diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/full/field-components/file-section/full-file-section.component.html b/src/app/+item-page/full/field-components/file-section/full-file-section.component.html
index b8ab9bdb41..7c1719eb82 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/full/field-components/file-section/full-file-section.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/full/field-components/file-section/full-file-section.component.html
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@
             </dl>
         </div>
         <div class="col-2">
-            <a [href]="file._links.content.href" [download]="file.name">
+            <ds-file-download-link [href]="file._links.content.href" [download]="file.name">
                 {{"item.page.filesection.download" | translate}}
-            </a>
+            </ds-file-download-link>
         </div>
     </div>
 </ds-metadata-field-wrapper>
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/simple/field-components/file-section/file-section.component.html b/src/app/+item-page/simple/field-components/file-section/file-section.component.html
index 6533322e03..17e4a795e7 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/simple/field-components/file-section/file-section.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/simple/field-components/file-section/file-section.component.html
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 <ng-container *ngVar="(bitstreams$ | async) as bitstreams">
   <ds-metadata-field-wrapper *ngIf="bitstreams?.length > 0" [label]="label | translate">
     <div class="file-section">
-      <a *ngFor="let file of bitstreams; let last=last;" [href]="file?._links.content.href" [download]="file?.name">
+      <ds-file-download-link *ngFor="let file of bitstreams; let last=last;" [href]="file?._links.content.href" [download]="file?.name">
         <span>{{file?.name}}</span>
         <span>({{(file?.sizeBytes) | dsFileSize }})</span>
         <span *ngIf="!last" innerHTML="{{separator}}"></span>
-      </a>
+      </ds-file-download-link>
     </div>
   </ds-metadata-field-wrapper>
 </ng-container>
diff --git a/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.html b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06624c8b40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.html
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<a *ngIf="!(isAuthenticated$ | async)" [href]="href" [download]="download"><ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="content"></ng-container></a>
+<a *ngIf="(isAuthenticated$ | async)" [href]="href" [download]="download" (click)="downloadFile()"><ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="content"></ng-container></a>
+
+<ng-template #content>
+  <ng-content></ng-content>
+</ng-template>
diff --git a/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.scss b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e1999816b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { async, ComponentFixture, TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
+
+import { FileDownloadLinkComponent } from './file-download-link.component';
+
+describe('FileDownloadLinkComponent', () => {
+  let component: FileDownloadLinkComponent;
+  let fixture: ComponentFixture<FileDownloadLinkComponent>;
+
+  beforeEach(async(() => {
+    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+      declarations: [ FileDownloadLinkComponent ]
+    })
+    .compileComponents();
+  }));
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    fixture = TestBed.createComponent(FileDownloadLinkComponent);
+    component = fixture.componentInstance;
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+  });
+
+  it('should create', () => {
+    expect(component).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.ts b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9df7c191ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/shared/file-download-link/file-download-link.component.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { Component, Input, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
+import { FileService } from '../../core/shared/file.service';
+import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
+import { AuthService } from '../../core/auth/auth.service';
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'ds-file-download-link',
+  templateUrl: './file-download-link.component.html',
+  styleUrls: ['./file-download-link.component.scss']
+})
+/**
+ * Component displaying a download link
+ * When the user is authenticated, a short-lived token retrieved from the REST API is added to the download link,
+ * ensuring the user is authorized to download the file.
+ */
+export class FileDownloadLinkComponent implements OnInit {
+  /**
+   * Href to link to
+   */
+  @Input() href: string;
+
+  /**
+   * Optional file name for the download
+   */
+  @Input() download: string;
+
+  /**
+   * Whether or not the current user is authenticated
+   */
+  isAuthenticated$: Observable<boolean>;
+
+  constructor(private fileService: FileService,
+              private authService: AuthService) { }
+
+  ngOnInit() {
+    this.isAuthenticated$ = this.authService.isAuthenticated();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Start a download of the file
+   * Return false to ensure the original href is displayed when the user hovers over the link
+   */
+  downloadFile(): boolean {
+    this.fileService.downloadFile(this.href);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/app/shared/shared.module.ts b/src/app/shared/shared.module.ts
index 67d7db5c5d..09d090406a 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/shared.module.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/shared.module.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ import { ResourcePolicyTargetResolver } from './resource-policies/resolvers/reso
 import { ResourcePolicyResolver } from './resource-policies/resolvers/resource-policy.resolver';
 import { EpersonSearchBoxComponent } from './resource-policies/form/eperson-group-list/eperson-search-box/eperson-search-box.component';
 import { GroupSearchBoxComponent } from './resource-policies/form/eperson-group-list/group-search-box/group-search-box.component';
+import { FileDownloadLinkComponent } from './file-download-link/file-download-link.component';
 
 const MODULES = [
   // Do NOT include UniversalModule, HttpModule, or JsonpModule here
@@ -386,7 +387,8 @@ const COMPONENTS = [
   ResourcePolicyFormComponent,
   EpersonGroupListComponent,
   EpersonSearchBoxComponent,
-  GroupSearchBoxComponent
+  GroupSearchBoxComponent,
+  FileDownloadLinkComponent,
 ];
 
 const ENTRY_COMPONENTS = [
@@ -459,7 +461,8 @@ const ENTRY_COMPONENTS = [
   ClaimedTaskActionsApproveComponent,
   ClaimedTaskActionsRejectComponent,
   ClaimedTaskActionsReturnToPoolComponent,
-  ClaimedTaskActionsEditMetadataComponent
+  ClaimedTaskActionsEditMetadataComponent,
+  FileDownloadLinkComponent,
 ];
 
 const SHARED_ITEM_PAGE_COMPONENTS = [