diff --git a/crates/engine/src/settings/session_settings.rs b/crates/engine/src/settings/session_settings.rs
index a4e800da6..609ad5987 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/settings/session_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/settings/session_settings.rs
@@ -84,11 +84,7 @@ impl Session {
     /// re-apply the cache budgets when the reading changes them. Returns the effective budgets.
     /// The disk cache's free disk space is read the same way (it keeps a reserve free).
     pub fn memory_tick(&mut self) -> crate::prefs::CacheBudgets {
-        if let Some(dc) = &self.disk_cache {
-            dc.set_disk_space(self.disk_watch.latest());
-            let folder = dc.folder().to_path_buf();
-            self.disk_watch.poll_with("ec-disk-space", move || crate::sysinfo::disk_space(&folder));
-        }
+        self.poll_disk_space();
         let before = self.prefs.cache_budgets(self.sys_memory);
         self.sys_memory = self.memory_watch.latest().or(self.sys_memory);
         self.memory_watch.poll();
@@ -104,6 +100,19 @@ impl Session {
         after
     }
 
+    /// Read the disk cache's free disk space in the background and apply it there (the reserve
+    /// it keeps free): the free space and the cache's size are taken at the same moment, and the
+    /// reader holds its own cache, so a reading never reaches another folder's.
+    fn poll_disk_space(&mut self) {
+        if let Some(dc) = &self.disk_cache {
+            let dc = dc.clone();
+            self.disk_watch.poll_with("ec-disk-space", move || {
+                dc.set_disk_space(crate::sysinfo::disk_space(dc.folder()));
+                Some(())
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Apply Settings ▸ Media & Disk Cache ▸ Disk Cache: open (or close) the persistent cache
     /// and attach it to the layer cache. Without a folder setting the platform cache folder is
     /// used, but only by frontends with a settings store (headless sessions stay off disk).
@@ -150,6 +159,8 @@ impl Session {
             },
         };
         self.disk_cache = Some(dc.clone());
+        // The reserve applies from the start (a new folder's watcher is idle).
+        self.poll_disk_space();
         let salt = self.refresh_disk_salt(true).unwrap_or_default();
         self.layer_cache.set_disk(Some((dc.clone(), salt)));
         // Roto Brush / Object Matte segmentations persist there too (held weakly: switching the
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/system/sysinfo.rs b/crates/engine/src/system/sysinfo.rs
index c02e68773..b0bf16231 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/system/sysinfo.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/system/sysinfo.rs
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ impl<T> Default for Watch<T> {
 
 /// The system's memory ([`memory`]).
 pub type MemoryWatch = Watch<SysMemory>;
-/// The disk cache's disk: `(total, available)` bytes ([`disk_space`]).
-pub type DiskWatch = Watch<(u64, u64)>;
+/// The disk cache's free-space reading ([`disk_space`]): the reader applies it to its cache
+/// itself, so only the busy guard is used.
+pub type DiskWatch = Watch<()>;
 
 impl<T: Copy + Send + 'static> Watch<T> {
     /// Start a new reading in the background on a thread called `name` (no threads on the web:
diff --git a/crates/render/src/disk_cache.rs b/crates/render/src/disk_cache.rs
index 44a53f8d9..ca5660a67 100644
--- a/crates/render/src/disk_cache.rs
+++ b/crates/render/src/disk_cache.rs
@@ -320,10 +320,12 @@ impl DiskCache {
             dropped: AtomicU64::new(0),
             failed: AtomicU64::new(0),
             tmp_counter: AtomicU64::new(0),
-            queue: Arc::new((Mutex::new(Queue { jobs: Default::default(), busy: false }), Condvar::new())),
+            queue: Arc::new((Mutex::new(Queue { jobs: Default::default(), busy: cfg!(not(target_arch = "wasm32")) }), Condvar::new())),
             min_layer_ms: AtomicU64::new(30),
         });
         dc.rescan();
+        // Shrinking a large cache deletes many files: the writer thread does it.
+        #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
         dc.evict();
         #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
         {
@@ -644,6 +646,15 @@ impl DiskCache {
 #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
 fn writer(dc: std::sync::Weak<DiskCache>, q: Arc<(Mutex<Queue>, Condvar)>) {
     let (m, cv) = &*q;
+    // The eviction at open (a lower limit than the folder holds), off the opening thread;
+    // `busy` starts set, so `flush` waits for it.
+    if let Some(cache) = dc.upgrade() {
+        cache.evict();
+    }
+    if let Ok(mut g) = m.lock() {
+        g.busy = false;
+    }
+    cv.notify_all();
     loop {
         let job = {
             let Ok(mut g) = m.lock() else { return };