diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
index 97e755d4b..46b5e6841 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class FileDownloader(object):
         """Report it was impossible to resume download."""
         self.to_screen('[download] Unable to resume')
 
-    def download(self, filename, info_dict):
+    def download(self, filename, info_dict, md5=False):
         """Download to a filename using the info from info_dict
         Return True on success and False otherwise
         """
@@ -339,9 +339,9 @@ class FileDownloader(object):
             self.to_screen('[download] Sleeping %s seconds...' % sleep_interval)
             time.sleep(sleep_interval)
 
-        return self.real_download(filename, info_dict)
+        return self.real_download(filename, info_dict, md5)
 
-    def real_download(self, filename, info_dict):
+    def real_download(self, filename, info_dict, *args):
         """Real download process. Redefine in subclasses."""
         raise NotImplementedError('This method must be implemented by subclasses')
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
index a29f5cf31..27133148d 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import errno
+import hashlib
 import os
 import socket
 import time
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ from ..utils import (
 
 
 class HttpFD(FileDownloader):
-    def real_download(self, filename, info_dict):
+    def real_download(self, filename, info_dict, md5=False):
         url = info_dict['url']
         tmpfilename = self.temp_name(filename)
         stream = None
@@ -158,12 +159,17 @@ class HttpFD(FileDownloader):
         # measure time over whole while-loop, so slow_down() and best_block_size() work together properly
         now = None  # needed for slow_down() in the first loop run
         before = start  # start measuring
+        if md5:
+            m = hashlib.md5()
+        else:
+            m = None
         while True:
 
             # Download and write
             data_block = data.read(block_size if not is_test else min(block_size, data_len - byte_counter))
             byte_counter += len(data_block)
-
+            if m is not None:
+                m.update(data_block)
             # exit loop when download is finished
             if len(data_block) == 0:
                 break
@@ -237,7 +243,8 @@ class HttpFD(FileDownloader):
         if data_len is not None and byte_counter != data_len:
             raise ContentTooShortError(byte_counter, int(data_len))
         self.try_rename(tmpfilename, filename)
-
+        if m is not None:
+            open(filename+'.md5', 'w').write(m.hexdigest())
         # Update file modification time
         if self.params.get('updatetime', True):
             info_dict['filetime'] = self.try_utime(filename, data.info().get('last-modified', None))