diff --git a/conf.h b/conf.h
index 15310a07..9f4e4b65 100644
--- a/conf.h
+++ b/conf.h
@@ -657,6 +657,9 @@ int cf_fmt_int32_nonneg(const char **, const int32_t *intp);
 int cf_opt_uint32_nonzero(uint32_t *intp, const char *text);
 int cf_fmt_uint32_nonzero(const char **, const uint32_t *intp);
 
+int cf_opt_uint32_scaled(uint32_t *intp, const char *text);
+int cf_fmt_uint32_scaled(const char **, const uint32_t *intp);
+
 int cf_opt_uint64_scaled(uint64_t *intp, const char *text);
 int cf_fmt_uint64_scaled(const char **, const uint64_t *intp);
 
diff --git a/conf_schema.c b/conf_schema.c
index 2d27a6bb..928d3360 100644
--- a/conf_schema.c
+++ b/conf_schema.c
@@ -428,6 +428,30 @@ int cf_cmp_uint32_time_interval(const uint32_t *a, const uint32_t *b)
   return cf_cmp_uint32(a, b);
 }
 
+int cf_opt_uint32_scaled(uint32_t *intp, const char *text)
+{
+  uint32_t result;
+  const char *end;
+  if (!str_to_uint32_scaled(text, 10, &result, &end) || *end)
+    return CFINVALID;
+  *intp = result;
+  return CFOK;
+}
+
+int cf_fmt_uint32_scaled(const char **textp, const uint32_t *uintp)
+{
+  char buf[25];
+  int n = uint32_scaled_to_str(buf, sizeof buf, *uintp);
+  assert(n != 0);
+  *textp = str_edup(buf);
+  return CFOK;
+}
+
+int cf_cmp_uint32_scaled(const uint32_t *a, const uint32_t *b)
+{
+  return *a < *b ? -1 : *a > *b ? 1 : 0;
+}
+
 int cf_opt_uint64_scaled(uint64_t *intp, const char *text)
 {
   uint64_t result;
diff --git a/conf_schema.h b/conf_schema.h
index bab3c5fd..6d598da5 100644
--- a/conf_schema.h
+++ b/conf_schema.h
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ ATOM(bool_t,                clean_on_open,  0, boolean,, "If true, Rhizome datab
 ATOM(bool_t,                clean_on_start, 1, boolean,, "If true, Rhizome database is cleaned at start of daemon")
 STRING(256,                 datastore_path, "", absolute_path,, "Path of rhizome storage directory, absolute or relative to instance directory")
 ATOM(uint64_t,              database_size,  1000000, uint64_scaled,, "Size of database in bytes")
-ATOM(bool_t,                external_blobs, 0, boolean,, "Store rhizome bundles as separate files.")
+ATOM(uint32_t,              max_blob_size,  128 * 1024, uint32_scaled,, "Store payloads larger than this in files not SQLite blobs")
 
 ATOM(uint64_t,              rhizome_mdp_block_size, 512, uint64_scaled,, "Rhizome MDP block size.")
 ATOM(uint64_t,              idle_timeout,           RHIZOME_IDLE_TIMEOUT, uint64_scaled,, "Rhizome transfer timeout if no data received.")
diff --git a/rhizome_store.c b/rhizome_store.c
index 26e51b65..eea5ced8 100644
--- a/rhizome_store.c
+++ b/rhizome_store.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ enum rhizome_payload_status rhizome_open_write(struct rhizome_write *write, cons
   
   char blob_path[1024];
   
-  if (config.rhizome.external_blobs || file_length > 128*1024) {
+  if (file_length > config.rhizome.max_blob_size) {
     if (!FORM_RHIZOME_DATASTORE_PATH(blob_path, "%"PRId64, write->temp_id)){
       WHY("Invalid path");
       goto insert_row_fail;
diff --git a/str.h b/str.h
index 15d5f2b3..02921bdb 100644
--- a/str.h
+++ b/str.h
@@ -410,6 +410,8 @@ int str_to_uint64(const char *str, int base, uint64_t *result, const char **afte
  *
  * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
  */
+int str_to_int32_scaled(const char *str, int base, int32_t *result, const char **afterp);
+int str_to_uint32_scaled(const char *str, int base, uint32_t *result, const char **afterp);
 int str_to_int64_scaled(const char *str, int base, int64_t *result, const char **afterp);
 int str_to_uint64_scaled(const char *str, int base, uint64_t *result, const char **afterp);
 uint64_t scale_factor(const char *str, const char **afterp);
@@ -423,6 +425,7 @@ uint64_t scale_factor(const char *str, const char **afterp);
  *
  * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
  */
+int uint32_scaled_to_str(char *str, size_t len, uint32_t value);
 int uint64_scaled_to_str(char *str, size_t len, uint64_t value);
 
 /* Parse a string as a time interval (seconds) in millisecond resolution.  Return the number of
diff --git a/tests/rhizomeops b/tests/rhizomeops
index af8ab147..c8540832 100755
--- a/tests/rhizomeops
+++ b/tests/rhizomeops
@@ -282,11 +282,11 @@ doc_ExtractManifestFileFromExtBlob="Export bundle from external blob"
 setup_ExtractManifestFileFromExtBlob() {
    setup_servald
    setup_rhizome
-   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.external_blobs 1
+   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.max_blob_size 0
    echo "A test file" >file1
    executeOk_servald rhizome add file $SIDB1 file1 file1.manifest
    extract_stdout_rowid rowid1
-   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.external_blobs 0
+   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.max_blob_size 1000
    echo "Another test file" >file2
    executeOk_servald rhizome add file $SIDB1 file2 file2.manifest
    extract_stdout_rowid rowid2
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ doc_CorruptExternalBlob="A corrupted payload should fail to export"
 setup_CorruptExternalBlob() {
    setup_servald
    setup_rhizome
-   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.external_blobs 1
+   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.max_blob_size 0
    echo "A test file" >file1
    executeOk_servald rhizome add file $SIDB1 file1 file1.manifest
    extract_manifest_id manifestid file1.manifest
diff --git a/tests/rhizomeprotocol b/tests/rhizomeprotocol
index bf025861..7c55c388 100755
--- a/tests/rhizomeprotocol
+++ b/tests/rhizomeprotocol
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ setup_FileTransferBigMDPExtBlob() {
    foreach_instance +A +B \
       executeOk_servald config \
          set rhizome.http.enable 0 \
-         set rhizome.external_blobs 1 \
+         set rhizome.max_blob_size 0 \
 	 set debug.externalblobs 1
    setup_bigfile_common
 }
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ setup_FileTransferBigHTTPExtBlob() {
    foreach_instance +A +B \
       executeOk_servald config \
          set rhizome.mdp.enable 0 \
-         set rhizome.external_blobs 1 \
+         set rhizome.max_blob_size 0 \
 	 set debug.externalblobs 1
    setup_bigfile_common
 }
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ setup_FileTransferMultiMDPExtBlob() {
    foreach_instance +A +B +C +D +E \
       executeOk_servald config \
          set rhizome.http.enable 0 \
-         set rhizome.external_blobs 1 \
+         set rhizome.max_blob_size 0 \
 	 set debug.externalblobs 1
    setup_multitransfer_common
 }
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ setup_FileTransferMultiHTTPExtBlob() {
    foreach_instance +A +B +C +D +E \
       executeOk_servald config \
          set rhizome.mdp.enable 0 \
-         set rhizome.external_blobs 1 \
+         set rhizome.max_blob_size 0 \
 	 set debug.externalblobs 1
    setup_multitransfer_common
 }
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ doc_CorruptPayload="A corrupted payload should be re-fetched"
 setup_CorruptPayload() {
    setup_common
    set_instance +A
-   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.external_blobs 1
+   executeOk_servald config set rhizome.max_blob_size 0
    rhizome_add_file file1 1024
    create_file file2 1024
    start_servald_instances +A +B