diff --git a/cmd/spinifex/cmd/admin.go b/cmd/spinifex/cmd/admin.go
index 750a96662..9253cfaea 100644
--- a/cmd/spinifex/cmd/admin.go
+++ b/cmd/spinifex/cmd/admin.go
@@ -903,8 +903,10 @@ func runimagesRemoveCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("✅ Removed AMI %s (freed %s across %d objects).\n",
-		imageID, utils.HumanBytes(utils.SafeInt64ToUint64(res.BytesFreed)), res.ObjectsDeleted)
+	// BytesDeleted is logical: predastore reclaims the underlying disk space
+	// asynchronously via background compaction, not at delete time.
+	fmt.Printf("✅ Removed AMI %s (%d objects, %s marked for deletion; disk space is reclaimed by background compaction).\n",
+		imageID, res.ObjectsDeleted, utils.HumanBytes(utils.SafeInt64ToUint64(res.BytesDeleted)))
 }
 
 func printDependents(w io.Writer, d admin.Dependents) {
diff --git a/spinifex/admin/images_remove.go b/spinifex/admin/images_remove.go
index e772ad6be..7c0e72efb 100644
--- a/spinifex/admin/images_remove.go
+++ b/spinifex/admin/images_remove.go
@@ -29,9 +29,14 @@ type RemoveImageOpts struct {
 }
 
 // RemoveImageResult summarises what was deleted from object storage.
+//
+// BytesDeleted is the logical size of the deleted objects, not physical disk
+// space: predastore reclaims a deleted object's bytes asynchronously via
+// background compaction, so this count can be freed well after the call
+// returns, or briefly not at all if compaction is stalled.
 type RemoveImageResult struct {
 	ObjectsDeleted int
-	BytesFreed     int64
+	BytesDeleted   int64
 }
 
 // Dependents lists every resource that transitively backs an admin-imported
@@ -259,7 +264,7 @@ func RemoveSystemImage(store objectstore.ObjectStore, bucket string, opts Remove
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("delete config: %w", err)
 		}
 		result.ObjectsDeleted += n
-		result.BytesFreed += b
+		result.BytesDeleted += b
 	}
 
 	// Step 2: drop the rest of ami-<id>/ (chunks, WAL, checkpoints).
@@ -268,7 +273,7 @@ func RemoveSystemImage(store objectstore.ObjectStore, bucket string, opts Remove
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("delete ami prefix: %w", err)
 	}
 	result.ObjectsDeleted += n
-	result.BytesFreed += b
+	result.BytesDeleted += b
 
 	// Step 3: drop snap-<amiID>/ (the viperblock-internal snap checkpoint).
 	n, b, err = deletePrefix(store, bucket, SnapPrefix(opts.ImageID)+"/")
@@ -276,12 +281,12 @@ func RemoveSystemImage(store objectstore.ObjectStore, bucket string, opts Remove
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("delete snap prefix: %w", err)
 	}
 	result.ObjectsDeleted += n
-	result.BytesFreed += b
+	result.BytesDeleted += b
 
 	slog.Info("RemoveSystemImage completed",
 		"imageId", opts.ImageID,
 		"objectsDeleted", result.ObjectsDeleted,
-		"bytesFreed", result.BytesFreed,
+		"bytesDeleted", result.BytesDeleted,
 		"force", opts.Force,
 	)
 	return result, nil
diff --git a/spinifex/admin/images_remove_test.go b/spinifex/admin/images_remove_test.go
index 44bc8e96d..8f69cbb10 100644
--- a/spinifex/admin/images_remove_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/admin/images_remove_test.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func TestRemoveSystemImage_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	res, err := RemoveSystemImage(store, testRemoveBucket, RemoveImageOpts{ImageID: id})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, preview.AMIObjectCount+preview.SnapObjectCount, res.ObjectsDeleted)
-	assert.Equal(t, preview.AMIBytesTotal+preview.SnapBytesTotal, res.BytesFreed)
+	assert.Equal(t, preview.AMIBytesTotal+preview.SnapBytesTotal, res.BytesDeleted)
 	assert.Equal(t, 0, store.Count())
 }