diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/blob_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/blob_controller.rb
index 173c6bcee53..be5822b2cd4 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/blob_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/blob_controller.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ class Projects::BlobController < Projects::ApplicationController
   end
 
   def show
+    @blob.override_max_size! if params[:override_max_size] == 'true'
+
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html do
         environment_params = @repository.branch_exists?(@ref) ? { ref: @ref } : { commit: @commit }
diff --git a/app/helpers/blob_helper.rb b/app/helpers/blob_helper.rb
index 7db9cf0ff01..00cf0ac96c9 100644
--- a/app/helpers/blob_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/blob_helper.rb
@@ -219,7 +219,13 @@ module BlobHelper
   def blob_render_error_reason(viewer, error)
     case error
     when :too_large
-      "it is larger than #{number_to_human_size(viewer.relevant_max_size)}"
+      max_size =
+        if viewer.absolutely_too_large?
+          viewer.absolute_max_size
+        elsif viewer.too_large?
+          viewer.max_size
+        end
+      "it is larger than #{number_to_human_size(max_size)}"
     when :server_side_but_stored_in_lfs
       "it is stored in LFS"
     end
@@ -232,7 +238,7 @@ module BlobHelper
       options << link_to('load it anyway', url_for(params.merge(viewer: viewer.type, override_max_size: true, format: nil)))
     end
 
-    if viewer.rich? && viewer.blob.rendered_as_text?(override_max_size: true)
+    if viewer.rich? && viewer.blob.rendered_as_text?
       options << link_to('view the source', '#', class: 'js-blob-viewer-switch-btn', data: { viewer: 'simple' })
     end
 
diff --git a/app/models/blob.rb b/app/models/blob.rb
index 65356f01cc2..dedf60ca14a 100644
--- a/app/models/blob.rb
+++ b/app/models/blob.rb
@@ -122,12 +122,17 @@ class Blob < SimpleDelegator
     @rich_viewer ||= rich_viewer_class&.new(self)
   end
 
-  def rendered_as_text?(override_max_size: false)
-    simple_viewer.is_a?(BlobViewer::Text) && !simple_viewer.render_error(override_max_size: override_max_size)
+  def rendered_as_text?(ignore_errors: true)
+    simple_viewer.is_a?(BlobViewer::Text) && (ignore_errors || simple_viewer.render_error.nil?)
   end
 
   def show_viewer_switcher?
-    simple_viewer.is_a?(BlobViewer::Text) && rich_viewer
+    rendered_as_text? && rich_viewer
+  end
+
+  def override_max_size!
+    simple_viewer&.override_max_size = true
+    rich_viewer&.override_max_size = true
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/app/models/blob_viewer/base.rb b/app/models/blob_viewer/base.rb
index 8e6919f1054..714a063933b 100644
--- a/app/models/blob_viewer/base.rb
+++ b/app/models/blob_viewer/base.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ module BlobViewer
     delegate :partial_path, :rich?, :simple?, :client_side?, :server_side?, :text_based?, to: :class
 
     attr_reader :blob
+    attr_accessor :override_max_size
 
     def initialize(blob)
       @blob = blob
@@ -38,20 +39,20 @@ module BlobViewer
       !extensions || extensions.include?(blob.extension)
     end
 
+    def too_large?
+      blob.raw_size > max_size
+    end
+
+    def absolutely_too_large?
+      blob.raw_size > absolute_max_size
+    end
+
     def can_override_max_size?
-      too_large? && !too_large?(override_max_size: true)
+      too_large? && !absolutely_too_large?
     end
 
-    def relevant_max_size
-      if too_large?(override_max_size: true)
-        absolute_max_size
-      elsif too_large?
-        max_size
-      end
-    end
-
-    def render_error(override_max_size: false)
-      if too_large?(override_max_size: override_max_size)
+    def render_error
+      if override_max_size ? absolutely_too_large? : too_large?
         :too_large
       elsif server_side_but_stored_in_lfs?
         :server_side_but_stored_in_lfs
@@ -66,14 +67,6 @@ module BlobViewer
 
     private
 
-    def too_large?(override_max_size: false)
-      if override_max_size
-        blob.raw_size > absolute_max_size
-      else
-        blob.raw_size > max_size
-      end
-    end
-
     def server_side_but_stored_in_lfs?
       server_side? && blob.valid_lfs_pointer?
     end
diff --git a/app/models/blob_viewer/download.rb b/app/models/blob_viewer/download.rb
index 8f293ea6008..dbd6f07dbc8 100644
--- a/app/models/blob_viewer/download.rb
+++ b/app/models/blob_viewer/download.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ module BlobViewer
     self.partial_name = 'download'
     self.text_based = false
 
-    def render_error(*)
+    def render_error
       nil
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/views/projects/blob/_header.html.haml b/app/views/projects/blob/_header.html.haml
index 19eca2984db..b89cd460455 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/blob/_header.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/blob/_header.html.haml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     = render 'projects/blob/viewer_switcher', blob: blob unless blame
 
     .btn-group{ role: "group" }<
-      = copy_blob_source_button(blob) if !blame && blob.rendered_as_text?(override_max_size: params[:override_max_size])
+      = copy_blob_source_button(blob) if !blame && blob.rendered_as_text?(ignore_errors: false)
       = open_raw_file_button(namespace_project_raw_path(@project.namespace, @project, @id))
       = view_on_environment_button(@commit.sha, @path, @environment) if @environment
 
diff --git a/app/views/projects/blob/_viewer.html.haml b/app/views/projects/blob/_viewer.html.haml
index e0cfe39d1ec..1c45c4a68ce 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/blob/_viewer.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/blob/_viewer.html.haml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 - hidden = local_assigns.fetch(:hidden, false)
-- render_error = viewer.render_error(override_max_size: params[:override_max_size])
+- render_error = viewer.render_error
 - load_asynchronously = local_assigns.fetch(:load_asynchronously, viewer.server_side?) && render_error.nil?
 
 - url = url_for(params.merge(viewer: viewer.type, format: :json)) if load_asynchronously