diff --git a/hawser/client.go b/hawser/client.go
index 42e16abb..5fac15b2 100644
--- a/hawser/client.go
+++ b/hawser/client.go
@@ -66,12 +66,13 @@ func Download(oidPath string) (io.ReadCloser, int64, *WrappedError) {
 		return nil, 0, wErr
 	}
 
-	if ok, wErr := validateMediaHeader(contentType, res.Body); !ok {
+	ok, headerSize, wErr := validateMediaHeader(contentType, res.Body)
+	if !ok {
 		setErrorResponseContext(wErr, res)
 		return nil, 0, wErr
 	}
 
-	return res.Body, res.ContentLength, nil
+	return res.Body, res.ContentLength - int64(headerSize), nil
 }
 
 func Upload(oidPath, filename string, cb CopyCallback) *WrappedError {
@@ -302,32 +303,35 @@ func callPost(filehash, filename string) (*linkMeta, int, error) {
 	return nil, res.StatusCode, nil
 }
 
-func validateMediaHeader(contentType string, reader io.Reader) (bool, *WrappedError) {
+func validateMediaHeader(contentType string, reader io.Reader) (bool, int, *WrappedError) {
 	mediaType, params, err := mime.ParseMediaType(contentType)
+	var headerSize int
+
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, Errorf(err, "Invalid Media Type: %s", contentType)
+		return false, headerSize, Errorf(err, "Invalid Media Type: %s", contentType)
 	}
 
 	if mediaType == gitMediaType {
 
 		givenHeader, ok := params["header"]
 		if !ok {
-			return false, Error(fmt.Errorf("Missing Git Media header in %s", contentType))
+			return false, headerSize, Error(fmt.Errorf("Missing Git Media header in %s", contentType))
 		}
 
 		fullGivenHeader := "--" + givenHeader + "\n"
+		headerSize = len(fullGivenHeader)
 
-		header := make([]byte, len(fullGivenHeader))
+		header := make([]byte, headerSize)
 		_, err = io.ReadAtLeast(reader, header, len(fullGivenHeader))
 		if err != nil {
-			return false, Errorf(err, "Error reading response body.")
+			return false, headerSize, Errorf(err, "Error reading response body.")
 		}
 
 		if string(header) != fullGivenHeader {
-			return false, Error(fmt.Errorf("Invalid header: %s expected, got %s", fullGivenHeader, header))
+			return false, headerSize, Error(fmt.Errorf("Invalid header: %s expected, got %s", fullGivenHeader, header))
 		}
 	}
-	return true, nil
+	return true, headerSize, nil
 }
 
 func doRequest(req *http.Request, creds Creds) (*http.Response, *WrappedError) {
diff --git a/hawser/client_legacy_test.go b/hawser/client_legacy_test.go
index 09a96c86..3b846942 100644
--- a/hawser/client_legacy_test.go
+++ b/hawser/client_legacy_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,47 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+func TestDownloadWithMediaHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+	server := httptest.NewServer(mux)
+	tmp := tempdir(t)
+	defer server.Close()
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmp)
+
+	mux.HandleFunc("/media/objects/oid", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != "GET" {
+			w.WriteHeader(405)
+			return
+		}
+
+		head := w.Header()
+		head.Set("Content-Type", "application/vnd.git-media; header=download-header")
+		head.Set("Content-Length", "22")
+		w.WriteHeader(200)
+		w.Write([]byte("--download-header\ntest"))
+	})
+
+	Config.SetConfig("hawser.url", server.URL+"/media")
+	reader, size, wErr := Download("whatever/oid")
+	if wErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", wErr)
+	}
+	defer reader.Close()
+
+	if size != 4 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected size: %d", size)
+	}
+
+	by, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if body := string(by); body != "test" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected body: %s", body)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPut(t *testing.T) {
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	server := httptest.NewServer(mux)