diff --git a/cli/src/native/actions.rs b/cli/src/native/actions.rs
index e50db6a..f502c0a 100644
--- a/cli/src/native/actions.rs
+++ b/cli/src/native/actions.rs
@@ -3489,6 +3489,25 @@ async fn handle_recording_start(cmd: &Value, state: &mut DaemonState) -> Result<
         let new_session_id = attach_result.session_id.clone();
         mgr.enable_domains_pub(&new_session_id).await?;
 
+        // Re-apply download behavior to the recording context.
+        // Without this, downloads in the recording context are silently dropped
+        // because Browser.setDownloadBehavior at launch only applies to the default context.
+        if let Some(ref dl_path) = mgr.download_path {
+            let _ = mgr
+                .client
+                .send_command(
+                    "Browser.setDownloadBehavior",
+                    Some(json!({
+                        "behavior": "allow",
+                        "downloadPath": dl_path,
+                        "browserContextId": context_id,
+                        "eventsEnabled": true
+                    })),
+                    None,
+                )
+                .await;
+        }
+
         // Transfer cookies to new context
         if let Some(ref cr) = cookies_result {
             if let Some(cookie_arr) = cr.get("cookies").and_then(|v| v.as_array()) {
diff --git a/cli/src/native/browser.rs b/cli/src/native/browser.rs
index 8aaa432..568238b 100644
--- a/cli/src/native/browser.rs
+++ b/cli/src/native/browser.rs
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ pub struct BrowserManager {
     pages: Vec<PageInfo>,
     active_page_index: usize,
     default_timeout_ms: u64,
+    /// Stored download path from launch options, re-applied to new contexts (e.g., recording)
+    pub download_path: Option<String>,
 }
 
 const LIGHTPANDA_CDP_CONNECT_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
@@ -257,6 +259,7 @@ impl BrowserManager {
                 pages: Vec::new(),
                 active_page_index: 0,
                 default_timeout_ms: 25_000,
+                download_path: download_path.clone(),
             };
             manager.discover_and_attach_targets().await?;
             manager
@@ -321,6 +324,7 @@ impl BrowserManager {
             pages: Vec::new(),
             active_page_index: 0,
             default_timeout_ms: 10_000,
+            download_path: None, // CDP connections don't have a launch-time download path
         };
 
         manager.discover_and_attach_targets().await?;
@@ -1252,6 +1256,7 @@ async fn initialize_lightpanda_manager(
             pages: Vec::new(),
             active_page_index: 0,
             default_timeout_ms: 25_000,
+            download_path: None,
         };
 
         match discover_and_attach_lightpanda_targets(&mut manager, deadline).await {