diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 661998b1d..08c9c7fe2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 /node_modules
 /dist
-/static/daemon/lbrynet*
+/static/daemon/lbrynet-daemon
 /static/locales
 yarn-error.log
 package-lock.json
-.idea/
\ No newline at end of file
+.idea/
+/build/daemon.ver
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build/downloadDaemon.js b/build/downloadDaemon.js
index 11b0b5ba2..3b1955215 100644
--- a/build/downloadDaemon.js
+++ b/build/downloadDaemon.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-console,import/no-extraneous-dependencies,import/no-commonjs */
 const path = require('path');
-const fs = require('fs-path');
+const fs = require('fs');
 const packageJSON = require('../package.json');
 const axios = require('axios');
 const decompress = require('decompress');
@@ -13,54 +13,74 @@ const downloadDaemon = targetPlatform =>
     const daemonVersion = packageJSON.lbrySettings.lbrynetDaemonVersion;
     const daemonDir = packageJSON.lbrySettings.lbrynetDaemonDir;
     const daemonFileName = packageJSON.lbrySettings.lbrynetDaemonFileName;
+    const daemonFilePath = `${__dirname}/../${daemonDir}/${daemonFileName}`;
 
     let currentPlatform = os.platform();
     if (currentPlatform === 'darwin') currentPlatform = 'macos';
     if (currentPlatform === 'win32') currentPlatform = 'windows';
 
+    const daemonVersionPath = __dirname + '/daemon.ver';
     const daemonPlatform = targetPlatform || currentPlatform;
-
+    const tmpZipPath = __dirname + '/../dist/daemon.zip';
     const daemonURL = daemonURLTemplate
       .replace(/DAEMONVER/g, daemonVersion)
       .replace(/OSNAME/g, daemonPlatform);
-    const tmpZipPath = 'dist/daemon.zip';
+    
+    
+    // If a daemon and daemon.ver exists, check to see if it matches the current daemon version
+    const hasDaemonDownloaded = fs.existsSync(daemonFilePath);
+    const hasDaemonVersion = fs.existsSync(daemonVersionPath);
+    let downloadedDaemonVersion;
+    if (hasDaemonVersion) {
+      downloadedDaemonVersion = fs.readFileSync(daemonVersionPath, "utf8");
+    }
+    
+    if (hasDaemonDownloaded && hasDaemonVersion && downloadedDaemonVersion === daemonVersion) { 
+      console.log('\x1b[34minfo\x1b[0m Daemon already downloaded');
+      resolve('Done');
+      return;
+    } else {
+      console.log('\x1b[34minfo\x1b[0m Downloading daemon...');
+      axios
+        .request({
+          responseType: 'arraybuffer',
+          url: daemonURL,
+          method: 'get',
+          headers: {
+            'Content-Type': 'application/zip',
+          },
+        })
+        .then(
+          result =>
+            new Promise((newResolve, newReject) => {
+              fs.writeFile(tmpZipPath, result.data, error => {
 
-    console.log('\x1b[34minfo\x1b[0m Downloading daemon...');
-    axios
-      .request({
-        responseType: 'arraybuffer',
-        url: daemonURL,
-        method: 'get',
-        headers: {
-          'Content-Type': 'application/zip',
-        },
-      })
-      .then(
-        result =>
-          new Promise((newResolve, newReject) => {
-            fs.writeFile(tmpZipPath, result.data, error => {
-              if (error) return newReject(error);
-              return newResolve();
-            });
-          })
-      )
-      .then(() => del(`${daemonDir}/${daemonFileName}*`))
-      .then(() =>
-        decompress(tmpZipPath, daemonDir, {
+                if (error) return newReject(error);
+                return newResolve();
+              });
+            })
+        )
+        .then(() => del(`${daemonDir}/${daemonFileName}*`))
+        .then(() => decompress(tmpZipPath, daemonDir, {
           filter: file =>
             path.basename(file.path).replace(path.extname(file.path), '') === daemonFileName,
+        }))
+        .then(() => {
+          console.log('\x1b[32msuccess\x1b[0m Daemon downloaded!');
+          if (hasDaemonVersion) {
+            del(daemonVersionPath);
+          }
+          
+          fs.writeFileSync(daemonVersionPath, daemonVersion, "utf8")
+          resolve('Done');
         })
-      )
-      .then(() => {
-        console.log('\x1b[32msuccess\x1b[0m Daemon downloaded!');
-        resolve(true);
-      })
-      .catch(error => {
-        console.error(
-          `\x1b[31merror\x1b[0m Daemon download failed due to: \x1b[35m${error}\x1b[0m`
-        );
-        reject(error);
-      });
+        .catch(error => {
+          console.error(
+            `\x1b[31merror\x1b[0m Daemon download failed due to: \x1b[35m${error}\x1b[0m`
+          );
+          reject(error);
+        });
+    }
   });
 
 module.exports = downloadDaemon;