diff --git a/bewcloud.config.sample.ts b/bewcloud.config.sample.ts
index 84ffba8..dfbe56b 100644
--- a/bewcloud.config.sample.ts
+++ b/bewcloud.config.sample.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const config: PartialDeep<Config> = {
   // files: {
   //   rootPath: 'data-files',
   //   allowPublicSharing: false, // If true, public file sharing will be allowed (still requires a user to enable sharing for a given file or directory)
+  //   allowDirectoryDownloads: true, // If true, directories can be downloaded as zip files
   // },
   // core: {
   //   enabledApps: ['news', 'notes', 'photos', 'expenses', 'contacts', 'calendar'], // dashboard and files cannot be disabled
diff --git a/components/files/ListFiles.tsx b/components/files/ListFiles.tsx
index 371e526..b4077a9 100644
--- a/components/files/ListFiles.tsx
+++ b/components/files/ListFiles.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ interface ListFilesProps {
   onClickDeleteFile?: (parentPath: string, name: string) => Promise<void>;
   onClickCreateShare?: (filePath: string) => void;
   onClickOpenManageShare?: (fileShareId: string) => void;
+  onClickDownloadDirectory?: (parentPath: string, name: string) => void;
   isShowingNotes?: boolean;
   isShowingPhotos?: boolean;
   fileShareId?: string;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ export default function ListFiles(
     onClickDeleteFile,
     onClickCreateShare,
     onClickOpenManageShare,
+    onClickDownloadDirectory,
     isShowingNotes,
     isShowingPhotos,
     fileShareId,
@@ -165,10 +167,26 @@ export default function ListFiles(
                         typeof onClickOpenMoveDirectory === 'undefined')
                       ? null
                       : (
-                        <section class='flex items-center justify-end w-24'>
+                        <section class='flex items-center justify-end w-32'>
+                          {typeof onClickDownloadDirectory === 'undefined' ? null : (
+                            <span
+                              class='invisible cursor-pointer group-hover:visible opacity-50 hover:opacity-100 mr-2'
+                              onClick={() => onClickDownloadDirectory(directory.parent_path, directory.directory_name)}
+                            >
+                              <img
+                                src='/images/download.svg'
+                                class='white drop-shadow-md'
+                                width={18}
+                                height={18}
+                                alt='Download directory as zip'
+                                title='Download directory as zip'
+                              />
+                            </span>
+                          )}
                           <span
                             class='invisible cursor-pointer group-hover:visible opacity-50 hover:opacity-100 mr-2'
-                            onClick={() => onClickOpenRenameDirectory(directory.parent_path, directory.directory_name)}
+                            onClick={() =>
+                              onClickOpenRenameDirectory(directory.parent_path, directory.directory_name)}
                           >
                             <img
                               src='/images/rename.svg'
@@ -181,8 +199,7 @@ export default function ListFiles(
                           </span>
                           <span
                             class='invisible cursor-pointer group-hover:visible opacity-50 hover:opacity-100 mr-2'
-                            onClick={() =>
-                              onClickOpenMoveDirectory(directory.parent_path, directory.directory_name)}
+                            onClick={() => onClickOpenMoveDirectory(directory.parent_path, directory.directory_name)}
                           >
                             <img
                               src='/images/move.svg'
diff --git a/components/files/MainFiles.tsx b/components/files/MainFiles.tsx
index 5f04749..ed304d0 100644
--- a/components/files/MainFiles.tsx
+++ b/components/files/MainFiles.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ interface MainFilesProps {
   initialPath: string;
   baseUrl: string;
   isFileSharingAllowed: boolean;
+  isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed: boolean;
   fileShareId?: string;
 }
 
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export default function MainFiles(
     initialPath,
     baseUrl,
     isFileSharingAllowed,
+    isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed,
     fileShareId,
   }: MainFilesProps,
 ) {
@@ -411,6 +413,20 @@ export default function MainFiles(
     moveDirectoryOrFileModal.value = null;
   }
 
+  function onClickDownloadDirectory(parentPath: string, name: string) {
+    // Create download URL with proper path encoding
+    const fullPath = parentPath + name + '/';
+    const downloadUrl = `/api/files/download-directory?path=${encodeURIComponent(fullPath)}`;
+
+    // Create a temporary anchor element to trigger download
+    const link = document.createElement('a');
+    link.href = downloadUrl;
+    link.download = `${name}.zip`;
+    document.body.appendChild(link);
+    link.click();
+    document.body.removeChild(link);
+  }
+
   async function onClickDeleteDirectory(parentPath: string, name: string, isBulkDeleting = false) {
     if (isBulkDeleting || confirm('Are you sure you want to delete this directory?')) {
       if (!isBulkDeleting && isDeleting.value) {
@@ -839,6 +855,7 @@ export default function MainFiles(
           onClickDeleteFile={onClickDeleteFile}
           onClickCreateShare={isFileSharingAllowed ? onClickCreateShare : undefined}
           onClickOpenManageShare={isFileSharingAllowed ? onClickOpenManageShare : undefined}
+          onClickDownloadDirectory={isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed ? onClickDownloadDirectory : undefined}
           fileShareId={fileShareId}
         />
 
diff --git a/fresh.gen.ts b/fresh.gen.ts
index a22a133..9113fa5 100644
--- a/fresh.gen.ts
+++ b/fresh.gen.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import * as $api_files_create_share from './routes/api/files/create-share.tsx';
 import * as $api_files_delete_directory from './routes/api/files/delete-directory.tsx';
 import * as $api_files_delete_share from './routes/api/files/delete-share.tsx';
 import * as $api_files_delete from './routes/api/files/delete.tsx';
+import * as $api_files_download_directory from './routes/api/files/download-directory.tsx';
 import * as $api_files_get_directories from './routes/api/files/get-directories.tsx';
 import * as $api_files_get_share from './routes/api/files/get-share.tsx';
 import * as $api_files_get from './routes/api/files/get.tsx';
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ const manifest = {
     './routes/api/files/delete-directory.tsx': $api_files_delete_directory,
     './routes/api/files/delete-share.tsx': $api_files_delete_share,
     './routes/api/files/delete.tsx': $api_files_delete,
+    './routes/api/files/download-directory.tsx': $api_files_download_directory,
     './routes/api/files/get-directories.tsx': $api_files_get_directories,
     './routes/api/files/get-share.tsx': $api_files_get_share,
     './routes/api/files/get.tsx': $api_files_get,
diff --git a/islands/files/FilesWrapper.tsx b/islands/files/FilesWrapper.tsx
index 1277ed5..4e08207 100644
--- a/islands/files/FilesWrapper.tsx
+++ b/islands/files/FilesWrapper.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ interface FilesWrapperProps {
   initialPath: string;
   baseUrl: string;
   isFileSharingAllowed: boolean;
+  isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed: boolean;
   fileShareId?: string;
 }
 
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ export default function FilesWrapper(
     initialPath,
     baseUrl,
     isFileSharingAllowed,
+    isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed,
     fileShareId,
   }: FilesWrapperProps,
 ) {
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ export default function FilesWrapper(
       initialPath={initialPath}
       baseUrl={baseUrl}
       isFileSharingAllowed={isFileSharingAllowed}
+      isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed={isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed}
       fileShareId={fileShareId}
     />
   );
diff --git a/lib/config.ts b/lib/config.ts
index 1a8e87d..b1267ba 100644
--- a/lib/config.ts
+++ b/lib/config.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export class AppConfig {
       files: {
         rootPath: 'data-files',
         allowPublicSharing: false,
+        allowDirectoryDownloads: true,
       },
       core: {
         enabledApps: ['news', 'notes', 'photos', 'expenses', 'contacts', 'calendar'],
@@ -179,6 +180,12 @@ export class AppConfig {
     return this.config.files.allowPublicSharing;
   }
 
+  static async isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed(): Promise<boolean> {
+    await this.loadConfig();
+
+    return this.config.files.allowDirectoryDownloads;
+  }
+
   static async getFilesRootPath(): Promise<string> {
     await this.loadConfig();
 
diff --git a/lib/types.ts b/lib/types.ts
index 3bde815..2f1b481 100644
--- a/lib/types.ts
+++ b/lib/types.ts
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ export interface Config {
     rootPath: string;
     /** If true, public file sharing will be allowed (still requires a user to enable sharing for a given file or directory) */
     allowPublicSharing: boolean;
+    /** If true, directories can be downloaded as zip files */
+    allowDirectoryDownloads: boolean;
   };
   core: {
     /** dashboard and files cannot be disabled */
diff --git a/routes/api/files/download-directory.tsx b/routes/api/files/download-directory.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be82f30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/routes/api/files/download-directory.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+import { Handlers } from 'fresh/server.ts';
+import { join, resolve } from '@std/path';
+
+import { FreshContextState } from '/lib/types.ts';
+import { AppConfig } from '/lib/config.ts';
+import { DirectoryModel, FileModel } from '/lib/models/files.ts';
+
+interface Data {}
+
+export const handler: Handlers<Data, FreshContextState> = {
+  async GET(request, context) {
+    if (!context.state.user) {
+      return new Response('Redirect', { status: 303, headers: { 'Location': `/login` } });
+    }
+
+    const config = await AppConfig.getConfig();
+
+    // Check if directory downloads are enabled
+    if (!config.files?.allowDirectoryDownloads) {
+      return new Response('Directory downloads are not enabled', { status: 403 });
+    }
+
+    const searchParams = new URL(request.url).searchParams;
+    let directoryPath = searchParams.get('path') || '/';
+
+    // Send invalid paths back to root
+    if (!directoryPath.startsWith('/') || directoryPath.includes('../')) {
+      return new Response('Invalid path', { status: 400 });
+    }
+
+    // Always append a trailing slash
+    if (!directoryPath.endsWith('/')) {
+      directoryPath = `${directoryPath}/`;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      // Get all files and subdirectories recursively
+      const filesAndDirectories = await getDirectoryContentsRecursively(
+        context.state.user.id,
+        directoryPath,
+      );
+
+      if (filesAndDirectories.length === 0) {
+        return new Response('Directory not found or empty', { status: 404 });
+      }
+
+      // Create zip archive
+      const zipData = await createZipArchive(filesAndDirectories, directoryPath);
+
+      // Get directory name for filename
+      const directoryName = directoryPath === '/'
+        ? 'root'
+        : directoryPath.split('/').filter(Boolean).pop() || 'directory';
+
+      return new Response(zipData as BodyInit, {
+        status: 200,
+        headers: {
+          'content-type': 'application/zip',
+          'content-disposition': `attachment; filename="${directoryName}.zip"`,
+          'cache-control': 'no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate',
+        },
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Error creating directory zip:', error);
+      return new Response('Error creating zip archive', { status: 500 });
+    }
+  },
+};
+
+interface FileEntry {
+  path: string;
+  content: Uint8Array;
+  isDirectory: boolean;
+}
+
+async function getDirectoryContentsRecursively(
+  userId: string,
+  directoryPath: string,
+  parentPath = '',
+): Promise<FileEntry[]> {
+  const entries: FileEntry[] = [];
+
+  try {
+    // Get directories in current path
+    const directories = await DirectoryModel.list(userId, directoryPath);
+    for (const directory of directories) {
+      const fullDirPath = join(directoryPath, directory.directory_name) + '/';
+      const relativePath = join(parentPath, directory.directory_name);
+
+      // Add directory entry
+      entries.push({
+        path: relativePath + '/',
+        content: new Uint8Array(0),
+        isDirectory: true,
+      });
+
+      // Recursively get contents of subdirectory
+      const subEntries = await getDirectoryContentsRecursively(
+        userId,
+        fullDirPath,
+        relativePath,
+      );
+      entries.push(...subEntries);
+    }
+
+    // Get files in current path
+    const files = await FileModel.list(userId, directoryPath);
+    for (const file of files) {
+      const fileResult = await FileModel.get(userId, directoryPath, file.file_name);
+      if (fileResult.success && fileResult.contents) {
+        const relativePath = join(parentPath, file.file_name);
+        entries.push({
+          path: relativePath,
+          content: fileResult.contents as Uint8Array,
+          isDirectory: false,
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error getting directory contents:', error);
+  }
+
+  return entries;
+}
+
+async function createZipArchive(entries: FileEntry[], basePath: string): Promise<Uint8Array> {
+  // Create a simple ZIP archive manually since we don't have a zip library
+  // This is a basic implementation - in the future, we may want to consider using a robust library
+
+  const encoder = new TextEncoder();
+  const chunks: Uint8Array[] = [];
+  let centralDirectory: Uint8Array[] = [];
+  let offset = 0;
+
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    if (entry.isDirectory) {
+      // Skip empty directories for now
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const fileName = encoder.encode(entry.path);
+    const fileData = entry.content;
+
+    // Local file header
+    const localHeader = new Uint8Array(30 + fileName.length);
+    const headerView = new DataView(localHeader.buffer);
+
+    headerView.setUint32(0, 0x04034b50, true); // Local file header signature
+    headerView.setUint16(4, 20, true); // Version needed to extract
+    headerView.setUint16(6, 0, true); // General purpose bit flag
+    headerView.setUint16(8, 0, true); // Compression method (stored)
+    headerView.setUint16(10, 0, true); // File last modification time
+    headerView.setUint16(12, 0, true); // File last modification date
+    headerView.setUint32(14, crc32(fileData), true); // CRC-32
+    headerView.setUint32(18, fileData.length, true); // Compressed size
+    headerView.setUint32(22, fileData.length, true); // Uncompressed size
+    headerView.setUint16(26, fileName.length, true); // File name length
+    headerView.setUint16(28, 0, true); // Extra field length
+
+    localHeader.set(fileName, 30);
+    chunks.push(localHeader);
+    chunks.push(fileData);
+
+    // Central directory file header
+    const centralHeader = new Uint8Array(46 + fileName.length);
+    const centralView = new DataView(centralHeader.buffer);
+
+    centralView.setUint32(0, 0x02014b50, true); // Central file header signature
+    centralView.setUint16(4, 20, true); // Version made by
+    centralView.setUint16(6, 20, true); // Version needed to extract
+    centralView.setUint16(8, 0, true); // General purpose bit flag
+    centralView.setUint16(10, 0, true); // Compression method
+    centralView.setUint16(12, 0, true); // File last modification time
+    centralView.setUint16(14, 0, true); // File last modification date
+    centralView.setUint32(16, crc32(fileData), true); // CRC-32
+    centralView.setUint32(20, fileData.length, true); // Compressed size
+    centralView.setUint32(24, fileData.length, true); // Uncompressed size
+    centralView.setUint16(28, fileName.length, true); // File name length
+    centralView.setUint16(30, 0, true); // Extra field length
+    centralView.setUint16(32, 0, true); // File comment length
+    centralView.setUint16(34, 0, true); // Disk number start
+    centralView.setUint16(36, 0, true); // Internal file attributes
+    centralView.setUint32(38, 0, true); // External file attributes
+    centralView.setUint32(42, offset, true); // Relative offset of local header
+
+    centralHeader.set(fileName, 46);
+    centralDirectory.push(centralHeader);
+
+    offset += localHeader.length + fileData.length;
+  }
+
+  // Central directory end record
+  const centralDirData = new Uint8Array(centralDirectory.reduce((sum, arr) => sum + arr.length, 0));
+  let centralOffset = 0;
+  for (const dir of centralDirectory) {
+    centralDirData.set(dir, centralOffset);
+    centralOffset += dir.length;
+  }
+
+  const endRecord = new Uint8Array(22);
+  const endView = new DataView(endRecord.buffer);
+
+  endView.setUint32(0, 0x06054b50, true); // End of central directory signature
+  endView.setUint16(4, 0, true); // Number of this disk
+  endView.setUint16(6, 0, true); // Disk where central directory starts
+  endView.setUint16(8, centralDirectory.length, true); // Central directory entries on this disk
+  endView.setUint16(10, centralDirectory.length, true); // Total central directory entries
+  endView.setUint32(12, centralDirData.length, true); // Central directory size
+  endView.setUint32(16, offset, true); // Central directory offset
+  endView.setUint16(20, 0, true); // ZIP file comment length
+
+  // Combine all parts
+  const totalLength = chunks.reduce((sum, chunk) => sum + chunk.length, 0) +
+    centralDirData.length + endRecord.length;
+  const result = new Uint8Array(totalLength);
+
+  let resultOffset = 0;
+  for (const chunk of chunks) {
+    result.set(chunk, resultOffset);
+    resultOffset += chunk.length;
+  }
+
+  result.set(centralDirData, resultOffset);
+  resultOffset += centralDirData.length;
+  result.set(endRecord, resultOffset);
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+// Simple CRC32 implementation
+function crc32(data: Uint8Array): number {
+  const table = new Uint32Array(256);
+  for (let i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
+    let c = i;
+    for (let j = 0; j < 8; j++) {
+      c = (c & 1) ? (0xEDB88320 ^ (c >>> 1)) : (c >>> 1);
+    }
+    table[i] = c;
+  }
+
+  let crc = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+  for (let i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
+    crc = table[(crc ^ data[i]) & 0xFF] ^ (crc >>> 8);
+  }
+  return (crc ^ 0xFFFFFFFF) >>> 0;
+}
diff --git a/routes/file-share/[fileShareId].tsx b/routes/file-share/[fileShareId].tsx
index 1637500..8196904 100644
--- a/routes/file-share/[fileShareId].tsx
+++ b/routes/file-share/[fileShareId].tsx
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ export default function FilesPage({ data }: PageProps<Data, FreshContextState>)
         initialPath={data.currentPath}
         baseUrl={data.baseUrl}
         isFileSharingAllowed
+        isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed={false}
         fileShareId={data.fileShareId}
       />
     </main>
diff --git a/routes/files.tsx b/routes/files.tsx
index dd37e77..34a7f22 100644
--- a/routes/files.tsx
+++ b/routes/files.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ interface Data {
   currentPath: string;
   baseUrl: string;
   isFileSharingAllowed: boolean;
+  isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed: boolean;
 }
 
 export const handler: Handlers<Data, FreshContextState> = {
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export const handler: Handlers<Data, FreshContextState> = {
     const userFiles = await FileModel.list(context.state.user.id, currentPath);
 
     const isPublicFileSharingAllowed = await AppConfig.isPublicFileSharingAllowed();
+    const isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed = await AppConfig.isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed();
 
     return await context.render({
       userDirectories,
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ export const handler: Handlers<Data, FreshContextState> = {
       currentPath,
       baseUrl,
       isFileSharingAllowed: isPublicFileSharingAllowed,
+      isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed,
     });
   },
 };
@@ -60,6 +63,7 @@ export default function FilesPage({ data }: PageProps<Data, FreshContextState>)
         initialPath={data.currentPath}
         baseUrl={data.baseUrl}
         isFileSharingAllowed={data.isFileSharingAllowed}
+        isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed={data.isDirectoryDownloadsAllowed}
       />
     </main>
   );
diff --git a/static/images/download.svg b/static/images/download.svg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..937ef5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/images/download.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<svg
+  xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+  viewBox="0 0 24 24"
+  fill="none"
+  stroke="currentColor"
+  stroke-width="2"
+  stroke-linecap="round"
+  stroke-linejoin="round"
+>
+  <path d="M21 15v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4" />
+  <polyline points="7,10 12,15 17,10" />
+  <line x1="12" y1="15" x2="12" y2="3" />
+</svg>