diff --git a/transfer_service/retrieve_executor.py b/transfer_service/retrieve_executor.py
index e4eba7d4b27296a59e685f2c99eca1cf1c0ba8b8..d86bb52558448107c40a958d0c9b32fe00cc6945 100644
--- a/transfer_service/retrieve_executor.py
+++ b/transfer_service/retrieve_executor.py
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ class RetrieveExecutor(TaskExecutor):
                 md5calc = Checksum()
                 if os.path.isdir(srcPath):    
                     for root, dirs, files in os.walk(srcPath, topdown = False):
+                        dirSize = os.stat(root).st_size
+                        self.totalSize += dirSize
                         for f in files:
                             fullPath = os.path.join(root, f)
                             if md5calc.fileIsValid(fullPath):                            
@@ -142,6 +144,7 @@ class RetrieveExecutor(TaskExecutor):
                                                "fileSize": fileSize, 
                                                "vospaceRootParent": vospacePath 
                                            }
+                                self.totalSize += fileSize
                                 self.fileList.append(fileInfo.copy())
                 else:
                     if md5calc.fileIsValid(srcPath):
@@ -153,14 +156,15 @@ class RetrieveExecutor(TaskExecutor):
                                        "fileSize": fileSize,
                                        "vospaceRootParent": vospacePath
                                    }
+                        self.totalSize += fileSize
                         self.fileList.append(fileInfo.copy())
-                
-                # debug block...    
-                #if os.path.exists("fileList.txt"):
-                #    os.remove("fileList.txt")
-                #fl = open("fileList.txt", 'w')
-                #fl.write(json.dumps(self.fileList, indent = 4))
-                #fl.close()
+            self.logger.info(f"Total size of files to retrieve: {self.totalSize} B")
+            # debug block...    
+            #if os.path.exists("fileList.txt"):
+            #    os.remove("fileList.txt")
+            #fl = open("fileList.txt", 'w')
+            #fl.write(json.dumps(self.fileList, indent = 4))
+            #fl.close()
         except Exception:
             self.logger.exception("FATAL: something went wrong while building the list of the files to be retrieved.")
             return False
@@ -179,7 +183,7 @@ class RetrieveExecutor(TaskExecutor):
                 blockSize = 0
             for fileInfo in self.fileList:
                 fileSize = fileInfo["fileSize"]
-                self.totalSize += fileSize
+                #self.totalSize += fileSize
                 # check if the file is larger than a block size
                 if fileSize > self.maxBlockSize:
                     # if the current block is not empty, "close" it, otherwise