diff --git a/crates/librqbit/src/buffers.rs b/crates/librqbit/src/buffers.rs
index 1ffa1a4..2027738 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/src/buffers.rs
+++ b/crates/librqbit/src/buffers.rs
@@ -110,3 +110,9 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a [u8]> for ByteString {
         Self(b.into())
     }
 }
+
+impl From<Vec<u8>> for ByteString {
+    fn from(b: Vec<u8>) -> Self {
+        Self(b)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/src/chunk_tracker.rs b/crates/librqbit/src/chunk_tracker.rs
index 24e47a7..d13fc47 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/src/chunk_tracker.rs
+++ b/crates/librqbit/src/chunk_tracker.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ impl ChunkTracker {
 
     // return true if the whole piece is marked downloaded
     pub fn mark_chunk_downloaded(&mut self, piece: &Piece<ByteString>) -> Option<bool> {
-        let chunk_info = self.lengths.chunk_info_from_received_piece_data(piece)?;
+        let chunk_info = self.lengths.chunk_info_from_received_piece(piece)?;
         self.chunk_status
             .set(chunk_info.absolute_index as usize, true);
         let chunk_range = self.lengths.chunk_range(chunk_info.piece_index);
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/src/lengths.rs b/crates/librqbit/src/lengths.rs
index c0e9f69..4b0feb8 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/src/lengths.rs
+++ b/crates/librqbit/src/lengths.rs
@@ -141,18 +141,19 @@ impl Lengths {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn chunk_info_from_received_piece_data(
+    pub fn chunk_info_from_received_data(
         &self,
-        piece: &Piece<ByteString>,
+        piece_index: ValidPieceIndex,
+        begin: u32,
+        chunk_size: u32,
     ) -> Option<ChunkInfo> {
-        let piece_index = self.validate_piece_index(piece.index)?;
-        let index = piece.begin / self.chunk_length;
-        let chunk_size = self.chunk_size(piece_index, index)?;
+        let index = begin / self.chunk_length;
+        let expected_chunk_size = self.chunk_size(piece_index, index)?;
         let offset = self.chunk_offset_in_piece(piece_index, index)?;
-        if offset != piece.begin {
+        if offset != begin {
             return None;
         }
-        if chunk_size as usize != piece.block.len() {
+        if expected_chunk_size != chunk_size {
             return None;
         }
         let absolute_index = self.chunks_per_piece * piece_index.get() + index;
@@ -164,6 +165,14 @@ impl Lengths {
             absolute_index,
         })
     }
+
+    pub fn chunk_info_from_received_piece(&self, piece: &Piece<ByteString>) -> Option<ChunkInfo> {
+        self.chunk_info_from_received_data(
+            self.validate_piece_index(piece.index)?,
+            piece.begin,
+            piece.block.len() as u32,
+        )
+    }
     pub const fn chunk_range(&self, index: ValidPieceIndex) -> std::ops::Range<usize> {
         let start = index.0 * self.chunks_per_piece;
         let end = start + self.chunks_per_piece(index);
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/src/peer_comms.rs b/crates/librqbit/src/peer_comms.rs
index bde0409..51ce816 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/src/peer_comms.rs
+++ b/crates/librqbit/src/peer_comms.rs
@@ -57,6 +57,17 @@ impl<ByteBuf> Piece<ByteBuf>
 where
     ByteBuf: AsRef<[u8]>,
 {
+    pub fn from_vec(index: u32, begin: u32, block: Vec<u8>) -> Piece<ByteBuf>
+    where
+        ByteBuf: From<Vec<u8>>,
+    {
+        Piece {
+            index,
+            begin,
+            block: ByteBuf::from(block),
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn serialize(&self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> usize {
         byteorder::BigEndian::write_u32(&mut buf[0..4], self.index);
         byteorder::BigEndian::write_u32(&mut buf[4..8], self.begin);
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/src/torrent_manager.rs b/crates/librqbit/src/torrent_manager.rs
index 517ef27..1490813 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/src/torrent_manager.rs
+++ b/crates/librqbit/src/torrent_manager.rs
@@ -224,32 +224,35 @@ fn spawn<N: Display + 'static + Send>(
     name: N,
     fut: impl std::future::Future<Output = anyhow::Result<()>> + Send + 'static,
 ) {
-    debug!("starting task \"{}\"", name);
+    debug!("starting task \"{}\"", &name);
     tokio::spawn(async move {
         match fut.await {
             Ok(_) => {
-                debug!("task \"{}\" finished", name);
+                debug!("task \"{}\" finished", &name);
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                error!("error in task \"{}\": {:#}", name, e)
+                error!("error in task \"{}\": {:#}", &name, e)
             }
         }
     });
 }
 
-fn spawn_blocking<N: Display + 'static + Send>(
+async fn spawn_blocking<T: Send + Sync + 'static, N: Display + 'static + Send>(
     name: N,
-    f: impl FnOnce() -> anyhow::Result<()> + Send + 'static,
-) {
+    f: impl FnOnce() -> anyhow::Result<T> + Send + 'static,
+) -> anyhow::Result<T> {
     debug!("starting blocking task \"{}\"", name);
     tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || match f() {
-        Ok(_) => {
+        Ok(v) => {
             debug!("blocking task \"{}\" finished", name);
+            Ok(v)
         }
         Err(e) => {
-            error!("error in blocking task \"{}\": {:#}", name, e)
+            error!("error in blocking task \"{}\": {:#}", name, &e);
+            Err(e)
         }
-    });
+    })
+    .await?
 }
 
 fn make_lengths(torrent: &TorrentMetaV1Owned) -> anyhow::Result<Lengths> {
@@ -406,12 +409,7 @@ impl TorrentManager {
             };
 
             match message {
-                Message::Request(request) => {
-                    warn!(
-                        "{}: received {:?} , but download requests not implemented",
-                        peer_handle, request
-                    )
-                }
+                Message::Request(request) => self.on_download_request(peer_handle, request),
                 Message::Bitfield(b) => self.on_bitfield(peer_handle, b),
                 Message::Choke => self.on_i_am_choked(peer_handle),
                 Message::Unchoke => self.on_i_am_unchoked(peer_handle),
@@ -434,6 +432,118 @@ impl TorrentManager {
             }
         }
     }
+    fn on_download_request(&self, peer_handle: PeerHandle, request: Request) {
+        let piece_index = match self.inner.lengths.validate_piece_index(request.index) {
+            Some(p) => p,
+            None => {
+                warn!(
+                    "{}: received {:?}, but it is not a valid chunk request (piece index is invalid). Ignoring.",
+                    peer_handle, request
+                );
+                return;
+            }
+        };
+        let chunk_info = match self.inner.lengths.chunk_info_from_received_data(
+            piece_index,
+            request.begin,
+            request.length,
+        ) {
+            Some(d) => d,
+            None => {
+                warn!(
+                    "{}: received {:?}, but it is not a valid chunk request (chunk data is invalid). Ignoring.",
+                    peer_handle, request
+                );
+                return;
+            }
+        };
+        let this = self.clone();
+
+        let task_name = format!(
+            "download_request(peer={}, chunk_info={:?})",
+            peer_handle, &chunk_info
+        );
+        spawn(task_name, async move {
+            let clone = this.clone();
+            let chunk = spawn_blocking(
+                format!(
+                    "read_chunk_blocking(peer={}, chunk_info={:?}",
+                    peer_handle, &chunk_info
+                ),
+                move || clone.read_chunk_blocking(peer_handle, chunk_info),
+            )
+            .await?;
+            let tx = this
+                .inner
+                .locked
+                .read()
+                .peers
+                .clone_tx(peer_handle)
+                .ok_or_else(|| {
+                    anyhow::anyhow!(
+                        "peer {} died, dropping chunk that it requested",
+                        peer_handle
+                    )
+                })?;
+            let message = Message::Piece(Piece::from_vec(
+                chunk_info.piece_index.get(),
+                chunk_info.offset,
+                chunk,
+            ));
+            Ok::<_, anyhow::Error>(tx.send(message).await?)
+        });
+    }
+    fn read_chunk_blocking(
+        self,
+        who_sent: PeerHandle,
+        chunk_info: ChunkInfo,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<Vec<u8>> {
+        let mut h = sha1::Sha1::new();
+        let mut absolute_offset = self.inner.lengths.chunk_absolute_offset(&chunk_info);
+        let mut result_buf = vec![0u8; chunk_info.size as usize];
+        let mut buf = &mut result_buf[..];
+
+        for (file_idx, file_len) in self.inner.torrent.info.iter_file_lengths().enumerate() {
+            if absolute_offset > file_len {
+                absolute_offset -= file_len;
+                continue;
+            }
+            let file_remaining_len = file_len - absolute_offset;
+            let to_read_in_file = std::cmp::min(file_remaining_len, buf.len() as u64) as usize;
+
+            let mut file_g = self.inner.files[file_idx].lock();
+            debug!(
+                "piece={}, handle={}, file_idx={}, seeking to {}. To read chunk: {:?}",
+                chunk_info.piece_index, who_sent, file_idx, absolute_offset, &chunk_info
+            );
+            file_g
+                .seek(std::io::SeekFrom::Start(absolute_offset))
+                .with_context(|| {
+                    format!(
+                        "error seeking to {}, file id: {}",
+                        absolute_offset, file_idx
+                    )
+                })?;
+            file_g
+                .read_exact(&mut buf[..to_read_in_file])
+                .with_context(|| {
+                    format!(
+                        "error reading {} bytes, file_id: {}",
+                        file_idx, to_read_in_file
+                    )
+                })?;
+
+            buf = &mut buf[to_read_in_file..];
+
+            if buf.is_empty() {
+                break;
+            }
+
+            absolute_offset = 0;
+        }
+
+        return Ok(result_buf);
+    }
     fn am_i_interested_in_peer(&self, handle: PeerHandle) -> bool {
         self.get_next_needed_piece(handle).is_some()
     }
@@ -756,11 +866,7 @@ impl TorrentManager {
     }
 
     fn on_received_piece(&self, handle: PeerHandle, piece: Piece<ByteString>) -> Option<()> {
-        let chunk_info = match self
-            .inner
-            .lengths
-            .chunk_info_from_received_piece_data(&piece)
-        {
+        let chunk_info = match self.inner.lengths.chunk_info_from_received_piece(&piece) {
             Some(i) => i,
             None => {
                 warn!(