diff --git a/service/src/routes/layers.js b/service/src/routes/layers.js
index 91cf0c02d..98cc38fb1 100644
--- a/service/src/routes/layers.js
+++ b/service/src/routes/layers.js
@@ -314,6 +314,25 @@ module.exports = function(app, security) {
     }
   );
 
+  // get layer file
+  app.get(
+    '/api/layers/:layerId/file',
+    access.authorize('READ_LAYER_ALL'),
+    function(req, res) {
+      if (!req.layer.file) {
+        return res.status(404).send('Layer does not have a file');
+      }
+      const stream = fs.createReadStream(
+        path.join(environment.layerBaseDirectory, req.layer.file.relativePath)
+      );
+      stream.on('open', () => {
+        res.type(req.layer.file.contentType);
+        res.header('Content-Length', req.layer.file.size);
+        stream.pipe(res);
+      });
+    }
+  );
+
   // get layer
   app.get('/api/layers/:layerId',
     access.authorize('READ_LAYER_ALL'),
diff --git a/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.component.js b/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.component.js
index 109943649..c265dad8e 100644
--- a/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.component.js
+++ b/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.component.js
@@ -96,10 +96,6 @@ class AdminLayerController {
     });
   }
 
-  isLayerFileBased() {
-    return this.layer && !!this.layer.file;
-  }
-
   $postLink() {
     this.uploadSnackbar = new snackbar.MDCSnackbar(
       document.querySelector('#upload-snackbar')
@@ -174,28 +170,37 @@ class AdminLayerController {
     });
   }
 
-  downloadLayer() {
-    this.Layer.download({ layerId: this.layer.id })
-      .$promise.then(this.handleLayerDownloadResponse.bind(this))
-      .catch(this.handleLayerDownloadError.bind(this));
+  isLayerFileBased() {
+    return this.layer && !!this.layer.file;
   }
 
-  handleLayerDownloadResponse(response) {
-    if (response && response.filePath) {
-      const desiredFileName = this.layer.fileName;
-      this.triggerFileDownload(response.filePath, desiredFileName);
-    } else {
-      this.handleJSONDownloadError(response);
-    }
+  getAccessToken() {
+    return this.LocalStorageService.getToken();
+  }
+
+  constructDownloadURL() {
+    const accessToken = this.getAccessToken();
+    return `/api/layers/${this.layer.id}/file?access_token=${accessToken}`;
   }
 
-  triggerFileDownload(filePath, fileName) {
+  createDownloadLink() {
+    const downloadURL = this.constructDownloadURL();
+
     const a = document.createElement('a');
-    a.href = filePath;
-    a.download = fileName;
+    a.href = downloadURL;
+    a.download = this.layer.file.name;
     a.style.display = 'none';
+
+    return a;
+  }
+
+  downloadLayer() {
+    const a = this.createDownloadLink();
+
     document.body.appendChild(a);
     a.click();
+
+    // Clean up
     document.body.removeChild(a);
   }
 
@@ -211,22 +216,6 @@ class AdminLayerController {
     }
   }
 
-  triggerFileDownload(response) {
-    const blob = new Blob([response], { type: response.type });
-    const url = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
-    const a = document.createElement('a');
-    a.style.display = 'none';
-    a.href = url;
-
-    const currentDate = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
-    const fileExtension = this.layer.fileType || 'ext';
-    a.download = `layer-${this.layer.id}-${currentDate}.${fileExtension}`;
-
-    document.body.appendChild(a);
-    a.click();
-    window.URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
-  }
-
   addUploadFile() {
     this.uploads.push({});
   }
diff --git a/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.download.component.js b/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.download.component.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 23e5293a1..000000000
--- a/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.download.component.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-class AdminLayerDownloadController {
-  constructor() {}
-
-  $onInit() {
-    this.layer = this.resolve.layer;
-  }
-
-  downloadLayer(layer) {
-    // Logic to handle downloading the layer goes here
-
-    // Once complete, close the modal.
-    this.modalInstance.close(layer);
-  }
-
-  cancel() {
-    this.modalInstance.dismiss('cancel');
-  }
-}
-
-AdminLayerDownloadController.$inject = [];
-
-export default {
-  template: require('./layer.download.html'),
-  bindings: {
-    resolve: '<',
-    modalInstance: '<'
-  },
-  controller: AdminLayerDownloadController
-};
diff --git a/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.html b/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.html
index 2b2084842..133aeb9d5 100644
--- a/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.html
+++ b/web-app/src/ng1/admin/layers/layer.html
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ <h2>
             <button class="btn btn-default pull-right" ng-click="$ctrl.editLayer($ctrl.layer)"><i class="fa fa-edit"></i> Edit</button>
           </h2>
           <h2>
-            <button ng-if="$ctrl.isLayerFileBased()" (click)="downloadLayer()">Download</button>
-          </h2>
+            <button ng-if="$ctrl.isLayerFileBased()" ng-click="$ctrl.downloadLayer()">Download</button>
         </div>
       </div>
       <hr>
diff --git a/web-app/src/ng1/factories/layer.resource.js b/web-app/src/ng1/factories/layer.resource.js
index a8f5a52ad..80cd40411 100644
--- a/web-app/src/ng1/factories/layer.resource.js
+++ b/web-app/src/ng1/factories/layer.resource.js
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ function Layer($resource) {
       },
       download: {
         method: 'GET',
-        url: '/api/layers/:layerId',
-        responseType: 'json'
+        url: '/api/layers/:layerId/file',
+        responseType: 'blob'
       },
     }
   );