diff --git a/plugins/views_data_export_plugin_display_export.inc b/plugins/views_data_export_plugin_display_export.inc
index 741d488..709e3a3 100644
--- a/plugins/views_data_export_plugin_display_export.inc
+++ b/plugins/views_data_export_plugin_display_export.inc
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ class views_data_export_plugin_display_export extends views_plugin_display_feed
         break;
 
       case VIEWS_DATA_EXPORT_FOOTER:
+        $this->outputfile_update_size();
         $sandbox['finished'] = 1;
         $state->batch_state = VIEWS_DATA_EXPORT_FINISHED;
         break;
@@ -576,7 +577,10 @@ class views_data_export_plugin_display_export extends views_plugin_display_feed
     }
     // Set the headers.
     $this->add_http_headers();
-    file_transfer($this->outputfile_path(), array());
+    $uri = $this->outputfile_path();
+    $scheme = file_uri_scheme($uri);
+    $target = file_uri_target($uri);
+    call_user_func_array('file_download', array_merge(array($scheme), explode('/', $target)));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -716,6 +720,18 @@ class views_data_export_plugin_display_export extends views_plugin_display_feed
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Updates the file size in the file entity.
+   */
+  protected function outputfile_update_size() {
+    $output_file = $this->outputfile_path();
+    $file = current(file_load_multiple(array(), array('uri' => $output_file)));
+    if ($file) {
+      $file->filesize = filesize($output_file);
+      file_save($file);
+    }
+  }
+
   function abort_export($errors) {
     // Just cause the next batch to do the clean-up
     if (!is_array($errors)) {
diff --git a/views_data_export.module b/views_data_export.module
index 92d9bf2..1d774b6 100644
--- a/views_data_export.module
+++ b/views_data_export.module
@@ -31,6 +31,42 @@ function views_data_export_views_api() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Implements hook_file_download().
+ */
+function views_data_export_file_download($uri) {
+  if (views_data_export_is_export_file($uri)) {
+    // The correct headers have already been sent, this is only necessary for
+    // file_download() to proceed with the download.
+    $result = array(
+      'X-Drupal-ViewsDataExport' => 1,
+    );
+
+    // Allow only owners to access export files.
+    if (!user_access('access all views')) {
+      $file = current(entity_load('file', FALSE, array('uri' => $uri)));
+      if ($file && $file->uid != $GLOBALS['user']->uid) {
+        $result = -1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return $result;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks whether the passed URI identifies an export file.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri
+ *   A file URI.
+ *
+ * @return bool
+ *   TRUE if the URI identifies an export file, FALSE otherwise.
+ */
+function views_data_export_is_export_file($uri) {
+  return file_uri_scheme($uri) == 'temporary' && strpos(file_uri_target($uri), 'views_data_export') === 0;
+}
+
+/**
  * Implementation of hook_theme().
  */
 function views_data_export_theme() {
@@ -275,7 +311,7 @@ function views_data_export_view_clear($export_id) {
 function views_data_export_file_presave($file) {
   // Ensure temporary files really are temporary.
   // @see: https://drupal.org/node/2198399
-  if (strpos($file->filename, 'views_data_export') === 0) {
+  if (views_data_export_is_export_file($file->uri)) {
     // There is no FILE_STATUS_TEMPORARY.
     $file->status = 0;
   }