diff --git a/tasmota/tasmota_xdrv_driver/xdrv_50_filesystem.ino b/tasmota/tasmota_xdrv_driver/xdrv_50_filesystem.ino
index db60d2e74..fc7ca39b8 100644
--- a/tasmota/tasmota_xdrv_driver/xdrv_50_filesystem.ino
+++ b/tasmota/tasmota_xdrv_driver/xdrv_50_filesystem.ino
@@ -306,6 +306,16 @@ bool TfsFileExists(const char *fname){
   return yes;
 }
 
+size_t TfsFileSize(const char *fname){
+  if (!ffs_type) { return 0; }
+
+  File file = ffsp->open(fname, "r");
+  if (!file) { return 0; }
+  size_t flen = file.size();
+  file.close();
+  return flen;
+}
+
 bool TfsSaveFile(const char *fname, const uint8_t *buf, uint32_t len) {
   if (!ffs_type) { return false; }
 #ifdef USE_WEBCAM
@@ -362,7 +372,6 @@ bool TfsInitFile(const char *fname, uint32_t len, uint8_t init_value) {
 
 bool TfsLoadFile(const char *fname, uint8_t *buf, uint32_t len) {
   if (!ffs_type) { return false; }
-  if (!TfsFileExists(fname)) { return false; }
 
   File file = ffsp->open(fname, "r");
   if (!file) {
@@ -371,15 +380,19 @@ bool TfsLoadFile(const char *fname, uint8_t *buf, uint32_t len) {
   }
 
   size_t flen = file.size();
-  if (len > flen){
-    len = flen;
-  }
-
+  if (len > flen) { len = flen; }           // Adjust requested length to smaller file length
   file.read(buf, len);
   file.close();
   return true;
 }
 
+String TfsLoadString(const char *fname) {
+  // Use a reasonable amount of stack space considering 4k/8k available on ESP8266/ESP32 and manageable string length
+  char buf[2048] = { 0 };                   // Prepare empty string of max 2047 characters on stack
+  TfsLoadFile(fname, (uint8_t*)buf, 2047);  // Leave last position as end of string ('\0')
+  return String(buf);                       // Received string or empty on error
+}
+
 bool TfsDeleteFile(const char *fname) {
   if (!ffs_type) { return false; }
 
@@ -825,7 +838,7 @@ void UfsListDir(char *path, uint8_t depth) {
           editpath[0]=0;
   #endif // GUI_TRASH_FILE
           ext_snprintf_P(npath, sizeof(npath), UFS_FORM_SDC_HREF, ppe, epe);
-          WSContentSend_P(UFS_FORM_SDC_DIRb, hiddable ? UFS_FORM_SDC_DIR_HIDDABLE : UFS_FORM_SDC_DIR_NORMAL, npath, epe, 
+          WSContentSend_P(UFS_FORM_SDC_DIRb, hiddable ? UFS_FORM_SDC_DIR_HIDDABLE : UFS_FORM_SDC_DIR_NORMAL, npath, epe,
                           HtmlEscape(name).c_str(), tstr.c_str(), entry.size(), delpath, editpath);
         }
         entry.close();
diff --git a/tasmota/tasmota_xnrg_energy/xnrg_29_modbus.ino b/tasmota/tasmota_xnrg_energy/xnrg_29_modbus.ino
index a95f65f8a..a98f94fe2 100644
--- a/tasmota/tasmota_xnrg_energy/xnrg_29_modbus.ino
+++ b/tasmota/tasmota_xnrg_energy/xnrg_29_modbus.ino
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@
 //#define ENERGY_MODBUS_DEBUG_SHOW
 
 #define ENERGY_MODBUS_FILE        "/modbus.json"       // Modbus parameter file name used by filesystem
-#define ENERGY_MODBUS_MAX_FSIZE   1024                 // Modbus parameter file max size
 
 const uint16_t nrg_mbs_reg_not_used = 0xFFFF;          // Odd number 65535 is unused register
 
@@ -482,15 +481,9 @@ bool EnergyModbusReadRegisters(void) {
   String modbus = "";
 
 #ifdef USE_UFILESYS
-  char *modbus_file = (char*)calloc(ENERGY_MODBUS_MAX_FSIZE, 1);
-  if (modbus_file) {
-    if (TfsLoadFile(ENERGY_MODBUS_FILE, (uint8_t*)modbus_file, ENERGY_MODBUS_MAX_FSIZE -1)) {
-      if (strlen(modbus_file) < ENERGY_MODBUS_MAX_FSIZE) {
-        modbus = modbus_file;
-        AddLog(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, PSTR("NRG: Loaded from File"));
-      }
-    }
-    free(modbus_file);
+  modbus = TfsLoadString(ENERGY_MODBUS_FILE);
+  if (modbus.length()) {
+    AddLog(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, PSTR("NRG: Loaded from File"));
   }
 #endif  // USE_UFILESYS
 
@@ -508,13 +501,12 @@ bool EnergyModbusReadRegisters(void) {
   }
 #endif  // USE_SCRIPT
 
-  if (!modbus.length()) { return false; }        // File not found
+  if (modbus.length() < 7) { return false; }     // File not found or Invalid JSON
+
 //    AddLog(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, PSTR("NRG: File '%s'"), modbus.c_str());
 
   const char* json = modbus.c_str();
   uint32_t len = strlen(json) +1;
-  if (len < 7) { return false; }                 // Invalid JSON
-
   char json_buffer[len];
   memcpy(json_buffer, json, len);                // Keep original safe
   JsonParser parser(json_buffer);