cil.oc.api.network.Node
+import li.cil.oc.api.network.Visibility
+import li.cil.oc.api.prefab
 import li.cil.oc.util.ExtendedNBT._
-import li.cil.oc.{Settings, OpenComputers, api}
-import li.cil.oc.api.machine.{Arguments, Context, Callback}
-import li.cil.oc.api.network.{Node, Visibility}
-import li.cil.oc.api.{Network, prefab}
 import net.minecraft.nbt.NBTTagCompound
 import org.apache.commons.codec.binary.Base64
 import org.apache.commons.io.output.ByteArrayOutputStream
 
-class DataCard extends prefab.ManagedEnvironment{
+class DataCard extends prefab.ManagedEnvironment {
   override val node = Network.newNode(this, Visibility.Neighbors).
     withComponent("data", Visibility.Neighbors).
     withConnector().
@@ -21,48 +27,66 @@ class DataCard extends prefab.ManagedEnvironment{
 
   val romData = Option(api.FileSystem.asManagedEnvironment(api.FileSystem.
     fromClass(OpenComputers.getClass, Settings.resourceDomain, "lua/component/data"), "data"))
-  
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies base64 encoding to the data.""", limit = 32)
+
+  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function():number -- The maximum size of data that can be passed to other functions of the card.""")
+  def getLimit(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
+    result(Settings.get.dataCardHardLimit)
+  }
+
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 32, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies base64 encoding to the data.""")
   def encode64(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
-    result(Base64.encodeBase64(args.checkByteArray(0)))
+    result(Base64.encodeBase64(checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardComplex)))
   }
 
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies base64 decoding to the data.""", limit = 32)
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 32, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies base64 decoding to the data.""")
   def decode64(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
-    result(Base64.decodeBase64(args.checkByteArray(0)))
+    result(Base64.decodeBase64(checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardComplex)))
   }
 
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies deflate compression to the data.""", limit = 6)
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 6, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies deflate compression to the data.""")
   def deflate(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
+    val data = checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardComplex)
     val baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream(512)
     val deos = new DeflaterOutputStream(baos)
-    deos.write(args.checkByteArray(0))
+    deos.write(data)
     deos.finish()
     result(baos.toByteArray)
   }
 
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies inflate decompression to the data.""", limit = 6)
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 6, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Applies inflate decompression to the data.""")
   def inflate(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
+    val data = checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardComplex)
     val baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream(512)
     val inos = new InflaterOutputStream(baos)
-    inos.write(args.checkByteArray(0))
+    inos.write(data)
     inos.finish()
     result(baos.toByteArray)
   }
 
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Computes SHA2-256 hash of the data. Result is in binary format.""", limit = 32)
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 32, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Computes SHA2-256 hash of the data. Result is in binary format.""")
   def sha256(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
-    result(Hashing.sha256().hashBytes(args.checkByteArray(0)).asBytes())
+    val data = checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardSimple)
+    result(Hashing.sha256().hashBytes(data).asBytes())
   }
 
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Computes MD5 hash of the data. Result is in binary format""", limit = 32)
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 32, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Computes MD5 hash of the data. Result is in binary format""")
   def md5(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
-    result(Hashing.md5().hashBytes(args.checkByteArray(0)).asBytes())
+    val data = checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardSimple)
+    result(Hashing.md5().hashBytes(data).asBytes())
   }
 
-  @Callback(direct = true, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Computes CRC-32 hash of the data. Result is in binary format""", limit = 32)
+  @Callback(direct = true, limit = 32, doc = """function(data:string):string -- Computes CRC-32 hash of the data. Result is in binary format""")
   def crc32(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
-    result(Hashing.crc32().hashBytes(args.checkByteArray(0)).asBytes())
+    val data = checkLimits(context, args, Settings.get.dataCardSimple)
+    result(Hashing.crc32().hashBytes(data).asBytes())
+  }
+
+  private def checkLimits(context: Context, args: Arguments, cost: Double): Array[Byte] = {
+    val data = args.checkByteArray(0)
+    if (data.length > Settings.get.dataCardHardLimit) throw new IllegalArgumentException("data size limit exceeded")
+    if (!node.tryChangeBuffer(-cost)) throw new Exception("not enough energy")
+    if (data.length > Settings.get.dataCardSoftLimit) context.pause(Settings.get.dataCardTimeout)
+    data
   }
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //