diff --git a/web-app/packages/admin-lib/src/modules/admin/views/ProjectVersionView.vue b/web-app/packages/admin-lib/src/modules/admin/views/ProjectVersionView.vue
index f5fea30e..ae739a43 100644
--- a/web-app/packages/admin-lib/src/modules/admin/views/ProjectVersionView.vue
+++ b/web-app/packages/admin-lib/src/modules/admin/views/ProjectVersionView.vue
@@ -134,10 +134,9 @@ watch(
 
 function download() {
   const url = ProjectApi.constructDownloadProjectVersionUrl(
-    project.value?.namespace,
-    project.value?.name,
+    project.value?.id,
     versionId.value
   )
-  window.location.href = url
+  projectStore.downloadArchive({ url, versionId: versionId.value })
 }
 </script>
diff --git a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/DownloadProgress.vue b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/DownloadProgress.vue
index 61f99d48..ca2492dc 100644
--- a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/DownloadProgress.vue
+++ b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/DownloadProgress.vue
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ import { useProjectStore } from '@/modules/project/store'
 export default defineComponent({
   name: 'DownloadProgress',
   computed: {
-    ...mapState(useProjectStore, ['project', 'projectDownloading'])
+    ...mapState(useProjectStore, [
+      'project',
+      'projectDownloading',
+      'projectDownloadingVersion'
+    ])
   },
   methods: {
     ...mapActions(useProjectStore, ['cancelDownloadArchive']),
@@ -30,8 +34,12 @@ export default defineComponent({
       this.$toast.add({
         group: 'download-progress',
         severity: 'info',
-        summary: `Preparing archive`,
-        detail: `Your project ${this.project?.name} is being prepared for download.`,
+        summary: `Preparing to download your project ${
+          this.projectDownloadingVersion
+            ? `(version ${this.projectDownloadingVersion})`
+            : ''
+        }`,
+        detail: `Your download will begin automatically once it's ready. Please keep this window open.`,
         life: undefined
       })
     },
diff --git a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/ProjectVersionsTable.vue b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/ProjectVersionsTable.vue
index abac33cd..40d3eed5 100644
--- a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/ProjectVersionsTable.vue
+++ b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/ProjectVersionsTable.vue
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ const downloadClick = (item: ProjectVersionsTableItem) => {
     url: ProjectApi.constructDownloadProjectVersionUrl(
       project.value.id,
       item.name
-    )
+    ),
+    versionId: item.name
   })
 }
 
diff --git a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/VersionDetailSidebar.vue b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/VersionDetailSidebar.vue
index 51ec1002..503f7746 100644
--- a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/VersionDetailSidebar.vue
+++ b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/components/VersionDetailSidebar.vue
@@ -83,13 +83,6 @@ export default defineComponent({
   },
   computed: {
     ...mapState(useProjectStore, ['project', 'versions']),
-    downloadUrl() {
-      return ProjectApi.constructDownloadProjectVersionUrl(
-        this.project.namespace,
-        this.project.name,
-        this.queryId
-      )
-    },
     queryId(): string {
       return this.$route.query.version_id as string
     },
@@ -120,6 +113,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
   },
   methods: {
     ...mapActions(useNotificationStore, ['error']),
+    ...mapActions(useProjectStore, ['downloadArchive']),
     async getVersion() {
       try {
         const response = await ProjectApi.getProjectVersion(
@@ -134,7 +128,11 @@ export default defineComponent({
       }
     },
     downloadVersion() {
-      window.location.href = this.downloadUrl
+      const url = ProjectApi.constructDownloadProjectVersionUrl(
+        this.project.id,
+        this.queryId
+      )
+      this.downloadArchive({ url, versionId: this.queryId })
     }
   }
 })
diff --git a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/store.ts b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/store.ts
index 401c264d..5cf79fb2 100644
--- a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/store.ts
+++ b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/store.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import keyBy from 'lodash/keyBy'
 import omit from 'lodash/omit'
 import { defineStore, getActivePinia } from 'pinia'
 
-import { DropdownOption, errorUtils, permissionUtils } from '@/common'
+import { DropdownOption, permissionUtils } from '@/common'
 import { getErrorMessage } from '@/common/error_utils'
 import { waitCursor } from '@/common/html_utils'
 import { filesDiff } from '@/common/mergin_utils'
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export interface ProjectState {
   versionsChangesetLoading: boolean
   collaborators: ProjectCollaborator[]
   projectDownloading: boolean
+  projectDownloadingVersion: string
 }
 
 export const useProjectStore = defineStore('projectModule', {
@@ -106,7 +107,8 @@ export const useProjectStore = defineStore('projectModule', {
     availableRoles: permissionUtils.getProjectRoleNameValues(),
     versionsChangesetLoading: false,
     collaborators: [],
-    projectDownloading: false
+    projectDownloading: false,
+    projectDownloadingVersion: null
   }),
 
   getters: {
@@ -708,12 +710,14 @@ export const useProjectStore = defineStore('projectModule', {
       const notificationStore = useNotificationStore()
       this.cancelDownloadArchive()
       this.projectDownloading = true
+      if (payload.versionId) {
+        this.projectDownloadingVersion = payload.versionId
+      }
+
       const errorMessage =
         'Failed to download project archive. Please try again later.'
       const exceedMessage =
         'It seems like preparing your ZIP file is taking longer than expected. Please try again in a little while to download your file.'
-      const fileTooLargeMessage =
-        'The requested archive is too large to download. Please use direct download with python client or plugin instead.'
 
       const delays = [...Array(3).fill(1000), ...Array(3).fill(3000), 5000]
       let retryCount = 0
@@ -767,6 +771,7 @@ export const useProjectStore = defineStore('projectModule', {
         downloadArchiveTimeout = null
       }
       this.projectDownloading = false
+      this.projectDownloadingVersion = null
     },
 
     constructDownloadProjectUrl(payload: { projectId: string }) {
diff --git a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/types.ts b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/types.ts
index 2e3ca0f2..844e776c 100644
--- a/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/types.ts
+++ b/web-app/packages/lib/src/modules/project/types.ts
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ export interface UpdatePublicFlagParams {
 
 export interface DownloadPayload {
   url: string
+  versionId?: string
 }
 
 export interface FetchProjectVersionsPayload {