diff --git a/config/locales/server.en.yml b/config/locales/server.en.yml
index 1b1a508e8c7..a2ce27259b3 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.en.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ en:
   is_reserved: "is reserved"
 
   purge_reason: "Automatically deleted due to being old and unverified"
+  disable_remote_images_download_reason: "Remote images download was disabled because there wasn't enough disk space available."
 
   errors:
     messages:
diff --git a/lib/cooked_post_processor.rb b/lib/cooked_post_processor.rb
index d665e9c9080..719d4f79519 100644
--- a/lib/cooked_post_processor.rb
+++ b/lib/cooked_post_processor.rb
@@ -245,7 +245,12 @@ class CookedPostProcessor
   def disable_if_low_on_disk_space
     if available_disk_space < SiteSetting.download_remote_images_threshold
       SiteSetting.download_remote_images_to_local = false
-      SystemMessage.create(Discourse.site_contact_user, :download_remote_images_disabled)
+      # log the site setting change
+      reason = I18n.t("disable_remote_images_download_reason")
+      staff_action_logger = StaffActionLogger.new(Discourse.system_user)
+      staff_action_logger.log_site_setting_change("download_remote_images_to_local", true, false, { details: reason })
+      # also send a private message to the site contact user
+      SystemMessage.create_from_system_user(Discourse.site_contact_user, :download_remote_images_disabled)
       return true
     end
     false
diff --git a/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb b/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb
index cd96514adad..db768190052 100644
--- a/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb
@@ -346,7 +346,8 @@ describe CookedPostProcessor do
       before { SiteSetting.expects(:download_remote_images_threshold).returns(75) }
 
       it "disables download_remote_images_threshold and send a notification to the admin" do
-        SystemMessage.expects(:create).with(Discourse.site_contact_user, :download_remote_images_disabled).once
+        StaffActionLogger.any_instance.expects(:log_site_setting_change).once
+        SystemMessage.expects(:create_from_system_user).with(Discourse.site_contact_user, :download_remote_images_disabled).once
         cpp.disable_if_low_on_disk_space.should == true
         SiteSetting.download_remote_images_to_local.should == false
       end