diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 4e10b73..a532046 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ go 1.18
 require (
 	github.com/cloudflare/cloudflare-go v0.40.0 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
+	github.com/dustin/go-humanize v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.6.0 // indirect
 	github.com/google/go-querystring v1.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pbnjay/memory v0.0.0-20210728143218-7b4eea64cf58 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index b6f9a99..334cf27 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0 h1:ZDRjVQ15GmhC3fiQ8ni8+OwkZQO4DARzQgrnXU1Liz8
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
+github.com/dustin/go-humanize v1.0.0 h1:VSnTsYCnlFHaM2/igO1h6X3HA71jcobQuxemgkq4zYo=
+github.com/dustin/go-humanize v1.0.0/go.mod h1:HtrtbFcZ19U5GC7JDqmcUSB87Iq5E25KnS6fMYU6eOk=
 github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.6.0 h1:BCTh4TKNUYmOmMUcQ3IipzF5prigylS7XXjEkfCHuOE=
 github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.6.0/go.mod h1:DCzpHaOWr8IXmIStZouvnhqoel9Qv2LBy8hT2VhHyBg=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.2/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
diff --git a/under.go b/under.go
index 0355fee..0a994a1 100644
--- a/under.go
+++ b/under.go
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"flag"
+	"github.com/cloudflare/cloudflare-go"
+	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
 	"github.com/pbnjay/memory"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-
-	cloudflare "github.com/cloudflare/cloudflare-go"
 )
 
 const securityLevel = "security_level"
@@ -81,6 +81,13 @@ func setSecurityLevel(value string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func mustSetSecurityLevel(value string) {
+	err := setSecurityLevel(value)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalln(err)
+	}
+}
+
 func currentLevel(api *cloudflare.API, zoneID string) (string, error) {
 	settings, err := api.ZoneSettings(context.TODO(), zoneID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -99,10 +106,15 @@ func main() {
 	cf := flag.String("config", "/etc/underattack.conf", "config file")
 	maxLoad := flag.Float64("maxLoad", 6.0, "max load before going into lockdown")
 	minLoad := flag.Float64("minLoad", 1.0, "turn down to medium if we reach this level")
+	minBytesStr := flag.String("minBytes", "1 GB", "go into lockdown if free memory falls below minBytes")
 	defaultSecurityLevel := flag.String("default_level", "medium", "sercurity level to set when load is low")
 	loadFile := flag.String("loadFile", "/proc/loadavg", "location of loadavg proc file")
 	flag.Parse()
-	err := loadConfig(*cf)
+	mb, err := humanize.ParseBytes(*minBytesStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalln(err)
+	}
+	err = loadConfig(*cf)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalln(err)
 	}
@@ -116,26 +128,26 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalln(err)
 	}
 	freeMem := memory.FreeMemory()
-	log.Println("freeMem", freeMem, "load", la)
-
+	log.Println("freeMem", humanize.Bytes(freeMem), "load", la)
+	if freeMem < mb {
+		log.Println("free memory is below", *minBytesStr)
+		mustSetSecurityLevel("under_attack")
+		return
+	}
 	err = checkDb(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("checkDb returned", err)
-		err = setSecurityLevel("under_attack")
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Println(err)
-		}
+		mustSetSecurityLevel("under_attack")
 		return
 	}
 
 	if la[0] >= *maxLoad {
 		log.Println("Load average is", la, "setting level to under_attack")
-		err = setSecurityLevel("under_attack")
+		mustSetSecurityLevel("under_attack")
+		return
 	}
 	if la[0] < *minLoad && la[1] < *minLoad && la[2] < *minLoad {
-		err = setSecurityLevel(*defaultSecurityLevel)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Println(err)
+		mustSetSecurityLevel(*defaultSecurityLevel)
+		return
 	}
 }