diff --git a/src/config.service.ts b/src/config.service.ts
index df86d5ca..a1948ca9 100644
--- a/src/config.service.ts
+++ b/src/config.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Injectable, Logger, OnApplicationBootstrap } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { ConfigService } from '@nestjs/config';
 import { GlobalWebhookConfigConfig } from '@waha/core/config/GlobalWebhookConfig';
+import { IGNORE_ALL_MEDIA_MIMETYPE } from '@waha/core/media/MediaManager';
 import { IgnoreJidConfig } from '@waha/core/utils/jids';
 
 import { parseBool } from './helpers';
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ export class WhatsappConfigService implements OnApplicationBootstrap {
 
   get mimetypes(): string[] {
     if (!this.shouldDownloadMedia) {
-      return ['mimetype/ignore-all-media'];
+      return [IGNORE_ALL_MEDIA_MIMETYPE];
     }
     const types = this.configService.get('WHATSAPP_FILES_MIMETYPES', '');
     return types ? types.split(',') : [];
diff --git a/src/core/engines/gows/session.gows.core.ts b/src/core/engines/gows/session.gows.core.ts
index 033381f2..99fb73f0 100644
--- a/src/core/engines/gows/session.gows.core.ts
+++ b/src/core/engines/gows/session.gows.core.ts
@@ -2110,7 +2110,13 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
       },
       Message: channelMessage.Message,
     };
-    const message = await this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia);
+    // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+    // globally disabled.
+    const message = await this.processIncomingMessage(
+      msg,
+      downloadMedia,
+      downloadMedia,
+    );
     const reactions: any =
       sortObjectByValues(channelMessage.ReactionCounts) || {};
     return {
@@ -2492,7 +2498,11 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     const msgs = parseJsonList(response);
     const promises = [];
     for (const msg of msgs) {
-      promises.push(this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia));
+      // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+      // globally disabled.
+      promises.push(
+        this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia, downloadMedia),
+      );
     }
     let result = await Promise.all(promises);
     result = result.filter(Boolean);
@@ -2519,7 +2529,13 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     });
     const response = await promisify(this.client.GetMessageById)(request);
     const msg = parseJson(response);
-    return this.processIncomingMessage(msg, query.downloadMedia);
+    // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+    // globally disabled.
+    return this.processIncomingMessage(
+      msg,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+    );
   }
 
   /**
@@ -2683,7 +2699,14 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     return true;
   }
 
-  protected async processIncomingMessage(message, downloadMedia = true) {
+  // `force` comes from an explicit downloadMedia=true on the request and
+  // downloads the media even when media download is globally disabled
+  // (WHATSAPP_DOWNLOAD_MEDIA=false).
+  protected async processIncomingMessage(
+    message,
+    downloadMedia = true,
+    force = false,
+  ) {
     // Filter
     if (!this.shouldProcessIncomingMessage(message)) {
       return null;
@@ -2692,7 +2715,7 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     const wamessage = this.toWAMessage(message);
     // Media
     if (downloadMedia) {
-      const media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message);
+      const media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message, force);
       wamessage.media = media;
     }
     if (downloadMedia && wamessage.replyTo?.hasMedia) {
@@ -2703,14 +2726,14 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
           ID: wamessage.replyTo.id || '',
         },
       };
-      wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(msg);
+      wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(msg, force);
     }
     return wamessage;
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMediaSafe(message) {
+  protected async downloadMediaSafe(message, force = false) {
     try {
-      return await this.downloadMedia(message);
+      return await this.downloadMedia(message, force);
     } catch (e) {
       this.logger.error('Failed when tried to download media for a message');
       this.logger.error(e, e.stack);
@@ -2718,7 +2741,7 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     }
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMedia(message) {
+  protected async downloadMedia(message, force = false) {
     let processor: IMediaEngineProcessor<any> = new GOWSEngineMediaProcessor(
       this,
     );
@@ -2727,6 +2750,7 @@ export class WhatsappSessionGoWSCore extends WhatsappSession {
       processor,
       message,
       this.name,
+      force,
     );
     return media;
   }
diff --git a/src/core/engines/noweb/session.noweb.core.ts b/src/core/engines/noweb/session.noweb.core.ts
index 9ee500ad..d443e5e4 100644
--- a/src/core/engines/noweb/session.noweb.core.ts
+++ b/src/core/engines/noweb/session.noweb.core.ts
@@ -1468,7 +1468,11 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
 
     const promises = [];
     for (const msg of messages) {
-      promises.push(this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia));
+      // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+      // globally disabled.
+      promises.push(
+        this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia, downloadMedia),
+      );
     }
     let result = await Promise.all(promises);
     result = result.filter(Boolean);
@@ -1496,7 +1500,13 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
       merge,
     );
     if (!message) return null;
-    return await this.processIncomingMessage(message, query.downloadMedia);
+    // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+    // globally disabled.
+    return await this.processIncomingMessage(
+      message,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+    );
   }
 
   @Activity()
@@ -3071,9 +3081,13 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
     return '';
   }
 
+  // `force` comes from an explicit downloadMedia=true on the request and
+  // downloads the media even when media download is globally disabled
+  // (WHATSAPP_DOWNLOAD_MEDIA=false).
   protected async processIncomingMessage(
     message,
     downloadMedia: boolean,
+    force = false,
   ): Promise<WAMessage | null> {
     // Filter
     if (!this.shouldProcessIncomingMessage(message)) {
@@ -3086,7 +3100,7 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
     }
     // Media
     if (downloadMedia && wamessage.hasMedia) {
-      wamessage.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message);
+      wamessage.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message, force);
     }
 
     if (downloadMedia && wamessage.replyTo?.hasMedia) {
@@ -3102,7 +3116,7 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
           remoteJid: message.key.remoteJid,
         },
       };
-      wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(m);
+      wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(m, force);
     }
     return wamessage;
   }
@@ -3357,9 +3371,12 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
     return { id: chatId, presences: presences };
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMediaSafe(message): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
+  protected async downloadMediaSafe(
+    message,
+    force = false,
+  ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     try {
-      return await this.downloadMedia(message);
+      return await this.downloadMedia(message, force);
     } catch (e) {
       this.logger.error('Failed when tried to download media for a message');
       this.logger.error(e, e.stack);
@@ -3367,13 +3384,16 @@ export class WhatsappSessionNoWebCore extends WhatsappSession {
     return null;
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMedia(message): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
+  protected async downloadMedia(
+    message,
+    force = false,
+  ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     let processor: IMediaEngineProcessor<any> = new NOWEBEngineMediaProcessor(
       this,
       this.loggerBuilder,
     );
     processor = new LottieMediaProcessorWrapper(processor, this.logger);
-    return this.mediaManager.processMedia(processor, message, this.name);
+    return this.mediaManager.processMedia(processor, message, this.name, force);
   }
 
   protected async getMessageOptions(request: {
diff --git a/src/core/engines/webjs/session.webjs.core.ts b/src/core/engines/webjs/session.webjs.core.ts
index 990f9d88..8776453d 100644
--- a/src/core/engines/webjs/session.webjs.core.ts
+++ b/src/core/engines/webjs/session.webjs.core.ts
@@ -1202,7 +1202,11 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWebJSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     );
     const promises = [];
     for (const msg of messages) {
-      promises.push(this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia));
+      // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+      // globally disabled.
+      promises.push(
+        this.processIncomingMessage(msg, downloadMedia, downloadMedia),
+      );
     }
     let result = await Promise.all(promises);
     result = result.filter(Boolean);
@@ -1284,7 +1288,13 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWebJSCore extends WhatsappSession {
         return null;
       });
     }
-    return await this.processIncomingMessage(message, query.downloadMedia);
+    // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+    // globally disabled.
+    return await this.processIncomingMessage(
+      message,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+    );
   }
 
   @Activity()
@@ -1735,9 +1745,12 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWebJSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     channelMessage: WebjsChannelMessage,
     downloadMedia: boolean,
   ): Promise<ChannelMessage> {
+    // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+    // globally disabled.
     const message = await this.processIncomingMessage(
       channelMessage.message,
       downloadMedia,
+      downloadMedia,
     );
     const reactions = {};
     for (const reaction of channelMessage.reactions.sort((x) => -x.count)) {
@@ -2292,21 +2305,28 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWebJSCore extends WhatsappSession {
       .switch(this.callRejected$.asObservable());
   }
 
+  // `force` comes from an explicit downloadMedia=true on the request and
+  // downloads the media even when media download is globally disabled
+  // (WHATSAPP_DOWNLOAD_MEDIA=false).
   protected async processIncomingMessage(
     message: Message,
     downloadMedia = true,
+    force = false,
   ) {
     // Convert
     const wamessage = this.toWAMessage(message);
     // Media
     if (downloadMedia) {
-      const media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message);
+      const media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message, force);
       wamessage.media = media;
     }
     if (downloadMedia && wamessage.replyTo?.hasMedia) {
       const quotedMessage = await message.getQuotedMessage().catch(() => null);
       if (quotedMessage) {
-        wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(quotedMessage);
+        wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(
+          quotedMessage,
+          force,
+        );
       }
     }
     return wamessage;
@@ -2524,9 +2544,12 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWebJSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     return contact;
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMediaSafe(message): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
+  protected async downloadMediaSafe(
+    message,
+    force = false,
+  ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     try {
-      return await this.downloadMedia(message);
+      return await this.downloadMedia(message, force);
     } catch (e) {
       this.logger.error('Failed when tried to download media for a message');
       this.logger.error(e, e.stack);
@@ -2534,13 +2557,14 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWebJSCore extends WhatsappSession {
     return null;
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMedia(message: Message) {
+  protected async downloadMedia(message: Message, force = false) {
     let processor = new WEBJSEngineMediaProcessor();
     processor = new LottieMediaProcessorWrapper(processor, this.logger);
     const media = await this.mediaManager.processMedia(
       processor,
       message,
       this.name,
+      force,
     );
     return media;
   }
diff --git a/src/core/engines/wpp/session.wpp.core.ts b/src/core/engines/wpp/session.wpp.core.ts
index c966fec9..357aedd3 100644
--- a/src/core/engines/wpp/session.wpp.core.ts
+++ b/src/core/engines/wpp/session.wpp.core.ts
@@ -1148,7 +1148,13 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWPPCore extends WhatsappSession {
     if (!message) {
       return null;
     }
-    return this.processIncomingMessage(message, query.downloadMedia);
+    // An explicit downloadMedia=true forces the download even when media is
+    // globally disabled.
+    return this.processIncomingMessage(
+      message,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+      query.downloadMedia,
+    );
   }
 
   @Activity()
@@ -2346,25 +2352,38 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWPPCore extends WhatsappSession {
     };
   }
 
-  protected async processIncomingMessage(message: any, downloadMedia = true) {
+  // `force` comes from an explicit downloadMedia=true on the request and
+  // downloads the media even when media download is globally disabled
+  // (WHATSAPP_DOWNLOAD_MEDIA=false).
+  protected async processIncomingMessage(
+    message: any,
+    downloadMedia = true,
+    force = false,
+  ) {
     const wamessage = this.toWAMessage(message);
     if (downloadMedia) {
-      const media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message);
+      const media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(message, force);
       wamessage.media = media;
     }
     if (downloadMedia && wamessage.replyTo?.hasMedia) {
       const quotedMessage = message?.quotedMsg || message?._data?.quotedMsg;
       if (quotedMessage) {
-        wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(quotedMessage);
+        wamessage.replyTo.media = await this.downloadMediaSafe(
+          quotedMessage,
+          force,
+        );
       }
     }
     return wamessage;
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMedia(message: any): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
+  protected async downloadMedia(
+    message: any,
+    force = false,
+  ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     let processor = new WPPEngineMediaProcessor(this.wpp);
     processor = new LottieMediaProcessorWrapper(processor, this.logger);
-    return this.mediaManager.processMedia(processor, message, this.name);
+    return this.mediaManager.processMedia(processor, message, this.name, force);
   }
 
   protected checkStatusRequest(request: { contacts?: any[] }) {
@@ -2375,9 +2394,12 @@ export class WhatsappSessionWPPCore extends WhatsappSession {
     }
   }
 
-  protected async downloadMediaSafe(message): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
+  protected async downloadMediaSafe(
+    message,
+    force = false,
+  ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     try {
-      return await this.downloadMedia(message);
+      return await this.downloadMedia(message, force);
     } catch (error) {
       this.logger.error('Failed when tried to download media for a message');
       this.logger.error(error, error.stack);
diff --git a/src/core/media/IMediaManager.ts b/src/core/media/IMediaManager.ts
index 944e4f9f..4c1727d0 100644
--- a/src/core/media/IMediaManager.ts
+++ b/src/core/media/IMediaManager.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ interface IMediaManager {
     processor: IMediaEngineProcessor<Message>,
     message: Message,
     session: string,
+    force?: boolean,
   ): Promise<WAMedia | null>;
   close(): void;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/media/MediaManager.ts b/src/core/media/MediaManager.ts
index c3e2b3ab..d74dceb7 100644
--- a/src/core/media/MediaManager.ts
+++ b/src/core/media/MediaManager.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ const mime = require('mime-types');
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
 const promiseRetry = require('promise-retry');
 
+// Sentinel used as the only allowed mimetype when media download is globally
+// disabled (WHATSAPP_DOWNLOAD_MEDIA=false). It matches no real mimetype, so
+// nothing is downloaded - unless a request explicitly forces it.
+export const IGNORE_ALL_MEDIA_MIMETYPE = 'mimetype/ignore-all-media';
+
 export class MediaManager implements IMediaManager {
   // https://github.com/IndigoUnited/node-promise-retry
   RETRY_OPTIONS = {
@@ -35,13 +40,24 @@ export class MediaManager implements IMediaManager {
   }
 
   /**
-   *  Check that we need to download files with the mimetype
+   *  Check that we need to download files with the mimetype.
+   *  `force` comes from an explicit downloadMedia=true on the request. It
+   *  overrides only the global "download disabled" sentinel, never a real
+   *  mimetype allow list.
    */
-  private shouldProcessMimetype(mimetype: string) {
+  private shouldProcessMimetype(mimetype: string, force = false) {
     // No specific mimetypes provided - always download
     if (!this.mimetypes || this.mimetypes.length === 0) {
       return true;
     }
+    // Media download is globally disabled. An explicit downloadMedia=true on a
+    // single request can still ask for this one file.
+    if (
+      this.mimetypes.length === 1 &&
+      this.mimetypes[0] === IGNORE_ALL_MEDIA_MIMETYPE
+    ) {
+      return force;
+    }
     // Found "right" mimetype in the list of allowed mimetypes - download it
     return this.mimetypes.some((type) => mimetype.startsWith(type));
   }
@@ -50,12 +66,13 @@ export class MediaManager implements IMediaManager {
     processor: IMediaEngineProcessor<Message>,
     message: Message,
     session: string,
+    force = false,
   ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     const messageId = processor.getMessageId(message);
     const chatId = processor.getChatId(message);
     const mimetype = processor.getMimetype(message);
     const filename = processor.getFilename(message);
-    if (!this.shouldProcessMimetype(mimetype)) {
+    if (!this.shouldProcessMimetype(mimetype, force)) {
       this.log.info(
         `The message '${messageId}' has '${mimetype}' mimetype media, skip it.`,
       );
@@ -105,6 +122,7 @@ export class MediaManager implements IMediaManager {
     processor: IMediaEngineProcessor<Message>,
     message: Message,
     session: string,
+    force = false,
   ): Promise<WAMedia | null> {
     let messageId: string;
     try {
@@ -128,7 +146,12 @@ export class MediaManager implements IMediaManager {
     try {
       media.filename = processor.getFilename(message);
       media.mimetype = processor.getMimetype(message);
-      const data = await this.processMediaInternal(processor, message, session);
+      const data = await this.processMediaInternal(
+        processor,
+        message,
+        session,
+        force,
+      );
       media = { ...media, ...data };
     } catch (err) {
       this.log.error(err, `Error processing media for message '${messageId}'`);