diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/cache/PendingReadsLimiter.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/cache/PendingReadsLimiter.java
index 5969b991cb50e..15573b59fb4ed 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/cache/PendingReadsLimiter.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/cache/PendingReadsLimiter.java
@@ -33,10 +33,21 @@ public class PendingReadsLimiter {
             .help("Estimated number of bytes for pending reads from storage")
             .register();
 
+    private static final Gauge PULSAR_ML_PENDING_READS_AVAILABLE_BUFFER_SIZE = Gauge
+            .build()
+            .name("pulsar_ml_pending_reads_available_buffer_size")
+            .help("Available space on the pending reads buffer")
+            .register();
+
     private final long maxPendingReadsBufferSize;
     private long remainingPendingRequestsBytes;
 
     public PendingReadsLimiter(long maxPendingReadsBufferSize) {
+        if (maxPendingReadsBufferSize <= 0) {
+            // set it to -1 in order to show in the metrics that the metric is not available
+            PULSAR_ML_PENDING_READS_BUFFER_SIZE.set(-1);
+            PULSAR_ML_PENDING_READS_AVAILABLE_BUFFER_SIZE.set(-1);
+        }
         this.maxPendingReadsBufferSize = maxPendingReadsBufferSize;
         this.remainingPendingRequestsBytes = maxPendingReadsBufferSize;
     }
@@ -69,9 +80,8 @@ Handle acquire(long permits, Handle current) {
                     if (remainingPendingRequestsBytes == 0) {
                         return new Handle(0, false, 1, System.currentTimeMillis());
                     }
-                    long needed = permits;
-                    if (remainingPendingRequestsBytes >= needed) {
-                        remainingPendingRequestsBytes -= needed;
+                    if (remainingPendingRequestsBytes >= permits) {
+                        remainingPendingRequestsBytes -= permits;
                         return new Handle(permits, true, 1, System.currentTimeMillis());
                     } else {
                         long possible = remainingPendingRequestsBytes;
@@ -116,6 +126,7 @@ void release(Handle handle) {
 
     private synchronized void updateMetrics() {
         PULSAR_ML_PENDING_READS_BUFFER_SIZE.set(maxPendingReadsBufferSize - remainingPendingRequestsBytes);
+        PULSAR_ML_PENDING_READS_AVAILABLE_BUFFER_SIZE.set(remainingPendingRequestsBytes);
     }
 
     public boolean isDisabled() {