diff --git a/server/routes/api/index.ts b/server/routes/api/index.ts
index fb93a8b4..4921507c 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/index.ts
+++ b/server/routes/api/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import express from 'express';
 import passport from 'passport';
+import rateLimit from 'express-rate-limit';
+
+import {contentTokenSchema} from '@shared/schema/api/torrents';
 
 import type {FloodSettings} from '@shared/types/FloodSettings';
 import type {HistorySnapshot} from '@shared/constants/historySnapshotTypes';
@@ -12,6 +15,7 @@ import clientRoutes from './client';
 import clientActivityStream from '../../middleware/clientActivityStream';
 import eventStream from '../../middleware/eventStream';
 import feedMonitorRoutes from './feed-monitor';
+import {getAuthToken, verifyToken} from '../../util/authUtil';
 import {getDirectoryList} from '../../util/fileUtil';
 import {getResponseFn} from '../../util/ajaxUtil';
 import torrentsRoutes from './torrents';
@@ -20,6 +24,51 @@ const router = express.Router();
 
 router.use('/auth', authRoutes);
 
+// Special routes that may bypass authentication when conditions matched
+
+/**
+ * GET /api/torrents/{hash}/contents/{indices}/data
+ * @summary Gets downloaded data of contents of a torrent. Allows unauthenticated
+ *          access if a valid content token is found in the query.
+ * @see torrents.ts
+ */
+router.get<{hash: string; indices: string}, unknown, unknown, {token: string}>(
+  '/torrents/:hash/contents/:indices/data',
+  rateLimit({
+    windowMs: 5 * 60 * 1000,
+    max: 60,
+  }),
+  async (req, _res, next) => {
+    const {token} = req.query;
+
+    if (typeof token === 'string' && token !== '') {
+      const payload = await verifyToken(token).catch(() => undefined);
+
+      if (payload != null) {
+        const parsedResult = contentTokenSchema.safeParse(payload);
+
+        if (parsedResult.success) {
+          const {username, hash: authorizedHash, indices: authorizedIndices, iat} = parsedResult.data;
+
+          if (
+            typeof username === 'string' &&
+            typeof authorizedHash === 'string' &&
+            typeof authorizedIndices === 'string'
+          ) {
+            const {hash: requestedHash, indices: requestedIndices} = req.params;
+
+            if (requestedHash === authorizedHash && requestedIndices === authorizedIndices) {
+              req.cookies = {jwt: getAuthToken(username, iat)};
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    next();
+  },
+);
+
 // All subsequent routes need authentication
 router.use('/', passport.authenticate('jwt', {session: false}), appendUserServices);
 
diff --git a/server/routes/api/torrents.ts b/server/routes/api/torrents.ts
index ac854adc..c54f7617 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/torrents.ts
+++ b/server/routes/api/torrents.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import tar, {Pack} from 'tar-fs';
 import type {
   AddTorrentByFileOptions,
   AddTorrentByURLOptions,
+  ContentToken,
   SetTorrentsTagsOptions,
 } from '@shared/schema/api/torrents';
 import type {
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ import {
 import {accessDeniedError, fileNotFoundError, isAllowedPath, sanitizePath} from '../../util/fileUtil';
 import {getResponseFn, validationError} from '../../util/ajaxUtil';
 import {getTempPath} from '../../models/TemporaryStorage';
+import {getToken} from '../../util/authUtil';
 
 const getDestination = async (
   services: Express.Request['services'],
@@ -670,7 +672,7 @@ router.patch<{hash: string}, unknown, SetTorrentContentsPropertiesOptions>('/:ha
  * @param {string} indices.path - 'all' or indices of selected contents separated by ','
  * @return {object} 200 - contents archived in .tar - application/x-tar
  */
-router.get(
+router.get<{hash: string; indices: string}, unknown, unknown, {token: string}>(
   '/:hash/contents/:indices/data',
   // This operation is resource-intensive
   // Limit each IP to 60 requests every 5 minutes
@@ -681,6 +683,17 @@ router.get(
   (req, res) => {
     const {hash, indices: stringIndices} = req.params;
 
+    if (req.user != null && req.query.token == null) {
+      res.redirect(
+        `?token=${getToken<ContentToken>({
+          username: req.user.username,
+          hash,
+          indices: stringIndices,
+        })}`,
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     const selectedTorrent = req.services?.torrentService.getTorrent(hash);
     if (!selectedTorrent) {
       res.status(404).json({error: 'Torrent not found.'});
diff --git a/server/util/authUtil.ts b/server/util/authUtil.ts
index 0f77de82..f8c9f996 100644
--- a/server/util/authUtil.ts
+++ b/server/util/authUtil.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import {CookieOptions} from 'express';
 import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
 
+import type {AuthToken} from '@shared/schema/Auth';
+
 import config from '../../config';
 
 const EXPIRATION_SECONDS = 60 * 60 * 24 * 7; // one week
@@ -11,12 +13,21 @@ export const getCookieOptions = (): CookieOptions => ({
   sameSite: 'strict',
 });
 
-export const getAuthToken = (username: string): string =>
-  jwt.sign({username}, config.secret, {
+export const getAuthToken = (username: string, iat?: number): string => {
+  const authTokenPayload: Partial<AuthToken> = {
+    username,
+  };
+
+  if (iat != null) {
+    authTokenPayload.iat = iat;
+  }
+
+  return jwt.sign(authTokenPayload, config.secret, {
     expiresIn: EXPIRATION_SECONDS,
   });
+};
 
-export const getToken = (payload: Record<string, unknown>) =>
+export const getToken = <T extends Record<string, unknown>>(payload: Omit<T, 'iat' | 'exp'>) =>
   jwt.sign(payload, config.secret, {
     expiresIn: EXPIRATION_SECONDS,
   });
diff --git a/shared/schema/api/torrents.ts b/shared/schema/api/torrents.ts
index 9238b0ef..c5b1e802 100644
--- a/shared/schema/api/torrents.ts
+++ b/shared/schema/api/torrents.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {array, boolean, object, record, string} from 'zod';
+import {array, boolean, number, object, record, string} from 'zod';
 import {noComma} from '../../util/regEx';
 
 import type {infer as zodInfer} from 'zod';
@@ -62,3 +62,16 @@ export const setTorrentsTagsSchema = object({
 });
 
 export type SetTorrentsTagsOptions = zodInfer<typeof setTorrentsTagsSchema>;
+
+// GET /api/torrents/{hash}/contents/{indices}/data
+export const contentTokenSchema = object({
+  username: string(),
+  hash: string(),
+  indices: string(),
+  // issued at
+  iat: number(),
+  // expiration
+  exp: number(),
+});
+
+export type ContentToken = zodInfer<typeof contentTokenSchema>;