diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index 0471d4d4f..a88a53d40 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -63,10 +63,10 @@ function downloadFile(url, filename, conflictAction, callback) {
 }
 function onMessage(message, sender, callback) {
     switch (message.action) {
-        case 'downloadFile':
+        case 'downloadFileBlob':
             // direct URL download through Chrome API might be prohibited (e.g: Pixiv)
             // workaround:
-            // 1. obtain ArrayBuffer from XHR request (GET URL) 
+            // 1. obtain ArrayBuffer from XHR request (GET URL)
             // 2. create Blob from ArrayBuffer
             // 3. download Blob URL through Chrome API
             if (options.enableDownloads) {
@@ -84,6 +84,39 @@ function onMessage(message, sender, callback) {
                     }
                 });
             }
+        case 'downloadFile':
+
+            function onChanged(delta) {
+                if (!delta) return;
+                if (delta.id != currentId) return;
+                if (delta.state && delta.state.current !== 'in_progress') {
+                    chrome.downloads.onChanged.removeListener(onChanged);
+                    // call callback only if download failed
+                    if (delta.state.current !== 'complete') {
+                        callback();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (options.enableDownloads) {
+                var currentId;
+                chrome.downloads.onChanged.addListener(onChanged);
+                chrome.downloads.download({url: message.url, filename: message.filename, conflictAction: message.conflictAction, saveAs: false}, id => { currentId = id });
+                return true;
+            } else {
+                chrome.permissions.request({
+                    permissions: ['downloads']
+                }, function (granted) {
+                    if (granted) {
+                        var currentId;
+                        chrome.downloads.onChanged.addListener(onChanged);
+                        chrome.downloads.download({url: message.url, filename: message.filename, conflictAction: message.conflictAction, saveAs: false}, id => { currentId = id });
+                        return true;
+                    } else {
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                });
+            }
         case 'ajaxGet':
             ajaxRequest({url:message.url, response:message.response, method:'GET', headers:message.headers}, callback);
             return true;
diff --git a/js/hoverzoom.js b/js/hoverzoom.js
index 0d5c2752a..2cfb30a82 100644
--- a/js/hoverzoom.js
+++ b/js/hoverzoom.js
@@ -2799,12 +2799,18 @@ var hoverZoom = {
                 cLog('filename: ' + filename);
             }
 
-            chrome.runtime.sendMessage({
-                action: 'downloadFile',
-                url: url,
-                filename: filename,
-                conflictAction: 'uniquify'
-            }, callback);
+            // 1st attempt to download file (Chrome API)
+            chrome.runtime.sendMessage({action:'downloadFile',
+                                        url:url,
+                                        filename:filename,
+                                        conflictAction:'uniquify'},
+                                        function() {
+                                            // 2nd attempt (blob + Chrome API)
+                                            chrome.runtime.sendMessage({action:'downloadFileBlob',
+                                                                        url:url,
+                                                                        filename:filename,
+                                                                        conflictAction:'uniquify'});
+                                        });
         }
 
         // 4 types of media can be saved to disk: image, video, audio, playlist