diff --git a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-capsule-plugin.c b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-capsule-plugin.c
index 04dc1064d..c240cb9ca 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-capsule-plugin.c
+++ b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-capsule-plugin.c
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ fu_uefi_capsule_plugin_load_config(FuPlugin *plugin, FuDevice *device)
 {
 	gboolean disable_shim;
 	gboolean fallback_removable_path;
-	guint64 sz_reqd = FU_UEFI_COMMON_REQUIRED_ESP_FREE_SPACE;
+	guint64 sz_reqd = 0;
 	g_autofree gchar *require_esp_free_space = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GError) error_local = NULL;
 
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ fu_uefi_capsule_plugin_load_config(FuPlugin *plugin, FuDevice *device)
 			g_warning("invalid ESP free space specified: %s", error_local->message);
 		}
 	}
-	fu_device_set_metadata_integer(device, "RequireESPFreeSpace", sz_reqd);
+	fu_uefi_device_set_require_esp_free_space(FU_UEFI_DEVICE(device), sz_reqd);
 
 	/* shim used for SB or not? */
 	disable_shim = fu_plugin_get_config_value_boolean(plugin, "DisableShimForSecureBoot");
diff --git a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-common.h b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-common.h
index 723ac61b0..456bd3cc3 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-common.h
+++ b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-common.h
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ typedef struct __attribute__((__packed__)) {
 	guint32 status;
 } efi_update_info_t;
 
-/* the biggest size SPI part currently seen */
-#define FU_UEFI_COMMON_REQUIRED_ESP_FREE_SPACE (32 * 1024 * 1024)
-
 gchar *
 fu_uefi_get_fallback_app_path(FuDevice *device,
 			      const gchar *esp_path,
diff --git a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.c b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.c
index 0a8503820..9bac0b819 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.c
+++ b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	guint64 fmp_hardware_instance;
 	gboolean missing_header;
 	gboolean automounted_esp;
+	gsize require_esp_free_space;
 } FuUefiDevicePrivate;
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE(FuUefiDevice, fu_uefi_device, FU_TYPE_DEVICE)
@@ -134,10 +135,7 @@ fu_uefi_device_to_string(FuDevice *device, guint idt, GString *str)
 	if (priv->esp != NULL) {
 		fu_string_append(str, idt, "EspId", fu_volume_get_id(priv->esp));
 	}
-	fu_string_append_ku(str,
-			    idt,
-			    "RequireESPFreeSpace",
-			    fu_device_get_metadata_integer(device, "RequireESPFreeSpace"));
+	fu_string_append_ku(str, idt, "RequireESPFreeSpace", priv->require_esp_free_space);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -254,6 +252,14 @@ fu_uefi_device_set_status(FuUefiDevice *self, FuUefiDeviceStatus status)
 	fu_device_set_update_error(FU_DEVICE(self), err_msg);
 }
 
+void
+fu_uefi_device_set_require_esp_free_space(FuUefiDevice *self, gsize require_esp_free_space)
+{
+	FuUefiDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	g_return_if_fail(FU_IS_UEFI_DEVICE(self));
+	priv->require_esp_free_space = require_esp_free_space;
+}
+
 guint32
 fu_uefi_device_get_capsule_flags(FuUefiDevice *self)
 {
@@ -495,19 +501,6 @@ fu_uefi_device_write_update_info(FuUefiDevice *self,
 				  error);
 }
 
-static gboolean
-fu_uefi_device_check_esp_free(FuDevice *device, GError **error)
-{
-	FuUefiDevice *self = FU_UEFI_DEVICE(device);
-	FuUefiDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
-	guint64 sz_reqd = fu_device_get_metadata_integer(device, "RequireESPFreeSpace");
-	if (sz_reqd == G_MAXUINT) {
-		g_debug("maximum size is not configured");
-		return TRUE;
-	}
-	return fu_volume_check_free_space(priv->esp, sz_reqd, error);
-}
-
 static gboolean
 fu_uefi_check_asset(FuDevice *device, GError **error)
 {
@@ -573,8 +566,6 @@ fu_uefi_device_prepare(FuDevice *device,
 	/* sanity checks */
 	if (!fu_uefi_device_cleanup_esp(device, error))
 		return FALSE;
-	if (!fu_uefi_device_check_esp_free(device, error))
-		return FALSE;
 	if (!fu_uefi_check_asset(device, error))
 		return FALSE;
 
@@ -677,6 +668,29 @@ fu_uefi_device_get_esp_path(FuUefiDevice *self)
 	return fu_volume_get_mount_point(priv->esp);
 }
 
+static FuFirmware *
+fu_uefi_device_prepare_firmware(FuDevice *device,
+				GBytes *fw,
+				FwupdInstallFlags flags,
+				GError **error)
+{
+	FuUefiDevice *self = FU_UEFI_DEVICE(device);
+	FuUefiDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	gsize sz_reqd = priv->require_esp_free_space;
+
+	/* check there is enough space in the ESP */
+	if (sz_reqd == 0) {
+		g_debug("required ESP free space is not configured, using 2 x %uMB + 20MB",
+			(guint)g_bytes_get_size(fw) / (1024 * 1024));
+		sz_reqd = g_bytes_get_size(fw) * 2 + (20u * 1024 * 1024);
+	}
+	if (!fu_volume_check_free_space(priv->esp, sz_reqd, error))
+		return NULL;
+
+	/* success */
+	return fu_firmware_new_from_bytes(fw);
+}
+
 static void
 fu_uefi_device_set_property(GObject *object, guint prop_id, const GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
 {
@@ -781,6 +795,7 @@ fu_uefi_device_class_init(FuUefiDeviceClass *klass)
 	object_class->finalize = fu_uefi_device_finalize;
 	klass_device->to_string = fu_uefi_device_to_string;
 	klass_device->probe = fu_uefi_device_probe;
+	klass_device->prepare_firmware = fu_uefi_device_prepare_firmware;
 	klass_device->prepare = fu_uefi_device_prepare;
 	klass_device->cleanup = fu_uefi_device_cleanup;
 	klass_device->report_metadata_pre = fu_uefi_device_report_metadata_pre;
diff --git a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.h b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.h
index 82ada5c30..977e46a66 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.h
+++ b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-uefi-device.h
@@ -134,3 +134,5 @@ GBytes *
 fu_uefi_device_fixup_firmware(FuUefiDevice *self, GBytes *fw, GError **error);
 void
 fu_uefi_device_set_status(FuUefiDevice *self, FuUefiDeviceStatus status);
+void
+fu_uefi_device_set_require_esp_free_space(FuUefiDevice *self, gsize require_esp_free_space);