diff --git a/src/android/FileTransfer.java b/src/android/FileTransfer.java
index 5a3c5d62..18114e9d 100644
--- a/src/android/FileTransfer.java
+++ b/src/android/FileTransfer.java
@@ -664,11 +664,13 @@ private void download(final String source, final String target, JSONArray args,
 
         final String objectId = args.getString(3);
         final JSONObject headers = args.optJSONObject(4);
+        final boolean suppressProgress = args.optBoolean(5) || false;
 
         final Uri sourceUri = resourceApi.remapUri(Uri.parse(source));
         int uriType = CordovaResourceApi.getUriType(sourceUri);
         final boolean useHttps = uriType == CordovaResourceApi.URI_TYPE_HTTPS;
         final boolean isLocalTransfer = !useHttps && uriType != CordovaResourceApi.URI_TYPE_HTTP;
+
         if (uriType == CordovaResourceApi.URI_TYPE_UNKNOWN) {
             JSONObject error = createFileTransferError(INVALID_URL_ERR, source, target, null, 0, null);
             LOG.e(LOG_TAG, "Unsupported URI: " + sourceUri);
@@ -812,10 +814,12 @@ public void run() {
                             while ((bytesRead = inputStream.read(buffer)) > 0) {
                                 outputStream.write(buffer, 0, bytesRead);
                                 // Send a progress event.
-                                progress.setLoaded(inputStream.getTotalRawBytesRead());
-                                PluginResult progressResult = new PluginResult(PluginResult.Status.OK, progress.toJSONObject());
-                                progressResult.setKeepCallback(true);
-                                context.sendPluginResult(progressResult);
+                                if (!suppressProgress) {
+                                  progress.setLoaded(inputStream.getTotalRawBytesRead());
+                                  PluginResult progressResult = new PluginResult(PluginResult.Status.OK, progress.toJSONObject());
+                                  progressResult.setKeepCallback(true);
+                                  context.sendPluginResult(progressResult);
+                                }
                             }
                         } finally {
                             synchronized (context) {
diff --git a/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.h b/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.h
index b7301efb..00ba33b7 100644
--- a/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.h
+++ b/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ extern NSString* const kOptionsKeyCookie;
 @property (nonatomic, assign) long long bytesTransfered;
 @property (nonatomic, assign) long long bytesExpected;
 @property (nonatomic, assign) BOOL trustAllHosts;
+@property (nonatomic, assign) BOOL suppressProgress;
 @property (strong) NSFileHandle* targetFileHandle;
 @property (nonatomic, strong) CDVFileTransferEntityLengthRequest* entityLengthRequest;
 @property (nonatomic, strong) CDVFile *filePlugin;
diff --git a/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.m b/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.m
index f1bb44d9..c7f01e90 100644
--- a/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.m
+++ b/src/ios/CDVFileTransfer.m
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ - (void)download:(CDVInvokedUrlCommand*)command
     BOOL trustAllHosts = [[command argumentAtIndex:2 withDefault:[NSNumber numberWithBool:NO]] boolValue]; // allow self-signed certs
     NSString* objectId = [command argumentAtIndex:3];
     NSDictionary* headers = [command argumentAtIndex:4 withDefault:nil];
+    BOOL suppressProgress = [[command argumentAtIndex:5 withDefault:[NSNumber numberWithBool:NO]] boolValue]; // prevent progress events
 
     CDVPluginResult* result = nil;
     CDVFileTransferError errorCode = 0;
@@ -481,6 +482,7 @@ - (void)download:(CDVInvokedUrlCommand*)command
     delegate.target = [targetURL absoluteString];
     delegate.targetURL = targetURL;
     delegate.trustAllHosts = trustAllHosts;
+    delegate.suppressProgress = suppressProgress;
     delegate.filePlugin = [self.commandDelegate getCommandInstance:@"File"];
     delegate.backgroundTaskID = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:^{
         [delegate cancelTransfer:delegate.connection];
@@ -801,7 +803,7 @@ - (void)updateBytesExpected:(long long)newBytesExpected
 
 - (void)updateProgress
 {
-    if (self.direction == CDV_TRANSFER_DOWNLOAD) {
+    if (self.direction == CDV_TRANSFER_DOWNLOAD && !(self.suppressProgress)) {
         BOOL lengthComputable = (self.bytesExpected != NSURLResponseUnknownLength);
         // If the response is GZipped, and we have an outstanding HEAD request to get
         // the length, then hold off on sending progress events.
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index ad8d9945..b59b66c4 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ interface FileUploadOptions {
 interface FileDownloadOptions {
     /** A map of header name/header values. */
     headers?: {};
+    /** Suppress progress events generation; can help to reduce cordova communication volume (and prevent some stack overflows). */
+    suppressProgress?: boolean;
+
 }
 
 /** A FileTransferError object is passed to an error callback when an error occurs. */
diff --git a/www/FileTransfer.js b/www/FileTransfer.js
index 99389717..59af1778 100644
--- a/www/FileTransfer.js
+++ b/www/FileTransfer.js
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ FileTransfer.prototype.upload = function (filePath, server, successCallback, err
 FileTransfer.prototype.download = function (source, target, successCallback, errorCallback, trustAllHosts, options) {
     argscheck.checkArgs('ssFF*', 'FileTransfer.download', arguments);
     var self = this;
+    var suppressProgress = !!((options || {}).suppressProgress);
 
     var basicAuthHeader = getBasicAuthHeader(source);
     if (basicAuthHeader) {
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ FileTransfer.prototype.download = function (source, target, successCallback, err
             errorCallback(error);
         };
 
-    exec(win, fail, 'FileTransfer', 'download', [source, target, trustAllHosts, this._id, headers]);
+    exec(win, fail, 'FileTransfer', 'download', [source, target, trustAllHosts, this._id, headers, suppressProgress]);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/www/browser/FileTransfer.js b/www/browser/FileTransfer.js
index 01e178e8..f9f08b0f 100644
--- a/www/browser/FileTransfer.js
+++ b/www/browser/FileTransfer.js
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ FileTransfer.prototype.upload = function (filePath, server, successCallback, err
  */
 FileTransfer.prototype.download = function (source, target, successCallback, errorCallback, trustAllHosts, options) {
     argscheck.checkArgs('ssFF*', 'FileTransfer.download', arguments);
+    var suppressProgress = !!((options || {}).suppressProgress);
 
     // Check if target URL doesn't contain spaces. If contains, it should be escaped first
     // (see https://github.com/apache/cordova-plugin-file-transfer/blob/master/doc/index.md#download)
@@ -321,7 +322,7 @@ FileTransfer.prototype.download = function (source, target, successCallback, err
     };
 
     xhr.onprogress = function (e) {
-        if (that.onprogress) {
+        if (that.onprogress && !suppressProgress) {
             that.onprogress(e);
         }
     };