diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/ImageView.tsx b/src/components/views/elements/ImageView.tsx
index b43564cf37..66ed3b7bf2 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/ImageView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/ImageView.tsx
@@ -606,19 +606,24 @@ function DownloadButton({
             setCanDownload(true);
             return;
         }
+        // Get the hint. If the hint is static then we can immediately set it,
+        // otherwise set to false until the promise completes.
         const hints = ModuleApi.customComponents.getHintsForMessage(mxEvent);
-        // Disable downloading as soon as we know there is a hint.
-        setCanDownload(false);
-        hints
-            .allowDownloadingMedia()
-            .then((downloadable) => {
-                setCanDownload(downloadable);
-            })
-            .catch((ex) => {
-                logger.error(`Failed to check if media from ${mxEvent.getId()} could be downloaded`, ex);
-                // Err on the side of safety.
-                setCanDownload(false);
-            });
+        if (typeof hints.allowDownloadingMedia === "boolean") {
+            setCanDownload(hints.allowDownloadingMedia);
+        } else {
+            setCanDownload(false);
+            hints
+                .allowDownloadingMedia()
+                .then((downloadable) => {
+                    setCanDownload(downloadable);
+                })
+                .catch((ex) => {
+                    logger.error(`Failed to check if media from ${mxEvent.getId()} could be downloaded`, ex);
+                    // Err on the side of safety.
+                    setCanDownload(false);
+                });
+        }
     }, [mxEvent]);
 
     function showError(e: unknown): void {
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/DownloadActionButton.tsx b/src/components/views/messages/DownloadActionButton.tsx
index 2cc2c02944..6b5dce6fed 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/DownloadActionButton.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/DownloadActionButton.tsx
@@ -43,21 +43,23 @@ export default class DownloadActionButton extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IS
     public constructor(props: IProps) {
         super(props);
 
-        const moduleHints = ModuleApi.customComponents.getHintsForMessage(props.mxEvent);
+        const hints = ModuleApi.customComponents.getHintsForMessage(props.mxEvent);
         const downloadState: Pick<IState, "canDownload"> = { canDownload: null };
-        moduleHints
-            .allowDownloadingMedia()
-            .then((canDownload) => {
-                this.setState({
-                    canDownload,
+        if (typeof hints.allowDownloadingMedia === "boolean") {
+            downloadState.canDownload = hints.allowDownloadingMedia;
+        } else {
+            downloadState.canDownload = false;
+            hints
+                .allowDownloadingMedia()
+                .then((downloadable) => {
+                    this.setState({ canDownload: downloadable });
+                })
+                .catch((ex) => {
+                    logger.error(`Failed to check if media from ${props.mxEvent.getId()} could be downloaded`, ex);
+                    // Err on the side of safety.
+                    this.setState({ canDownload: false });
                 });
-            })
-            .catch((ex) => {
-                logger.error(`Failed to check if media from ${props.mxEvent.getId()} could be downloaded`, ex);
-                this.setState({
-                    canDownload: false,
-                });
-            });
+        }
 
         this.state = {
             loading: false,
diff --git a/src/modules/customComponentApi.ts b/src/modules/customComponentApi.ts
index 2729823c79..81043baeb0 100644
--- a/src/modules/customComponentApi.ts
+++ b/src/modules/customComponentApi.ts
@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ interface CustomMessageComponentProps extends Omit<ModuleCustomMessageComponentP
 }
 
 interface CustomMessageRenderHints extends Omit<ModuleCustomCustomMessageRenderHints, "allowDownloadingMedia"> {
-    // Note. This just makes it easier to use this API on Element Web as we already have the moduleized event stored.
-    allowDownloadingMedia?: () => Promise<boolean>;
+    // Note. This just makes it easier to use this API on Element Web as we already have the modularized event stored.
+    allowDownloadingMedia?: (() => Promise<boolean>) | boolean;
 }
 
 const DEFAULT_HINTS: Required<CustomMessageRenderHints> = {
     allowEditingEvent: true,
-    allowDownloadingMedia: () => Promise.resolve(true),
+    allowDownloadingMedia: true,
 };
 
 export class CustomComponentsApi implements ICustomComponentsApi {