diff --git a/sphinxlint/checkers.py b/sphinxlint/checkers.py
index 05afe352d..7b94be74f 100644
--- a/sphinxlint/checkers.py
+++ b/sphinxlint/checkers.py
@@ -250,13 +250,28 @@ def check_missing_underscore_after_hyperlink(file, lines, options=None):
 
     Bad:  `Link text <https://example.com>`
     Good: `Link text <https://example.com>`_
+
+    Note:
+    URLs within download directives don't need trailing underscores.
+    https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/referencing.html#role-download
     """
     for lno, line in enumerate(lines, start=1):
         if "`" not in line:
             continue
         for match in rst.SEEMS_HYPERLINK_RE.finditer(line):
             if not match.group(2):
-                yield lno, "missing underscore after closing backtick in hyperlink"
+                # Check if this is within any download directive on the line
+                # Include optional underscore in pattern to handle both cases
+                is_in_download = False
+                for download_match in rst.HYPERLINK_WITHIN_DOWNLOAD_RE.finditer(line):
+                    if (
+                        match.start() >= download_match.start()
+                        and match.end() <= download_match.end()
+                    ):
+                        is_in_download = True
+                        break
+                if not is_in_download:
+                    yield lno, "missing underscore after closing backtick in hyperlink"
 
 
 @checker(".rst", ".po")
diff --git a/sphinxlint/rst.py b/sphinxlint/rst.py
index 4c8c02617..455c186f0 100644
--- a/sphinxlint/rst.py
+++ b/sphinxlint/rst.py
@@ -270,9 +270,10 @@ def inline_markup_gen(start_string, end_string, extra_allowed_before=""):
 #    The :issue`123` is ...
 ROLE_MISSING_RIGHT_COLON_RE = re.compile(rf"(^|\s):{SIMPLENAME}`(?!`)")
 
-
 SEEMS_HYPERLINK_RE = re.compile(r"`[^`]+?(\s?)<https?://[^`]+>`(_?)")
 
+HYPERLINK_WITHIN_DOWNLOAD_RE = re.compile(r":download:`[^`]*`_?")
+
 LEAKED_MARKUP_RE = re.compile(r"[a-z]::\s|`|\.\.\s*\w+:")
 
 TRIPLE_BACKTICKS_RE = re.compile(
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/xpass/download-directive-with-url.rst b/tests/fixtures/xpass/download-directive-with-url.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..149252495
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/xpass/download-directive-with-url.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+Download directives should not require underscores after URLs.
+
+A basic download directive with https:
+:download:`Download file <https://example.com/file.pdf>`
+
+One with http:
+:download:`Get the archive <http://downloads.example.com/archive.zip>`
+
+An inline download:
+This line contains a :download:`link to a file <https://example.com/file.txt>`.
+
+Multiple download directives in a row:
+First :download:`Download this file <https://example.com/first-file.txt>` and
+then :download:`this one <https://example.com/second-file.txt>` something else
+
+These should not trigger missing-underscore-after-hyperlink errors.