diff --git a/src/api/updates.zig b/src/api/updates.zig
index a7748b2..2de1d0d 100644
--- a/src/api/updates.zig
+++ b/src/api/updates.zig
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ pub fn handleApplyUpdateRuntime(
     const new_bin_path = paths.binary(allocator, component, latest_tag) catch return serverError();
     defer allocator.free(new_bin_path);
 
-    downloader.download(allocator, asset.browser_download_url, new_bin_path) catch return .{
+    downloader.downloadIfMissing(allocator, asset.browser_download_url, new_bin_path) catch return .{
         .status = "502 Bad Gateway",
         .content_type = "application/json",
         .body = "{\"error\":\"failed to download latest binary\"}",
diff --git a/src/api/wizard.zig b/src/api/wizard.zig
index ceabc32..7f9c983 100644
--- a/src/api/wizard.zig
+++ b/src/api/wizard.zig
@@ -480,12 +480,7 @@ fn fetchLatestComponentBinary(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, component: []const u
     paths.ensureDirs() catch return null;
     const bin_path = paths.binary(allocator, component, release.value.tag_name) catch return null;
 
-    if (std_compat.fs.openFileAbsolute(bin_path, .{})) |f| {
-        f.close();
-        return bin_path;
-    } else |_| {}
-
-    downloader.download(allocator, asset.browser_download_url, bin_path) catch {
+    downloader.downloadIfMissing(allocator, asset.browser_download_url, bin_path) catch {
         allocator.free(bin_path);
         return null;
     };
diff --git a/src/installer/downloader.zig b/src/installer/downloader.zig
index 81d992a..9186b73 100644
--- a/src/installer/downloader.zig
+++ b/src/installer/downloader.zig
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ pub fn computeSha256(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, file_path: []const u8) ![64]u
 
 // ─── Download ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+pub fn fileExists(file_path: []const u8) bool {
+    const file = std_compat.fs.openFileAbsolute(file_path, .{}) catch return false;
+    file.close();
+    return true;
+}
+
 /// Download a file from `url` to `dest_path` using curl.
 ///
 /// Uses an atomic write pattern: downloads to `dest_path.tmp`, then renames
@@ -76,6 +82,12 @@ pub fn download(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, url: []const u8, dest_path: []cons
     }
 }
 
+/// Download a file only when `dest_path` is not already present.
+pub fn downloadIfMissing(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, url: []const u8, dest_path: []const u8) !void {
+    if (fileExists(dest_path)) return;
+    try download(allocator, url, dest_path);
+}
+
 /// Download a file and verify its SHA256 checksum.
 ///
 /// If the checksum does not match `expected_sha256`, the downloaded file is
@@ -176,6 +188,42 @@ test "download performs atomic rename and sets executable bit" {
     }
 }
 
+test "downloadIfMissing keeps an existing destination" {
+    const allocator = std.testing.allocator;
+
+    const tmp_dir = "/tmp/test-nullhub-downloader-skip-existing";
+    std_compat.fs.deleteTreeAbsolute(tmp_dir) catch {};
+    try std_compat.fs.makeDirAbsolute(tmp_dir);
+    defer std_compat.fs.deleteTreeAbsolute(tmp_dir) catch {};
+
+    const src_path = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "{s}/source.txt", .{tmp_dir});
+    defer allocator.free(src_path);
+    const dest_path = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "{s}/binary", .{tmp_dir});
+    defer allocator.free(dest_path);
+
+    {
+        var file = try std_compat.fs.createFileAbsolute(src_path, .{});
+        defer file.close();
+        try file.writeAll("fresh content");
+    }
+    {
+        var file = try std_compat.fs.createFileAbsolute(dest_path, .{});
+        defer file.close();
+        try file.writeAll("cached content");
+    }
+
+    const file_url = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "file://{s}", .{src_path});
+    defer allocator.free(file_url);
+
+    try downloadIfMissing(allocator, file_url, dest_path);
+
+    var file = try std_compat.fs.openFileAbsolute(dest_path, .{});
+    defer file.close();
+    var buf: [256]u8 = undefined;
+    const n = try file.readAll(&buf);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("cached content", buf[0..n]);
+}
+
 test "downloadWithSha256 detects checksum mismatch" {
     const allocator = std.testing.allocator;
 
diff --git a/src/installer/orchestrator.zig b/src/installer/orchestrator.zig
index d4fa556..492bf41 100644
--- a/src/installer/orchestrator.zig
+++ b/src/installer/orchestrator.zig
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ pub fn install(
                 resolved_version = allocator.dupe(u8, release.value.tag_name) catch return error.FetchFailed;
                 const bin_path = p.binary(allocator, opts.component, resolved_version.?) catch return error.DownloadFailed;
                 resolved_bin_path = bin_path;
-                downloader.download(allocator, asset.browser_download_url, bin_path) catch {
+                downloader.downloadIfMissing(allocator, asset.browser_download_url, bin_path) catch {
                     allocator.free(bin_path);
                     resolved_bin_path = null;
                     allocator.free(resolved_version.?);
@@ -919,10 +919,9 @@ fn stageLocalBinary(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, p: paths_mod.Paths, component:
     const bin_path = p.binary(allocator, component, version) catch return null;
     errdefer allocator.free(bin_path);
 
-    if (std_compat.fs.openFileAbsolute(bin_path, .{})) |f| {
-        f.close();
+    if (downloader.fileExists(bin_path)) {
         return .{ .version = version, .bin_path = bin_path };
-    } else |_| {}
+    }
 
     std_compat.fs.copyFileAbsolute(local_path, bin_path, .{}) catch return null;
     if (comptime std_compat.fs.has_executable_bit) {