diff --git a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
index 7fbdaa82a..8f32d25a6 100644
--- a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
+++ b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
@@ -717,14 +717,14 @@ define([
             return false;
         }
         if (!rpc) {
-            console.error('[RPC_NOT_READY]');
+            console.error('RPC_NOT_READY');
             return false;
         }
         return true;
     };
 
     common.arePinsSynced = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
 
         var list = getCanonicalChannelList();
         var local = Hash.hashChannelList(list);
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.resetPins = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
 
         var list = getCanonicalChannelList();
         rpc.reset(list, function (e, hash) {
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.pinPads = function (pads, cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
 
         rpc.pin(pads, function (e, hash) {
             if (e) { return void cb(e); }
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.unpinPads = function (pads, cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb ('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
 
         rpc.unpin(pads, function (e, hash) {
             if (e) { return void cb(e); }
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.getPinnedUsage = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
 
         rpc.getFileListSize(function (err, bytes) {
             if (typeof(bytes) === 'number') {
@@ -774,6 +774,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.getFileSize = function (href, cb) {
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
         var channelId = Hash.hrefToHexChannelId(href);
         rpc.getFileSize(channelId, function (e, bytes) {
             if (e) { return void cb(e); }
@@ -782,7 +783,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.updatePinLimit = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
         rpc.updatePinLimits(function (e, limit, plan, note) {
             if (e) { return cb(e); }
             common.account.limit = limit;
@@ -793,7 +794,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.getPinLimit = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
 
         var account = common.account;
         if (typeof(account.limit) !== 'number' ||
@@ -831,17 +832,17 @@ define([
     };
 
     common.uploadComplete = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
         rpc.uploadComplete(cb);
     };
 
     common.uploadStatus = function (size, cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
         rpc.uploadStatus(size, cb);
     };
 
     common.uploadCancel = function (cb) {
-        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('[RPC_NOT_READY]'); }
+        if (!pinsReady()) { return void cb('RPC_NOT_READY'); }
         rpc.uploadCancel(cb);
     };
 
diff --git a/www/file/main.js b/www/file/main.js
index b2dac261e..638db697d 100644
--- a/www/file/main.js
+++ b/www/file/main.js
@@ -164,19 +164,28 @@ define([
                     Cryptpad.removeLoadingScreen();
                     $dllabel.append($('<br>'));
                     $dllabel.append(Cryptpad.fixHTML(metadata.name));
-                    $dllabel.append($('<br>'));
-                    $dllabel.append(Messages._getKey('formattedMB', [sizeMb]));
+
+                    // don't display the size if you don't know it.
+                    if (typeof(sizeM) === 'number') {
+                        $dllabel.append($('<br>'));
+                        $dllabel.append(Messages._getKey('formattedMB', [sizeMb]));
+                    }
                     var decrypting = false;
                     var onClick = function (ev) {
                         if (decrypting) { return; }
                         decrypting = true;
                         displayFile(ev, sizeMb);
                     };
-                    if (sizeMb < 5) { return void onClick(); }
+                    if (typeof(sizeMb) === 'number' && sizeMb < 5) { return void onClick(); }
                     $dlform.find('#dl, #progress').click(onClick);
                 };
                 Cryptpad.getFileSize(window.location.href, function (e, data) {
-                    if (e) { return void Cryptpad.errorLoadingScreen(e); }
+                    if (e) {
+                        // TODO when GET_FILE_SIZE is made unauthenticated
+                        // you won't need to handle this error (there won't be one)
+                        if (e === 'RPC_NOT_READY') { return todoBigFile(); }
+                        return void Cryptpad.errorLoadingScreen(e);
+                    }
                     var size = Cryptpad.bytesToMegabytes(data);
                     return void todoBigFile(size);
                 });