diff --git a/lib/framework/SystemStatus.cpp b/lib/framework/SystemStatus.cpp
index b8323a04f..61e347211 100644
--- a/lib/framework/SystemStatus.cpp
+++ b/lib/framework/SystemStatus.cpp
@@ -12,13 +12,16 @@ SystemStatus::SystemStatus(AsyncWebServer * server, SecurityManager * securityMa
 }
 
 void SystemStatus::systemStatus(AsyncWebServerRequest * request) {
+    emsesp::EMSESP::system_.refreshHeapMem(); // refresh free heap and max alloc heap
+
     AsyncJsonResponse * response = new AsyncJsonResponse(false, MAX_ESP_STATUS_SIZE);
     JsonObject          root     = response->getRoot();
+
     root["emsesp_version"]   = EMSESP_APP_VERSION;
     root["esp_platform"]     = EMSESP_PLATFORM;
     root["cpu_freq_mhz"]     = ESP.getCpuFreqMHz();
-    root["max_alloc_heap"]   = ESP.getMaxAllocHeap() / 1024;
-    root["free_heap"]        = ESP.getFreeHeap() / 1024;
+    root["max_alloc_heap"]   = emsesp::EMSESP::system_.getMaxAllocMem();
+    root["free_heap"]        = emsesp::EMSESP::system_.getHeapMem();
     root["sdk_version"]      = ESP.getSdkVersion();
     root["flash_chip_size"]  = ESP.getFlashChipSize() / 1024;
     root["flash_chip_speed"] = ESP.getFlashChipSpeed();
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@ void SystemStatus::systemStatus(AsyncWebServerRequest * request) {
         root["free_psram"] = ESP.getFreePsram() / 1024;
     }
     const esp_partition_t * factory_partition = esp_partition_find_first(ESP_PARTITION_TYPE_APP, ESP_PARTITION_SUBTYPE_APP_FACTORY, NULL);
-    root["has_loader"] = factory_partition != NULL;
+    root["has_loader"]                        = factory_partition != NULL;
 
     response->setLength();
     request->send(response);
diff --git a/src/system.cpp b/src/system.cpp
index 969956567..58d72ce87 100644
--- a/src/system.cpp
+++ b/src/system.cpp
@@ -55,9 +55,11 @@ static constexpr uint8_t NUM_LANGUAGES = sizeof(languages) / sizeof(const char *
 uuid::log::Logger System::logger_{F_(system), uuid::log::Facility::KERN};
 
 // init statics
-PButton System::myPButton_;
-bool    System::restart_requested_   = false;
-bool    System::test_set_all_active_ = false;
+PButton  System::myPButton_;
+bool     System::restart_requested_   = false;
+bool     System::test_set_all_active_ = false;
+uint32_t System::max_alloc_mem_;
+uint32_t System::heap_mem_;
 
 // find the index of the language
 // 0 = EN, 1 = DE, etc...
@@ -387,10 +389,13 @@ void System::start() {
         setCpuFrequencyMhz(160);
 #endif
     }
+
+    // get current memory values
     fstotal_ = LittleFS.totalBytes() / 1024; // read only once, it takes 500 ms to read
     psram_   = ESP.getPsramSize() / 1024;
     appused_ = ESP.getSketchSize() / 1024;
     appfree_ = ESP.getFreeSketchSpace() / 1024 - appused_;
+    refreshHeapMem(); // refresh free heap and max alloc heap
 #endif
 
     EMSESP::esp8266React.getNetworkSettingsService()->read([&](NetworkSettings & networkSettings) {
@@ -621,8 +626,8 @@ bool System::heartbeat_json(JsonObject & output) {
     }
 
 #ifndef EMSESP_STANDALONE
-    output["freemem"]   = ESP.getFreeHeap() / 1024;     // kilobytes
-    output["max_alloc"] = ESP.getMaxAllocHeap() / 1024; // kilobytes
+    output["freemem"]   = getHeapMem();
+    output["max_alloc"] = getMaxAllocMem();
 #endif
 
 #ifndef EMSESP_STANDALONE
@@ -643,6 +648,8 @@ void System::send_heartbeat() {
         return;
     }
 
+    refreshHeapMem(); // refresh free heap and max alloc heap
+
     StaticJsonDocument<EMSESP_JSON_SIZE_MEDIUM> doc;
     JsonObject                                  json = doc.to<JsonObject>();
 
@@ -879,13 +886,15 @@ void System::show_users(uuid::console::Shell & shell) {
 }
 
 void System::show_system(uuid::console::Shell & shell) {
+    refreshHeapMem(); // refresh free heap and max alloc heap
+
     shell.println("System:");
     shell.printfln(" Board profile: %s", board_profile().c_str());
     shell.printfln(" Uptime: %s", uuid::log::format_timestamp_ms(uuid::get_uptime_ms(), 3).c_str());
 #ifndef EMSESP_STANDALONE
     shell.printfln(" SDK version: %s", ESP.getSdkVersion());
     shell.printfln(" CPU frequency: %lu MHz", ESP.getCpuFreqMHz());
-    shell.printfln(" Free heap/Max alloc: %lu KB / %lu KB", ((uint32_t)ESP.getFreeHeap() / 1024), (ESP.getMaxAllocHeap() / 1024));
+    shell.printfln(" Free heap/Max alloc: %lu KB / %lu KB", getHeapMem(), getMaxAllocMem());
     shell.printfln(" App used/free: %lu KB / %lu KB", appUsed(), appFree());
     uint32_t FSused = LittleFS.usedBytes() / 1024;
     shell.printfln(" FS used/free: %lu KB / %lu KB", FSused, FStotal() - FSused);
@@ -1140,9 +1149,9 @@ bool System::command_info(const char * value, const int8_t id, JsonObject & outp
     node["uptime"]           = uuid::log::format_timestamp_ms(uuid::get_uptime_ms(), 3);
     node["uptime (seconds)"] = uuid::get_uptime_sec();
 #ifndef EMSESP_STANDALONE
-    node["free mem"]  = ESP.getFreeHeap() / 1024;     // kilobytes
-    node["max alloc"] = ESP.getMaxAllocHeap() / 1024; // kilobytes
-    node["free app"]  = EMSESP::system_.appFree();    // kilobytes
+    node["free mem"]  = getHeapMem();
+    node["max alloc"] = getMaxAllocMem();
+    node["free app"]  = EMSESP::system_.appFree(); // kilobytes
 #endif
     node["reset reason"] = EMSESP::system_.reset_reason(0) + " / " + EMSESP::system_.reset_reason(1);
 
diff --git a/src/system.h b/src/system.h
index 353820f7e..9078e0745 100644
--- a/src/system.h
+++ b/src/system.h
@@ -230,6 +230,20 @@ class System {
         return appused_;
     }
 
+    // memory in kb
+    static uint32_t getMaxAllocMem() {
+        return max_alloc_mem_;
+    }
+    static uint32_t getHeapMem() {
+        return heap_mem_;
+    }
+    static void refreshHeapMem() {
+#ifndef EMSESP_STANDALONE
+        max_alloc_mem_ = ESP.getMaxAllocHeap() / 1024;
+        heap_mem_      = ESP.getFreeHeap() / 1024;
+#endif
+    }
+
     static bool test_set_all_active() {
         return test_set_all_active_;
     }
@@ -241,6 +255,8 @@ class System {
     static uuid::log::Logger logger_;
     static bool              restart_requested_;
     static bool              test_set_all_active_; // force all entities in a device to have a value
+    static uint32_t          max_alloc_mem_;
+    static uint32_t          heap_mem_;
 
     // button
     static PButton            myPButton_; // PButton instance
diff --git a/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp b/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp
index 666c76467..5f1c38d6f 100644
--- a/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp
+++ b/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ void WebAPIService::parse(AsyncWebServerRequest * request, JsonObject & input) {
         }
     }
 
+    // capture current heap memory before allocating the large return buffer
+    emsesp::EMSESP::system_.refreshHeapMem();
+
     // output json buffer
     size_t buffer   = EMSESP_JSON_SIZE_XXXLARGE;
     auto * response = new PrettyAsyncJsonResponse(false, buffer);