diff --git a/pkgpanda/exceptions.py b/pkgpanda/exceptions.py
index 4f7c951205..78a506f3bd 100644
--- a/pkgpanda/exceptions.py
+++ b/pkgpanda/exceptions.py
@@ -16,6 +16,22 @@ def __str__(self):
         return msg
 
 
+class IncompleteDownloadError(Exception):
+
+    def __init__(self, url, total_bytes_read, content_length):
+        self.url = url
+        self.total_bytes_read = total_bytes_read
+        self.content_length = content_length
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        msg = "Problem fetching {} - bytes read {} does not match content-length {}".format(
+            self.url,
+            self.total_bytes_read,
+            self.content_length)
+
+        return msg
+
+
 class InstallError(Exception):
     pass
 
diff --git a/pkgpanda/test_util.py b/pkgpanda/test_util.py
index 3656389f48..97cdf6c41f 100644
--- a/pkgpanda/test_util.py
+++ b/pkgpanda/test_util.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
+from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError
+from threading import Thread
 
 import pytest
+import requests
 
 import pkgpanda.util
 from pkgpanda import UserManagement
@@ -412,3 +415,49 @@ def test_write_string(tmpdir):
     st_mode = os.stat(filename).st_mode
     expected_permission = 0o777
     assert (st_mode & 0o777) == expected_permission
+
+
+class MockDownloadServerRequestHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
+    def do_GET(self):  # noqa: N802
+        body = b'foobar'
+
+        self.send_response(requests.codes.ok)
+        self.send_header('Content-Length', '6')
+        self.send_header('Content-Type', 'text/plain')
+        self.end_headers()
+
+        if self.server.requests_received == 0:
+            # Don't send the last byte of the response body.
+            self.wfile.write(body[:len(body) - 1])
+        else:
+            self.wfile.write(body)
+        self.server.requests_received += 1
+
+        return
+
+
+class MockHTTPDownloadServer(HTTPServer):
+    requests_received = 0
+
+
+def test_stream_remote_file_with_retries(tmpdir):
+    mock_server = MockHTTPDownloadServer(('localhost', 0), MockDownloadServerRequestHandler)
+    mock_server_port = mock_server.server_port
+
+    mock_server_thread = Thread(
+        target=mock_server.serve_forever,
+        daemon=True)
+    mock_server_thread.start()
+
+    url = 'http://localhost:{port}/foobar.txt'.format(port=mock_server_port)
+
+    out_file = os.path.join(str(tmpdir), 'foobar.txt')
+    response = pkgpanda.util._download_remote_file(out_file, url)
+
+    response_is_ok = response.ok
+    assert response_is_ok
+
+    assert mock_server.requests_received == 2
+
+    with open(out_file, 'rb') as f:
+        assert f.read() == b'foobar'
diff --git a/pkgpanda/util.py b/pkgpanda/util.py
index bd0c77102b..49a411de33 100644
--- a/pkgpanda/util.py
+++ b/pkgpanda/util.py
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@
 from typing import List
 
 import requests
+import retrying
 import teamcity
 import yaml
 from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
 from requests.packages.urllib3.util.retry import Retry
 from teamcity.messages import TeamcityServiceMessages
 
-from pkgpanda.exceptions import FetchError, ValidationError
+from pkgpanda.exceptions import FetchError, IncompleteDownloadError, ValidationError
 
 is_windows = platform.system() == "Windows"
 
@@ -150,6 +151,33 @@ def get_requests_retry_session(max_retries=4, backoff_factor=1, status_forcelist
     return session
 
 
+def _is_incomplete_download_error(exception):
+    return isinstance(exception, IncompleteDownloadError)
+
+
+@retrying.retry(
+    stop_max_attempt_number=3,
+    wait_random_min=1000,
+    wait_random_max=2000,
+    retry_on_exception=_is_incomplete_download_error)
+def _download_remote_file(out_filename, url, retries=4):
+    with open(out_filename, "wb") as f:
+        r = get_requests_retry_session().get(url, stream=True)
+        r.raise_for_status()
+
+        content_length = int(r.headers['content-length'])
+
+        total_bytes_read = 0
+        for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size=4096):
+            f.write(chunk)
+            total_bytes_read += len(chunk)
+
+        if total_bytes_read != content_length:
+            raise IncompleteDownloadError(url, total_bytes_read, content_length)
+
+        return r
+
+
 def download(out_filename, url, work_dir, rm_on_error=True):
     assert os.path.isabs(out_filename)
     assert os.path.isabs(work_dir)
@@ -167,14 +195,7 @@ def download(out_filename, url, work_dir, rm_on_error=True):
                 src_filename = work_dir + '/' + src_filename
             shutil.copyfile(src_filename, out_filename)
         else:
-            # Download the file.
-            with open(out_filename, "w+b") as f:
-                r = get_requests_retry_session().get(url, stream=True)
-                if r.status_code == 301:
-                    raise Exception("got a 301")
-                r.raise_for_status()
-                for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size=4096):
-                    f.write(chunk)
+            _download_remote_file(out_filename, url)
     except Exception as fetch_exception:
         if rm_on_error:
             rm_passed = False