diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationActivity.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationActivity.java
index edcabac83..304aff6b2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationActivity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationActivity.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import android.app.FragmentTransaction;
 import android.content.ActivityNotFoundException;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.databinding.DataBindingUtil;
 import android.net.Uri;
 import android.os.Build;
@@ -83,6 +84,8 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends XmppActivity implements OnConversation
 	public static final String EXTRA_NICK = "nick";
 	public static final String EXTRA_IS_PRIVATE_MESSAGE = "pm";
 
+	public static final int REQUEST_OPEN_MESSAGE = 0x9876;
+
 
 	//secondary fragment (when holding the conversation, must be initialized before refreshing the overview fragment
 	private static final @IdRes
@@ -281,6 +284,16 @@ public class ConversationActivity extends XmppActivity implements OnConversation
 	@Override
 	public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode,@NonNull String permissions[], @NonNull int[] grantResults) {
 		UriHandlerActivity.onRequestPermissionResult(this, requestCode, grantResults);
+		if (grantResults.length > 0) {
+			if (grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+				switch(requestCode) {
+					case REQUEST_OPEN_MESSAGE:
+						refreshUiReal();
+						ConversationFragment.openPendingMessage(this);
+						break;
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
index bdd2fefa3..e1af7d56f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
@@ -409,16 +409,42 @@ public class ConversationFragment extends XmppFragment implements EditMessage.Ke
 	private int lastCompletionCursor;
 	private boolean firstWord = false;
 	private Message mPendingDownloadableMessage;
+	private final PendingItem<Message> pendingMessage = new PendingItem<>();
 
-	public static void downloadFile(Activity activity, Message message) {
+
+	private static ConversationFragment findConversationFragment(Activity activity) {
 		Fragment fragment = activity.getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.main_fragment);
 		if (fragment != null && fragment instanceof ConversationFragment) {
-			((ConversationFragment) fragment).startDownloadable(message);
-			return;
+			return (ConversationFragment) fragment;
 		}
 		fragment = activity.getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.secondary_fragment);
 		if (fragment != null && fragment instanceof ConversationFragment) {
-			((ConversationFragment) fragment).startDownloadable(message);
+			return (ConversationFragment) fragment;
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	public static void downloadFile(Activity activity, Message message) {
+		ConversationFragment fragment = findConversationFragment(activity);
+		if (fragment != null) {
+			fragment.startDownloadable(message);
+		}
+	}
+
+	public static void registerPendingMessage(Activity activity, Message message) {
+		ConversationFragment fragment = findConversationFragment(activity);
+		if (fragment != null) {
+			fragment.pendingMessage.push(message);
+		}
+	}
+
+	public static void openPendingMessage(Activity activity) {
+		ConversationFragment fragment = findConversationFragment(activity);
+		if (fragment != null) {
+			Message message = fragment.pendingMessage.pop();
+			if (message != null) {
+				fragment.messageListAdapter.openDownloadable(message);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/adapter/MessageAdapter.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/adapter/MessageAdapter.java
index d2741da4b..1561d2eaa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/adapter/MessageAdapter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/adapter/MessageAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package eu.siacs.conversations.ui.adapter;
 
+import android.Manifest;
 import android.content.ActivityNotFoundException;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import android.net.Uri;
 import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
 import android.support.annotation.ColorInt;
+import android.support.v4.app.ActivityCompat;
 import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
 import android.text.Spannable;
 import android.text.SpannableString;
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ import eu.siacs.conversations.entities.Transferable;
 import eu.siacs.conversations.persistance.FileBackend;
 import eu.siacs.conversations.services.MessageArchiveService;
 import eu.siacs.conversations.services.NotificationService;
+import eu.siacs.conversations.ui.ConversationActivity;
 import eu.siacs.conversations.ui.ConversationFragment;
 import eu.siacs.conversations.ui.XmppActivity;
 import eu.siacs.conversations.ui.service.AudioPlayer;
@@ -901,6 +904,11 @@ public class MessageAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<Message> implements CopyTextVie
 	}
 
 	public void openDownloadable(Message message) {
+		if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(activity, Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+			ConversationFragment.registerPendingMessage(activity, message);
+			ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(activity, new String[]{Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE}, ConversationActivity.REQUEST_OPEN_MESSAGE);
+			return;
+		}
 		DownloadableFile file = activity.xmppConnectionService.getFileBackend().getFile(message);
 		if (!file.exists()) {
 			Toast.makeText(activity, R.string.file_deleted, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();