diff --git a/pkg/instance/errors.go b/pkg/instance/errors.go
index a0487ec..1230ca7 100644
--- a/pkg/instance/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/instance/errors.go
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ var (
 	ErrApplyingFunctionToSidecar                 = errors.New("ApplyingFunctionToSidecar", "error applying function to sidecar '%s'")
 	ErrInitializingSidecar                       = errors.New("InitializingSidecar", "error initializing sidecar for instance '%s'")
 	ErrSidecarInstanceIsNil                      = errors.New("SidecarInstanceIsNil", "sidecar instance is nil for instance '%s'")
+	ErrFailedToCreatePersistentVolumeClaim       = errors.New("FailedToCreatePersistentVolumeClaim", "failed to create persistent volume claim")
 	ErrFailedToDeletePersistentVolumeClaim       = errors.New("FailedToDeletePersistentVolumeClaim", "failed to delete persistent volume claim")
 	ErrUpgradingImageNotAllowed                  = errors.New("UpgradingImageNotAllowed", "upgrading image is only allowed in state 'Started'. Current state is '%s'")
 	ErrAddingHostToProxyNotAllowed               = errors.New("AddingHostToProxyNotAllowed", "adding host to proxy is only allowed in state 'Started' and 'Preparing'. Current state is '%s'")
@@ -224,4 +225,7 @@ var (
 	ErrCannotCloneInstance                       = errors.New("CannotCloneInstance", "cannot clone instance '%s' in state '%s'")
 	ErrGettingIPNotAllowed                       = errors.New("GettingIPNotAllowed", "getting IP is allowed in state 'Started'. Current state is '%s'")
 	ErrPodIPNotReady                             = errors.New("PodIPNotReady", "pod IP is not ready for pod '%s'")
+	ErrFailedToGetFileSize                       = errors.New("FailedToGetFileSize", "failed to get file size")
+	ErrFileTooLargeCommitted                     = errors.New("FileTooLargeCommitted", "file '%s' is too large (max 1MiB) to add after instance is committed")
+	ErrTotalFilesSizeTooLarge                    = errors.New("TotalFilesSizeTooLarge", "total files size is too large (max 1MiB)")
 )
diff --git a/pkg/instance/storage.go b/pkg/instance/storage.go
index 4287a4d..18fad74 100644
--- a/pkg/instance/storage.go
+++ b/pkg/instance/storage.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/celestiaorg/knuu/pkg/names"
 )
 
+const maxTotalFilesBytes = 1024 * 1024
+
 type storage struct {
 	instance *Instance
 	volumes  []*k8s.Volume
@@ -51,6 +53,13 @@ func (s *storage) AddFile(src string, dest string, chown string) error {
 		s.instance.build.addFileToBuilder(src, dest, chown)
 		return nil
 	case StateCommitted, StateStopped:
+		srcInfo, err := os.Stat(src)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ErrFailedToGetFileSize.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		if srcInfo.Size() > maxTotalFilesBytes {
+			return ErrFileTooLargeCommitted.WithParams(src)
+		}
 		return s.addFileToInstance(dstPath, dest, chown)
 	}
 
@@ -274,6 +283,23 @@ func (s *storage) addFileToInstance(dstPath, dest, chown string) error {
 		return ErrSrcDoesNotExistOrIsDirectory.WithParams(dstPath).Wrap(err)
 	}
 
+	size := int64(0)
+	for _, file := range s.files {
+		srcInfo, err := os.Stat(file.Source)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ErrFailedToGetFileSize.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		size += srcInfo.Size()
+	}
+	srcInfo, err = os.Stat(dstPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ErrFailedToGetFileSize.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	size += srcInfo.Size()
+	if size > maxTotalFilesBytes {
+		return ErrTotalFilesSizeTooLarge.WithParams(dstPath)
+	}
+
 	file := s.instance.K8sClient.NewFile(dstPath, dest)
 	parts := strings.Split(chown, ":")
 	if len(parts) != 2 {
@@ -307,7 +333,10 @@ func (s *storage) deployVolume(ctx context.Context) error {
 	for _, volume := range s.volumes {
 		totalSize.Add(volume.Size)
 	}
-	s.instance.K8sClient.CreatePersistentVolumeClaim(ctx, s.instance.name, s.instance.execution.Labels(), totalSize)
+	err := s.instance.K8sClient.CreatePersistentVolumeClaim(ctx, s.instance.name, s.instance.execution.Labels(), totalSize)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ErrFailedToCreatePersistentVolumeClaim.Wrap(err)
+	}
 	s.instance.Logger.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
 		"total_size": totalSize.String(),
 		"instance":   s.instance.name,