diff --git a/lbry/blob/disk_space_manager.py b/lbry/blob/disk_space_manager.py
index 7c48e5e75..d6af70239 100644
--- a/lbry/blob/disk_space_manager.py
+++ b/lbry/blob/disk_space_manager.py
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ class DiskSpaceManager:
         self.task = None
         self.analytics = analytics
 
-    async def get_free_space_bytes(self, is_network_blob=False):
+    async def get_free_space_mb(self, is_network_blob=False):
         limit_mb = self.config.network_storage_limit if is_network_blob else self.config.blob_storage_limit
-        return max(0, limit_mb*1024*1024 - (await self.get_space_used_mb(is_network_blob)))
+        return max(0, limit_mb - (await self.get_space_used_mb(is_network_blob)))
 
     async def get_space_used_bytes(self, is_network_blob=False):
         return await self.db.get_stored_blob_disk_usage(is_network_blob=is_network_blob)
diff --git a/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py b/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py
index 17ef80695..61aaa9c51 100644
--- a/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py
+++ b/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py
@@ -403,11 +403,12 @@ class BackgroundDownloaderComponent(Component):
 
     async def get_status(self):
         return {'running': self.task is not None and not self.task.done(),
+                'available_free_space': await self.space_manager.get_free_space_mb(True),
                 'ongoing_download': self.is_busy}
 
     async def loop(self):
         while True:
-            if not self.is_busy and await self.space_manager.get_free_space_bytes(True) > 0:
+            if not self.is_busy and await self.space_manager.get_free_space_mb(True) > 10:
                 blob_hash = self.dht_node.last_requested_blob_hash
                 if blob_hash:
                     self.ongoing_download = asyncio.create_task(self.background_downloader.download_blobs(blob_hash))
diff --git a/tests/integration/datanetwork/test_file_commands.py b/tests/integration/datanetwork/test_file_commands.py
index 03572dcec..9be8da26b 100644
--- a/tests/integration/datanetwork/test_file_commands.py
+++ b/tests/integration/datanetwork/test_file_commands.py
@@ -629,6 +629,8 @@ class TestProactiveDownloaderComponent(CommandTestCase):
         await self.assertBlobs(content2)
         self.assertEqual('0', (await self.status())['disk_space']['space_used'])
         self.assertEqual('16', (await self.status())['disk_space']['network_seeding_space_used'])
+        self.daemon.conf.network_storage_limit = 100
+        self.assertEqual(84, (await self.status())['background_downloader']['available_free_space'])
 
         # tests that an attempt to download something that isn't a sd blob will download the single blob and stop
         blobs = await self.get_blobs_from_sd_blob(self.reflector.blob_manager.get_blob(content1))