diff --git a/lib/helpers.ts b/lib/helpers.ts
index 3d8ce8fe..db912532 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.ts
+++ b/lib/helpers.ts
@@ -123,7 +123,10 @@ function mergeCaseData(
 }
 
 export async function fetchData(): Promise<LoadDataResult> {
-    const res = await fetch('/processed_syn_data.json');
+    // in development we use local processed syn data. In production we use
+    // other URL (too large to serve thru next max 250MB limit)
+    const processedSynURL = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development'? '/processed_syn_data.json' : 'https://htan-synapse-json.surge.sh/processed_syn_data.json';
+    const res = await fetch(processedSynURL);
 
     // const json = await res.json();
     const text = await res.text();
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7e509162..2c09c7d1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "yarn run gunzip && next dev",
     "gunzip": "gunzip -c public/processed_syn_data.json.gz > public/processed_syn_data.json",
-    "build": "yarn run gunzip && export NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=6144 && next build",
+    "build": "export NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=6144 && next build",
     "start": "yarn run gunzip && next start",
     "processSynapseJSON": "npx ncc run data/processSynapseJSON.ts",
     "prettierPreCommit": "STAGED_AND_CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff HEAD --name-only --cached --diff-filter=d) && ([ -z \"$STAGED_AND_CHANGED_FILES\" ] && echo \"Nothing to prettify\" || (yarn run prettier --write $(echo $STAGED_AND_CHANGED_FILES) && git add -f $(echo $STAGED_AND_CHANGED_FILES)))",
diff --git a/pages/index.tsx b/pages/index.tsx
index ea899987..38578638 100644
--- a/pages/index.tsx
+++ b/pages/index.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import process from 'process';
 import path from 'path';
+import zlib from 'zlib';
 
 import PreReleaseBanner from '../components/PreReleaseBanner';
 import HomePage, { IHomePropsProps } from '../components/HomePage';
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ export const getStaticProps: GetStaticProps = async (context) => {
         getContent('card-6', 'homepage'),
     ]);
 
-    const processedSynapseData = await fs.readFileSync(path.join(process.cwd(), 'public/processed_syn_data.json'), 'utf8')
+    const processedSynapseData = await zlib.gunzipSync(await fs.readFileSync(path.join(process.cwd(), 'public/processed_syn_data.json.gz'))).toString()
     const files = fillInEntities(
         (JSON.parse(processedSynapseData) as any) as LoadDataResult
     );