diff --git a/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/mpconfigboard.h b/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/mpconfigboard.h
index 644807f78e60..3dfffa9d93a5 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/mpconfigboard.h
+++ b/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/mpconfigboard.h
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 #define MICROPY_HW_BOARD_NAME "ESP32 module"
 #define MICROPY_HW_MCU_NAME "ESP32"
+
+#define MICROPY_PY_BLUETOOTH (0)
+#define MICROPY_BLUETOOTH_NIMBLE (0)
+
diff --git a/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/sdkconfig b/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/sdkconfig
index 8bfa42cf93ec..78c44486d645 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/sdkconfig
+++ b/ports/esp32/boards/AIRGUARD/sdkconfig
@@ -10,3 +10,7 @@ CONFIG_I2C_ADDR_SSD1306=60
 CONFIG_PIN_NUM_SSD1306_RESET=-1
 
 CONFIG_DRIVER_FRAMEBUFFER_ENABLE=y
+
+# disabling bt saves a couple kb of ram
+CONFIG_BT_ENABLED=n
+CONFIG_BT_NIMBLE_ENABLED=n
diff --git a/ports/esp32/components/driver_framebuffer/png/deflate_reader.c b/ports/esp32/components/driver_framebuffer/png/deflate_reader.c
index 45770254b04f..4c745bb11e55 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/components/driver_framebuffer/png/deflate_reader.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/components/driver_framebuffer/png/deflate_reader.c
@@ -165,10 +165,15 @@ lib_deflate_init(struct lib_deflate_reader *dr, lib_reader_read_t read, void *re
 	dr->read_p = read_p;
 }
 
+//statically allocated deflate reader eases pressure on heap fragmentation
+//the size of this struct is quite large, which required large reserved dynamic
+//memory
+static struct lib_deflate_reader _reader;
+
 struct lib_deflate_reader *
 lib_deflate_new(lib_reader_read_t read, void *read_p)
 {
-	struct lib_deflate_reader *dr = (struct lib_deflate_reader *) malloc(sizeof(struct lib_deflate_reader));
+	struct lib_deflate_reader *dr = &_reader;
 	if (unlikely(dr == NULL))
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -526,5 +531,5 @@ lib_deflate_read(struct lib_deflate_reader *dr, uint8_t *buf, size_t buf_len)
 void
 lib_deflate_destroy(struct lib_deflate_reader *dr)
 {
-	free(dr);
+    //nothing to do for statically allocated deflate reader
 }
diff --git a/ports/esp32/main.c b/ports/esp32/main.c
index 66d772ddc121..75143ab2a0b5 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/main.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/main.c
@@ -142,11 +142,15 @@ void mp_task(void *pvParameter) {
     }
     #else
     // Allocate the uPy heap using malloc and get the largest available region
-    size_t mp_task_heap_size = heap_caps_get_largest_free_block(MALLOC_CAP_8BIT) - 36*1024;
+    size_t mp_task_heap_size = heap_caps_get_largest_free_block(MALLOC_CAP_8BIT);
     void *mp_task_heap = malloc(mp_task_heap_size);
     #endif
 
+    multi_heap_info_t info;
 soft_reset:
+    heap_caps_get_info(&info, MALLOC_CAP_8BIT);
+    printf("C heap: total=%d, free=%d, allocd=%d, mpy heap=%d bytes\n", info.total_free_bytes + info.total_allocated_bytes,
+           info.total_free_bytes, info.total_allocated_bytes, mp_task_heap_size);
     // initialise the stack pointer for the main thread
     mp_stack_set_top((void *)sp);
     mp_stack_set_limit(MP_TASK_STACK_SIZE - MP_TASK_STACK_LIMIT_MARGIN);