diff --git a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
index ccc919d3..fe697b18 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -2181,21 +2181,23 @@ function App() {
   }, [currentSegIndexSafe, onEditSegmentTags]);
 
   const promptDownloadMediaUrlWrapper = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (customOutDir == null) {
-      errorToast(i18n.t('Please select a working directory first'));
-      return;
-    }
-    const outPath = getDownloadMediaOutPath(customOutDir, `downloaded-media-${Date.now()}.mkv`);
     try {
-      setWorking(true);
+      setWorking({ text: t('Downloading URL') });
+      const newCustomOutDir = await ensureWritableOutDir({ outDir: customOutDir });
+      if (newCustomOutDir == null) {
+        errorToast(i18n.t('Please select a working directory first'));
+        return;
+      }
+      const outPath = getDownloadMediaOutPath(newCustomOutDir, `downloaded-media-${Date.now()}.mkv`);
       const downloaded = await promptDownloadMediaUrl(outPath);
       if (downloaded) await loadMedia({ filePath: outPath });
     } catch (err) {
+      if (err instanceof DirectoryAccessDeclinedError) return;
       handleError(err);
     } finally {
       setWorking();
     }
-  }, [customOutDir, loadMedia, setWorking]);
+  }, [customOutDir, ensureWritableOutDir, loadMedia, setWorking, t]);
 
   type MainKeyboardAction = Exclude<KeyboardAction, 'closeActiveScreen' | 'toggleKeyboardShortcuts' | 'goToTimecodeDirect'>;
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useDirectoryAccess.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useDirectoryAccess.ts
index 754b293f..27c1284f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useDirectoryAccess.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useDirectoryAccess.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export default ({ setCustomOutDir }: { setCustomOutDir: (a: string | undefined)
     }
   }, []);
 
-  const ensureWritableOutDir = useCallback(async ({ inputPath, outDir }: { inputPath: string | undefined, outDir: string | undefined }) => {
+  const ensureWritableOutDir = useCallback(async ({ inputPath, outDir }: { inputPath?: string | undefined, outDir: string | undefined }) => {
     // we might need to change the output directory if the user chooses to give us a different one.
     let newCustomOutDir = outDir;
 
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export default ({ setCustomOutDir }: { setCustomOutDir: (a: string | undefined)
       }
     }
 
+    // if we don't (no longer) have a working dir, and not an main file path, then there's nothing we can do, just return the dir
     if (!newCustomOutDir && !inputPath) return newCustomOutDir;
 
     const effectiveOutDirPath = getOutDir(newCustomOutDir, inputPath);