diff --git a/internal/pluginstore/github.go b/internal/pluginstore/github.go
index fbb27f06d..836758871 100644
--- a/internal/pluginstore/github.go
+++ b/internal/pluginstore/github.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type Release struct {
 }
 
 type ReleaseAsset struct {
+	APIURL             string `json:"url"`
 	Name               string `json:"name"`
 	BrowserDownloadURL string `json:"browser_download_url"`
 }
@@ -114,10 +115,14 @@ func ReleaseVersion(release Release) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (c Client) DownloadAsset(ctx context.Context, asset ReleaseAsset) ([]byte, error) {
-	if strings.TrimSpace(asset.BrowserDownloadURL) == "" {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("asset %q missing browser_download_url", asset.Name)
+	downloadURL := strings.TrimSpace(asset.APIURL)
+	if downloadURL == "" {
+		downloadURL = strings.TrimSpace(asset.BrowserDownloadURL)
 	}
-	return c.get(ctx, asset.BrowserDownloadURL, "application/octet-stream", RequestKindArtifact, 0)
+	if downloadURL == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("asset %q missing download url", asset.Name)
+	}
+	return c.get(ctx, downloadURL, "application/octet-stream", RequestKindArtifact, 0)
 }
 
 func (c Client) get(ctx context.Context, requestURL string, accept string, kind string, maxSize int64) ([]byte, error) {
diff --git a/internal/pluginstore/install_test.go b/internal/pluginstore/install_test.go
index 576c83ee3..9fcae5932 100644
--- a/internal/pluginstore/install_test.go
+++ b/internal/pluginstore/install_test.go
@@ -347,6 +347,53 @@ func TestInstallUsesLatestReleaseVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInstallDownloadsReleaseAssetsViaAPIURL(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	archiveData := makeZip(t, map[string]string{"sample-provider.dylib": "library-data"})
+	archiveName := "sample-provider_0.2.0_darwin_arm64.zip"
+	checksum := sha256.Sum256(archiveData)
+	client := Client{HTTPClient: mapHTTPDoer{
+		"https://api.github.com/repos/author-name/cliproxy-sample-provider-plugin/releases/latest": []byte(`{
+			"tag_name": "v0.2.0",
+			"assets": [
+				{
+					"name": "` + archiveName + `",
+					"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/author-name/cliproxy-sample-provider-plugin/releases/assets/1",
+					"browser_download_url": "https://downloads.example/missing.zip"
+				},
+				{
+					"name": "checksums.txt",
+					"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/author-name/cliproxy-sample-provider-plugin/releases/assets/2",
+					"browser_download_url": "https://downloads.example/missing-checksums.txt"
+				}
+			]
+		}`),
+		"https://api.github.com/repos/author-name/cliproxy-sample-provider-plugin/releases/assets/1": archiveData,
+		"https://api.github.com/repos/author-name/cliproxy-sample-provider-plugin/releases/assets/2": []byte(hex.EncodeToString(checksum[:]) + "  " + archiveName + "\n"),
+	}}
+
+	result, errInstall := client.Install(context.Background(), testPlugin(), InstallOptions{
+		PluginsDir: root,
+		GOOS:       "darwin",
+		GOARCH:     "arm64",
+	})
+	if errInstall != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Install() error = %v", errInstall)
+	}
+	if result.Version != "0.2.0" {
+		t.Fatalf("Version = %q, want 0.2.0 from latest release tag", result.Version)
+	}
+	data, errRead := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "darwin", "arm64", "sample-provider-v0.2.0.dylib"))
+	if errRead != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReadFile() error = %v", errRead)
+	}
+	if string(data) != "library-data" {
+		t.Fatalf("installed data = %q, want library-data", data)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestInstallVersionUsesPinnedReleaseTag(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()