diff --git a/dandi/dandiapi.py b/dandi/dandiapi.py
index 553ec672c..052b5d6d4 100644
--- a/dandi/dandiapi.py
+++ b/dandi/dandiapi.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     REQUEST_RETRIES,
     RETRY_STATUSES,
     ZARR_DELETE_BATCH_SIZE,
+    ZARR_EXTENSIONS,
     DandiInstance,
     EmbargoStatus,
 )
@@ -1251,6 +1252,35 @@ def get_asset_by_path(self, path: str) -> RemoteAsset:
         else:
             return asset
 
+    def get_asset_with_subpath(self, path: str) -> RemoteAsset | ZarrWithPrefix:
+        def is_zarr_part(part: str) -> bool:
+            for ext in ZARR_EXTENSIONS:
+                if part.endswith(ext) and part != ext:
+                    return True
+            return False
+
+        full_path = PurePosixPath(path)
+        asset_path = PurePosixPath()
+        for i, p in enumerate(full_path.parts):
+            asset_path /= p
+            if is_zarr_part(p) and i < len(full_path.parts) - 1:
+                try:
+                    asset = self.get_asset_by_path(str(asset_path))
+                except NotFoundError:
+                    pass
+                else:
+                    if isinstance(asset, RemoteZarrAsset):
+                        return ZarrWithPrefix(
+                            zarr=asset, prefix="/".join(full_path.parts[i + 1 :])
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        # We found a blob, which is not a folder, so no Zarr
+                        # path can exist under it.
+                        raise NotFoundError(
+                            f"{path!r} is not a Zarr path with entry prefix"
+                        )
+        return self.get_asset_by_path(path)
+
     def download_directory(
         self,
         assets_dirpath: str,
@@ -1934,6 +1964,12 @@ def set_raw_metadata(self, metadata: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         self._metadata = data["metadata"]
 
 
+@dataclass
+class ZarrWithPrefix:
+    zarr: RemoteZarrAsset
+    prefix: str
+
+
 @dataclass
 class RemoteZarrEntry:
     """
diff --git a/dandi/download.py b/dandi/download.py
index 3edf495ed..c40c8e52d 100644
--- a/dandi/download.py
+++ b/dandi/download.py
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ class Downloader:
     url: ParsedDandiURL
     output_dir: InitVar[str | Path]
     output_prefix: Path = field(init=False)
+    #: just a convenience combination of output_dir and output_prefix
     output_path: Path = field(init=False)
     existing: DownloadExisting
     get_metadata: bool
@@ -333,6 +334,12 @@ def download_generator(self) -> Iterator[dict]:
                             asset.path,
                         )
                         mtime = asset.modified
+                    if asset.subpath:
+                        lgr.warning(
+                            "No downloading of subpaths within blobs yet. Got %s for %s",
+                            asset.subpath,
+                            asset.path,
+                        )
                     _download_generator = _download_file(
                         asset.get_download_file_iter(),
                         download_path,
@@ -352,7 +359,8 @@ def download_generator(self) -> Iterator[dict]:
                     ), f"Asset {asset.path} is neither blob nor Zarr"
                     _download_generator = _download_zarr(
                         asset,
-                        download_path,
+                        prefix=asset.subpath,
+                        download_path=download_path,
                         toplevel_path=self.output_path,
                         existing=self.existing,
                         jobs=self.jobs_per_zarr,
@@ -812,6 +820,7 @@ def _download_file(
         lgr.warning("downloader logic: We should not be here!")
 
     final_digest = None
+
     if downloaded_digest and not resuming:
         assert downloaded_digest is not None
         final_digest = downloaded_digest.hexdigest()  # we care only about hex
@@ -977,6 +986,7 @@ def _download_zarr(
     toplevel_path: str | Path,
     existing: DownloadExisting,
     lock: Lock,
+    prefix: str | None = None,
     jobs: int | None = None,
 ) -> Iterator[dict]:
     # Avoid heavy import by importing within function:
@@ -993,7 +1003,7 @@ def digest_callback(path: str, algoname: str, d: str) -> None:
             digests[path] = d
 
     def downloads_gen():
-        for entry in asset.iterfiles():
+        for entry in asset.iterfiles(prefix=prefix):
             entries.append(entry)
             etag = entry.digest
             assert etag.algorithm is DigestType.md5