diff --git a/lib/download.gi b/lib/download.gi
index 1e01b2e..42a5d57 100644
--- a/lib/download.gi
+++ b/lib/download.gi
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ Add( Download_Methods, rec(
     res:= ValueGlobal( "DownloadURL" )( url, opt );
 
     if res.success = true and
-       IsBound( opt.target ) and IsString( opt.target ) then
+       IsBound( opt.target ) and IsString( opt.target ) and
+       IsBound( res.result ) then
+      # 'DownloadURL' ignored 'target' and returned the contents, so write
+      # them out here.  A curlInterface that honours 'target' itself returns
+      # no 'result', and then the file was never held in memory at all.
       FileString( opt.target, res.result );
       Unbind( res.result );
     fi;