diff --git a/frontend/app.py b/frontend/app.py
index 4694680..9dacec7 100644
--- a/frontend/app.py
+++ b/frontend/app.py
@@ -228,10 +228,10 @@ def session_upload(
 
         logger.info("Starting background download: %s → %s", url, dest)
         try:
-            proc = subprocess.Popen(
-                ["wget", "--progress=dot:giga", "-O", str(dest), url],
-                stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-            )
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(
+            ["aria2c", "-x8", "-s8", "-d", str(dest.parent), "-o", dest.name, url],
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        )
         except Exception as exc:
             return JSONResponse({"phase": "error", "error": f"Failed to start download: {exc}"}, status_code=500)
 
diff --git a/frontend/install.sh b/frontend/install.sh
index 1322734..35cb1f8 100755
--- a/frontend/install.sh
+++ b/frontend/install.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ REQUIRED=(
     python3-pip      "pip3"
     wget             "wget"
     curl             "curl"
+    aria2            "aria2c"
     openssh-client    "scp"
     sshpass           "sshpass"
 )