diff --git a/lib/backend/constants.go b/lib/backend/constants.go
index 991e77c2..0417f952 100644
--- a/lib/backend/constants.go
+++ b/lib/backend/constants.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 // You may obtain a copy of the License at
 //
-//	   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 //
 // Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 // distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
@@ -24,4 +24,8 @@ const (
 	DefaultBufferGuard datasize.ByteSize = 10 * datasize.MB
 	DefaultConcurrency int               = 10
 	DefaultListMaxKeys int               = 250
+
+	// Name and namespace of an empty blob used to check readiness.
+	ReadinessNamespace string = "readiness/blob"
+	ReadinessName      string = "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855"
 )
diff --git a/lib/backend/manager.go b/lib/backend/manager.go
index de8bd533..1284793a 100644
--- a/lib/backend/manager.go
+++ b/lib/backend/manager.go
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
 package backend
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 
-	"github.com/uber/kraken/lib/backend/backenderrors"
 	"github.com/uber/kraken/utils/bandwidth"
 	"github.com/uber/kraken/utils/log"
 
@@ -29,12 +29,10 @@ import (
 var (
 	ErrNamespaceNotFound = errors.New("no matches for namespace")
 )
-const isReadyNamespace = "isReadyNamespace"
-const isReadyName = "38a03d499119bc417b8a6a016f2cb4540b9f9cc0c13e4da42a73867120d3e908"
 
 type backend struct {
-	regexp *regexp.Regexp
-	client Client
+	regexp    *regexp.Regexp
+	client    Client
 	mustReady bool
 }
 
@@ -44,8 +42,8 @@ func newBackend(namespace string, c Client, mustReady bool) (*backend, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("regexp: %s", err)
 	}
 	return &backend{
-		regexp: re,
-		client: c,
+		regexp:    re,
+		client:    c,
 		mustReady: mustReady,
 	}, nil
 }
@@ -148,13 +146,13 @@ func (m *Manager) GetClient(namespace string) (Client, error) {
 // IsReady returns whether the backends are ready (reachable).
 // A backend must be explicitly configured as required for readiness to be checked.
 func (m *Manager) IsReady() (bool, error) {
-	for _, b := range m.backends {
-		if !b.mustReady {
+	for _, backend := range m.backends {
+		if !backend.mustReady {
 			continue
 		}
-		_, err := b.client.Stat(isReadyNamespace, isReadyName)
-		if err != nil && err != backenderrors.ErrBlobNotFound {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("backend for namespace %s not ready: %s", b.regexp.String(), err)
+		err := backend.client.Download(ReadinessNamespace, ReadinessName, bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{}))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("backend for namespace %s not ready: %s", backend.regexp.String(), err)
 		}
 	}
 	return true, nil
diff --git a/lib/backend/manager_test.go b/lib/backend/manager_test.go
index 6a4ea89a..5319329b 100644
--- a/lib/backend/manager_test.go
+++ b/lib/backend/manager_test.go
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
 package backend_test
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/uber-go/tally"
-	"github.com/uber/kraken/core"
 	. "github.com/uber/kraken/lib/backend"
 	"github.com/uber/kraken/lib/backend/backenderrors"
 	"github.com/uber/kraken/lib/backend/namepath"
@@ -160,47 +160,44 @@ func TestManagerBandwidth(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestManagerIsReady(t *testing.T) {
-	const isReadyNamespace = "isReadyNamespace"
-	const isReadyName = "38a03d499119bc417b8a6a016f2cb4540b9f9cc0c13e4da42a73867120d3e908"
-
 	n1 := "foo/*"
 	n2 := "bar/*"
 
 	tests := []struct {
-		name         string
-		mustReady1   bool
-		mustReady2   bool
-		mockStat1Err error
-		mockStat2Err error
-		expectedRes  bool
-		expectedErr  error
+		name             string
+		mustReady1       bool
+		mustReady2       bool
+		mockDownload1Err error
+		mockDownload2Err error
+		expectedRes      bool
+		expectedErr      error
 	}{
 		{
-			name:         "both required, both pass (one with nil, one with NotFound)",
-			mustReady1:   true,
-			mustReady2:   true,
-			mockStat1Err: nil,
-			mockStat2Err: backenderrors.ErrBlobNotFound,
-			expectedRes:  true,
-			expectedErr:  nil,
+			name:             "both required, both pass",
+			mustReady1:       true,
+			mustReady2:       true,
+			mockDownload1Err: nil,
+			mockDownload2Err: nil,
+			expectedRes:      true,
+			expectedErr:      nil,
 		},
 		{
-			name:         "both required, only second fails",
-			mustReady1:   true,
-			mustReady2:   true,
-			mockStat1Err: nil,
-			mockStat2Err: errors.New("network error"),
-			expectedRes:  false,
-			expectedErr:  errors.New("backend for namespace bar/* not ready: network error"),
+			name:             "both required, only second fails",
+			mustReady1:       true,
+			mustReady2:       true,
+			mockDownload1Err: nil,
+			mockDownload2Err: errors.New("network error"),
+			expectedRes:      false,
+			expectedErr:      errors.New("backend for namespace bar/* not ready: network error"),
 		},
 		{
-			name:         "second required, only first fails",
-			mustReady1:   false,
-			mustReady2:   true,
-			mockStat1Err: errors.New("network error"),
-			mockStat2Err: backenderrors.ErrBlobNotFound,
-			expectedRes:  true,
-			expectedErr:  nil,
+			name:             "second required, only first fails",
+			mustReady1:       false,
+			mustReady2:       true,
+			mockDownload1Err: backenderrors.ErrBlobNotFound,
+			mockDownload2Err: nil,
+			expectedRes:      true,
+			expectedErr:      nil,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -215,17 +212,8 @@ func TestManagerIsReady(t *testing.T) {
 
 			m := ManagerFixture()
 
-			mockStat1 := &core.BlobInfo{}
-			mockStat2 := &core.BlobInfo{}
-			if tc.mockStat1Err != nil {
-				mockStat1 = nil
-			}
-			if tc.mockStat2Err != nil {
-				mockStat2 = nil
-			}
-
-			c1.EXPECT().Stat(isReadyNamespace, isReadyName).Return(mockStat1, tc.mockStat1Err).AnyTimes()
-			c2.EXPECT().Stat(isReadyNamespace, isReadyName).Return(mockStat2, tc.mockStat2Err).AnyTimes()
+			c1.EXPECT().Download(ReadinessNamespace, ReadinessName, bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})).Return(tc.mockDownload1Err).AnyTimes()
+			c2.EXPECT().Download(ReadinessNamespace, ReadinessName, bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})).Return(tc.mockDownload2Err).AnyTimes()
 
 			require.NoError(m.Register(n1, c1, tc.mustReady1))
 			require.NoError(m.Register(n2, c2, tc.mustReady2))