diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ec2afa58d..c87b5c714 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 - Slideshow: option for no transition
 - Widget: tap action setting
 
+### Fixed
+
+- restoring to missing Download subdir
+
 ## <a id="v1.7.0"></a>[v1.7.0] - 2022-09-19
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/model/provider/MediaStoreImageProvider.kt b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/model/provider/MediaStoreImageProvider.kt
index 442d35190..0a7876534 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/model/provider/MediaStoreImageProvider.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/model/provider/MediaStoreImageProvider.kt
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import android.content.*
 import android.media.MediaScannerConnection
 import android.net.Uri
 import android.os.Build
-import android.os.Environment
 import android.provider.MediaStore
 import android.util.Log
 import com.commonsware.cwac.document.DocumentFileCompat
@@ -391,8 +390,13 @@ class MediaStoreImageProvider : ImageProvider() {
                 effectiveTargetDir = targetDir
                 targetDirDocFile = StorageUtils.createDirectoryDocIfAbsent(activity, targetDir)
                 if (!File(targetDir).exists()) {
-                    callback.onFailure(Exception("failed to create directory at path=$targetDir"))
-                    return
+                    val downloadDirPath = StorageUtils.getDownloadDirPath(activity, targetDir)
+                    val isDownloadSubdir = downloadDirPath != null && targetDir.startsWith(downloadDirPath)
+                    // download subdirectories can be created later by Media Store insertion
+                    if (!isDownloadSubdir) {
+                        callback.onFailure(Exception("failed to create directory at path=$targetDir"))
+                        return
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
@@ -535,54 +539,57 @@ class MediaStoreImageProvider : ImageProvider() {
         targetNameWithoutExtension: String,
         write: (OutputStream) -> Unit,
     ): String {
-        return if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R && isDownloadDir(activity, targetDir)) {
-            val targetFileName = "$targetNameWithoutExtension${extensionFor(mimeType)}"
-            val values = ContentValues().apply {
-                put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.DISPLAY_NAME, targetFileName)
-                put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.IS_PENDING, 1)
-            }
-            val resolver = activity.contentResolver
-            val uri = resolver.insert(MediaStore.Downloads.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, values)
+        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
+            val downloadDirPath = StorageUtils.getDownloadDirPath(activity, targetDir)
+            val isDownloadSubdir = downloadDirPath != null && targetDir.startsWith(downloadDirPath)
+            if (isDownloadSubdir) {
+                val volumePath = StorageUtils.getVolumePath(activity, targetDir)
+                val relativePath = targetDir.substring(volumePath?.length ?: 0)
 
-            uri?.let {
-                resolver.openOutputStream(uri)?.use(write)
-                values.clear()
-                values.put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.IS_PENDING, 0)
-                resolver.update(uri, values, null, null)
-            } ?: throw Exception("MediaStore failed for some reason")
-
-            File(targetDir, targetFileName).path
-        } else {
-            targetDirDocFile ?: throw Exception("failed to get tree doc for directory at path=$targetDir")
-
-            // the file created from a `TreeDocumentFile` is also a `TreeDocumentFile`
-            // but in order to open an output stream to it, we need to use a `SingleDocumentFile`
-            // through a document URI, not a tree URI
-            // note that `DocumentFile.getParentFile()` returns null if we did not pick a tree first
-            val targetTreeFile = targetDirDocFile.createFile(mimeType, targetNameWithoutExtension)
-            val targetDocFile = DocumentFileCompat.fromSingleUri(activity, targetTreeFile.uri)
-
-            try {
-                targetDocFile.openOutputStream().use(write)
-            } catch (e: Exception) {
-                // remove empty file
-                if (targetDocFile.exists()) {
-                    targetDocFile.delete()
+                val targetFileName = "$targetNameWithoutExtension${extensionFor(mimeType)}"
+                val values = ContentValues().apply {
+                    put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.DISPLAY_NAME, targetFileName)
+                    put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.RELATIVE_PATH, relativePath)
+                    put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.IS_PENDING, 1)
                 }
-                throw e
+                val resolver = activity.contentResolver
+                val uri = resolver.insert(MediaStore.Downloads.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, values)
+
+                uri?.let {
+                    resolver.openOutputStream(uri)?.use(write)
+                    values.clear()
+                    values.put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.IS_PENDING, 0)
+                    resolver.update(uri, values, null, null)
+                } ?: throw Exception("MediaStore failed for some reason")
+
+                return File(targetDir, targetFileName).path
             }
-
-            // the source file name and the created document file name can be different when:
-            // - a file with the same name already exists, some implementations give a suffix like ` (1)`, some *do not*
-            // - the original extension does not match the extension added by the underlying provider
-            val fileName = targetDocFile.name
-            targetDir + fileName
         }
-    }
 
-    private fun isDownloadDir(context: Context, dirPath: String): Boolean {
-        val relativeDir = removeTrailingSeparator(PathSegments(context, dirPath).relativeDir ?: "")
-        return relativeDir == Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS
+        targetDirDocFile ?: throw Exception("failed to get tree doc for directory at path=$targetDir")
+
+        // the file created from a `TreeDocumentFile` is also a `TreeDocumentFile`
+        // but in order to open an output stream to it, we need to use a `SingleDocumentFile`
+        // through a document URI, not a tree URI
+        // note that `DocumentFile.getParentFile()` returns null if we did not pick a tree first
+        val targetTreeFile = targetDirDocFile.createFile(mimeType, targetNameWithoutExtension)
+        val targetDocFile = DocumentFileCompat.fromSingleUri(activity, targetTreeFile.uri)
+
+        try {
+            targetDocFile.openOutputStream().use(write)
+        } catch (e: Exception) {
+            // remove empty file
+            if (targetDocFile.exists()) {
+                targetDocFile.delete()
+            }
+            throw e
+        }
+
+        // the source file name and the created document file name can be different when:
+        // - a file with the same name already exists, some implementations give a suffix like ` (1)`, some *do not*
+        // - the original extension does not match the extension added by the underlying provider
+        val fileName = targetDocFile.name
+        return targetDir + fileName
     }
 
     override suspend fun renameMultiple(
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/PermissionManager.kt b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/PermissionManager.kt
index 2d78f9a52..08355a5de 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/PermissionManager.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/PermissionManager.kt
@@ -105,7 +105,11 @@ object PermissionManager {
                             val primaryDir = dirSegments.firstOrNull()
                             if (getRestrictedPrimaryDirectories().contains(primaryDir) && dirSegments.size > 1) {
                                 // request secondary directory (if any) for restricted primary directory
-                                dirSet.add(dirSegments.take(2).joinToString(File.separator))
+                                val dir = dirSegments.take(2).joinToString(File.separator)
+                                // only register directories that exist on storage, so they can be selected for access grant
+                                if (File(volumePath, dir).exists()) {
+                                    dirSet.add(dir)
+                                }
                             } else {
                                 primaryDir?.let { dirSet.add(it) }
                             }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/StorageUtils.kt b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/StorageUtils.kt
index fef6748b5..db1bd8e80 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/StorageUtils.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/deckers/thibault/aves/utils/StorageUtils.kt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import android.content.pm.PackageManager
 import android.media.MediaMetadataRetriever
 import android.net.Uri
 import android.os.Build
+import android.os.Environment
 import android.os.storage.StorageManager
 import android.provider.DocumentsContract
 import android.provider.MediaStore
@@ -93,6 +94,10 @@ object StorageUtils {
         return getVolumePaths(context).firstOrNull { anyPath.startsWith(it) }
     }
 
+    fun getDownloadDirPath(context: Context, anyPath: String): String? {
+        return getVolumePath(context, anyPath)?.let { volumePath -> ensureTrailingSeparator(File(volumePath, Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS).path) }
+    }
+
     private fun getPathStepIterator(context: Context, anyPath: String, root: String?): Iterator<String?>? {
         val rootLength = (root ?: getVolumePath(context, anyPath))?.length ?: return null