diff --git a/pkg/blobserver/handlers/upload.go b/pkg/blobserver/handlers/upload.go
index c1f688421..8245fa9fb 100644
--- a/pkg/blobserver/handlers/upload.go
+++ b/pkg/blobserver/handlers/upload.go
@@ -211,6 +211,9 @@ func handleMultiPartUpload(conn http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, blobRece
 			}
 		}
 
+		// TODO: wrap the mimePart reader in a LimitReader-ish
+		// wrapper, setting an error flag after reading
+		// blobserver.MaxBlobSize+1 bytes, then failing.
 		blobGot, err := blobReceiver.ReceiveBlob(ref, mimePart)
 		if err != nil {
 			addError(fmt.Sprintf("Error receiving blob %v: %v\n", ref, err))
@@ -254,7 +257,7 @@ func handleMultiPartUpload(conn http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, blobRece
 
 func commonUploadResponse(configer blobserver.Configer, req *http.Request) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	ret := make(map[string]interface{})
-	ret["maxUploadSize"] = 2147483647 // 2GB.. *shrug*. TODO: cut this down, standardize
+	ret["maxUploadSize"] = blobserver.MaxBlobSize
 	ret["uploadUrlExpirationSeconds"] = 86400
 
 	if configer == nil {
@@ -281,7 +284,7 @@ func commonUploadResponse(configer blobserver.Configer, req *http.Request) (map[
 }
 
 // NOTE: not part of the spec at present.  old.  might be re-introduced.
-var kPutPattern *regexp.Regexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^/camli/([a-z0-9]+)-([a-f0-9]+)$`)
+var kPutPattern = regexp.MustCompile(`^/camli/([a-z0-9]+)-([a-f0-9]+)$`)
 
 // NOTE: not part of the spec at present.  old.  might be re-introduced.
 func CreateNonStandardPutHandler(storage blobserver.Storage) func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request) {
diff --git a/pkg/blobserver/interface.go b/pkg/blobserver/interface.go
index 8918e1735..0e660668a 100644
--- a/pkg/blobserver/interface.go
+++ b/pkg/blobserver/interface.go
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ import (
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/blobref"
 )
 
+// MaxBlobSize is the size of a single blob in Camlistore.
+//
+// TODO: formalize this in the specs. This value of 16 MB is less than
+// App Engine's 32 MB request limit, much more than Venti's limit, and
+// much more than the ~64 KB & 256 KB chunks that the FileWriter make
+const MaxBlobSize = 16 << 20
+
 var ErrCorruptBlob = errors.New("corrupt blob; digest doesn't match")
 
 type BlobReceiver interface {
diff --git a/pkg/blobserver/localdisk/receive.go b/pkg/blobserver/localdisk/receive.go
index ed216d035..d3841fa89 100644
--- a/pkg/blobserver/localdisk/receive.go
+++ b/pkg/blobserver/localdisk/receive.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/blobref"
@@ -118,10 +117,6 @@ func (ds *DiskStorage) ReceiveBlob(blobRef *blobref.BlobRef, source io.Reader) (
 	blobGot = blobref.SizedBlobRef{BlobRef: blobRef, Size: stat.Size()}
 	success = true
 
-	if os.Getenv("CAMLI_HACK_OPEN_IMAGES") == "1" {
-		exec.Command("eog", fileName).Run()
-	}
-
 	hub := ds.GetBlobHub()
 	hub.NotifyBlobReceived(blobRef)
 	for _, mirror := range ds.mirrorPartitions {