Java sockets maximum size per message - java.net.SocketException: Connection reset

i have a server client communication using java server sockets. The following few code snippets are to give u a basic overview of the technology i am using, its not the whole code.

     connectionSocket = serverSocket.accept();

     outputStream = new ObjectOutputStream(conectionSocket.getOutputStream() );
     outputStream.flush(); // flush output buffer to send header information

     receivedMessage = ( String ) inputStream.readObject();

  // set up input stream for objects
  inputStream = new ObjectInputStream( connectionSocket.getInputStream() );



     // send message to client
     private void sendData( String message ){
           try // send object to client
          {
           outputStream.writeObject(  message );
           outputStream.flush(); // flush output to client

           } // end try
           catch ( IOException ioException ) 
           {
           System.out.println("\n Server: Error writing object");
           } // end catch
      } // end method sendData

Client and server exchanging String messages ( which are several joined strings plus a Base64 encoded picture ).

Everything works pretty well if i am using pictrues with a size of 300KB. If i use pictures with a size of 1,5MB i am freuqently getting the following error:

Blockquote java.net.SocketException: Connection reset at java.net.SocketInputStream.read(Unknown Source) at java.net.SocketInputStream.read(Unknown Source) at java.net.SocketInputStream.read(Unknown Source) at java.io.ObjectInputStream$PeekInputStream.peek(Unknown Source) at java.io.ObjectInputStream$BlockDataInputStream.peek(Unknown Source) at java.io.ObjectInputStream$BlockDataInputStream.peekByte(Unknown Source) at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(Unknown Source) at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject(Unknown Source) at ServerAccessPC.processConnection(ServerAccessPC.java:116) at ServerAccessPC.runClient(ServerAccessPC.java:52) at ServerAccessPC.setDataOnServer(ServerAccessPC.java:338) at JTabbedPaneFrame$3.actionPerformed(JTabbedPaneFrame.java:192) at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.AbstractButton.doClick(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI.doClick(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI$Handler.mouseReleased(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source) at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source) at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source) at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source) at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(Unknown Source) at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source) at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

So my question,

is there a maximum size of a String that can be transferred via sockets in Java? What else could cause the error when the size of the transferred Strings is getting to big?

Thanks for any help