diff --git a/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h b/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h
index 30e07906..42800a28 100644
--- a/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h
+++ b/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	NV_HideDotFiles,	/* 1: Set hidden flag on dot files */
 	NV_Compression,		/* 1: allow compression */
 	NV_NoFixupWarn,		/* 1: Do not log fixup errors */
+	NV_FreeSpaceKnown,	/* 1: The free space is now known */
 } ntfs_volume_state_bits;
 
 #define  test_nvol_flag(nv, flag)	 test_bit(NV_##flag, (nv)->state)
@@ -155,6 +156,10 @@ typedef enum {
 #define NVolSetNoFixupWarn(nv)		  set_nvol_flag(nv, NoFixupWarn)
 #define NVolClearNoFixupWarn(nv)	clear_nvol_flag(nv, NoFixupWarn)
 
+#define NVolFreeSpaceKnown(nv)		 test_nvol_flag(nv, FreeSpaceKnown)
+#define NVolSetFreeSpaceKnown(nv)	  set_nvol_flag(nv, FreeSpaceKnown)
+#define NVolClearFreeSpaceKnown(nv)	clear_nvol_flag(nv, FreeSpaceKnown)
+
 /*
  * NTFS version 1.1 and 1.2 are used by Windows NT4.
  * NTFS version 2.x is used by Windows 2000 Beta
diff --git a/libntfs-3g/lcnalloc.c b/libntfs-3g/lcnalloc.c
index 486e3510..a1c1ee33 100644
--- a/libntfs-3g/lcnalloc.c
+++ b/libntfs-3g/lcnalloc.c
@@ -368,12 +368,14 @@ runlist *ntfs_cluster_alloc(ntfs_volume *vol, VCN start_vcn, s64 count,
 			/* Allocate the bitmap bit. */
 			*byte |= bit;
 			writeback = 1;
-			if (vol->free_clusters <= 0) 
-				ntfs_log_error("Non-positive free clusters "
-					       "(%lld)!\n",
+			if (NVolFreeSpaceKnown(vol)) {
+				if (vol->free_clusters <= 0)
+					ntfs_log_error("Non-positive free"
+					       " clusters (%lld)!\n",
 						(long long)vol->free_clusters);
-			else	
-				vol->free_clusters--; 
+				else	
+					vol->free_clusters--;
+			}
 			
 			/*
 			 * Coalesce with previous run if adjacent LCNs.
@@ -602,7 +604,8 @@ int ntfs_cluster_free_from_rl(ntfs_volume *vol, runlist *rl)
 	ret = 0;
 out:
 	vol->free_clusters += nr_freed; 
-	if (vol->free_clusters > vol->nr_clusters)
+	if (NVolFreeSpaceKnown(vol)
+	    && (vol->free_clusters > vol->nr_clusters))
 		ntfs_log_error("Too many free clusters (%lld > %lld)!",
 			       (long long)vol->free_clusters, 
 			       (long long)vol->nr_clusters);
diff --git a/libntfs-3g/volume.c b/libntfs-3g/volume.c
index d1a5f2f0..2cc827bd 100644
--- a/libntfs-3g/volume.c
+++ b/libntfs-3g/volume.c
@@ -1894,8 +1894,10 @@ int ntfs_volume_get_free_space(ntfs_volume *vol)
 
 		if (vol->free_mft_records < 0)
 			ntfs_log_perror("Failed to calculate free MFT records");
-		else
+		else {
+			NVolSetFreeSpaceKnown(vol);
 			ret = 0;
+		}
 	}
 	return (ret);
 }
diff --git a/src/lowntfs-3g.c b/src/lowntfs-3g.c
index cfa61626..f28d7e0e 100644
--- a/src/lowntfs-3g.c
+++ b/src/lowntfs-3g.c
@@ -4347,8 +4347,7 @@ static int ntfs_open(const char *device)
 	if (ctx->ignore_case && ntfs_set_ignore_case(vol))
 		goto err_out;
         
-	vol->free_clusters = ntfs_attr_get_free_bits(vol->lcnbmp_na);
-	if (vol->free_clusters < 0) {
+	if (ntfs_volume_get_free_space(ctx->vol)) {
 		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to read NTFS $Bitmap");
 		goto err_out;
 	}
diff --git a/src/ntfs-3g.c b/src/ntfs-3g.c
index 1f148ba0..5c07f23f 100644
--- a/src/ntfs-3g.c
+++ b/src/ntfs-3g.c
@@ -4056,8 +4056,7 @@ static int ntfs_open(const char *device)
 				!ctx->hide_hid_files, ctx->hide_dot_files))
 		goto err_out;
 	
-	ctx->vol->free_clusters = ntfs_attr_get_free_bits(ctx->vol->lcnbmp_na);
-	if (ctx->vol->free_clusters < 0) {
+	if (ntfs_volume_get_free_space(ctx->vol)) {
 		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to read NTFS $Bitmap");
 		goto err_out;
 	}