diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7a96a2617..d4939566b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [UNRELEASED]
 
+
+### New features
+
+* Added `@render.download` as a replacement for `@session.download`, which is now deprecated. (#977)
+
 ### Bug fixes
 
 * CLI command `shiny create`... (#965)
diff --git a/examples/annotation-export/app.py b/examples/annotation-export/app.py
index 601b4116c..3d6e2ce12 100644
--- a/examples/annotation-export/app.py
+++ b/examples/annotation-export/app.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def annotations():
         df = df.loc[df["annotation"] != ""]
         return df
 
-    @session.download(filename="data.csv")
+    @render.download(filename="data.csv")
     def download():
         yield annotated_data().to_csv()
 
diff --git a/shiny/api-examples/download/app.py b/shiny/api-examples/download/app.py
index 7b06ab09c..b88161867 100644
--- a/shiny/api-examples/download/app.py
+++ b/shiny/api-examples/download/app.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import numpy as np
 
-from shiny import App, Inputs, Outputs, Session, ui
+from shiny import App, Inputs, Outputs, Session, render, ui
 
 
 def make_example(id: str, label: str, title: str, desc: str, extra: Any = None):
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def make_example(id: str, label: str, title: str, desc: str, extra: Any = None):
 
 
 def server(input: Inputs, output: Outputs, session: Session):
-    @session.download()
+    @render.download()
     def download1():
         """
         This is the simplest case. The implementation simply returns the name of a file.
@@ -88,12 +88,12 @@ def download1():
         path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "mtcars.csv")
         return path
 
-    @session.download(filename="image.png")
+    @render.download(filename="image.png")
     def download2():
         """
         Another way to implement a file download is by yielding bytes; either all at
         once, like in this case, or by yielding multiple times. When using this
-        approach, you should pass a filename argument to @session.download, which
+        approach, you should pass a filename argument to @render.download, which
         determines what the browser will name the downloaded file.
         """
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def download2():
             plt.savefig(buf, format="png")
             yield buf.getvalue()
 
-    @session.download(
+    @render.download(
         filename=lambda: f"新型-{date.today().isoformat()}-{np.random.randint(100,999)}.csv"
     )
     async def download3():
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ async def download3():
         yield "新,1,2\n"
         yield "型,4,5\n"
 
-    @session.download(id="download4", filename="failuretest.txt")
+    @output(id="download4")
+    @render.download(filename="failuretest.txt")
     async def _():
         yield "hello"
         raise Exception("This error was caused intentionally")
diff --git a/shiny/api-examples/download_button/app.py b/shiny/api-examples/download_button/app.py
index 07f55f1f6..520fa934d 100644
--- a/shiny/api-examples/download_button/app.py
+++ b/shiny/api-examples/download_button/app.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import asyncio
+import random
 from datetime import date
 
-import numpy as np
-
-from shiny import App, Inputs, Outputs, Session, ui
+from shiny import App, Inputs, Outputs, Session, render, ui
 
 app_ui = ui.page_fluid(
     ui.download_button("downloadData", "Download"),
@@ -11,8 +10,8 @@
 
 
 def server(input: Inputs, output: Outputs, session: Session):
-    @session.download(
-        filename=lambda: f"新型-{date.today().isoformat()}-{np.random.randint(100,999)}.csv"
+    @render.download(
+        filename=lambda: f"新型-{date.today().isoformat()}-{random.randint(100,999)}.csv"
     )
     async def downloadData():
         await asyncio.sleep(0.25)
diff --git a/shiny/api-examples/download_link/app.py b/shiny/api-examples/download_link/app.py
index 9038f6643..408b38761 100644
--- a/shiny/api-examples/download_link/app.py
+++ b/shiny/api-examples/download_link/app.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import asyncio
+import random
 from datetime import date
 
-import numpy as np
-
-from shiny import App, Inputs, Outputs, Session, ui
+from shiny import App, Inputs, Outputs, Session, render, ui
 
 app_ui = ui.page_fluid(
     ui.download_link("downloadData", "Download"),
@@ -11,8 +10,8 @@
 
 
 def server(input: Inputs, output: Outputs, session: Session):
-    @session.download(
-        filename=lambda: f"新型-{date.today().isoformat()}-{np.random.randint(100,999)}.csv"
+    @render.download(
+        filename=lambda: f"新型-{date.today().isoformat()}-{random.randint(100,999)}.csv"
     )
     async def downloadData():
         await asyncio.sleep(0.25)
diff --git a/shiny/render/__init__.py b/shiny/render/__init__.py
index ffd4460a5..ce47f4f64 100644
--- a/shiny/render/__init__.py
+++ b/shiny/render/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     table,
     text,
     ui,
+    download,
 )
 
 __all__ = (
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@
     "image",
     "table",
     "ui",
+    "download",
     "DataGrid",
     "DataTable",
 )
diff --git a/shiny/render/_render.py b/shiny/render/_render.py
index df9b5b57d..5d03a2a6d 100644
--- a/shiny/render/_render.py
+++ b/shiny/render/_render.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # Can use `dict` in python >= 3.9
 from typing import (
     TYPE_CHECKING,
+    Callable,
     Literal,
     Optional,
     Protocol,
@@ -26,7 +27,9 @@
 from .. import _utils
 from .. import ui as _ui
 from .._namespaces import ResolvedId
-from ..session import require_active_session
+from .._typing_extensions import Self
+from ..session import get_current_session, require_active_session
+from ..session._session import DownloadHandler, DownloadInfo
 from ..types import MISSING, MISSING_TYPE, ImgData
 from ._try_render_plot import (
     PlotSizeInfo,
@@ -47,6 +50,7 @@
     "image",
     "table",
     "ui",
+    "download",
 )
 # ======================================================================================
 # RenderText
@@ -492,3 +496,102 @@ async def transform(self, value: TagChild) -> Jsonifiable:
         return rendered_deps_to_jsonifiable(
             session._process_ui(value),
         )
+
+
+# ======================================================================================
+# RenderDownload
+# ======================================================================================
+class download(Renderer[str]):
+    """
+    Decorator to register a function to handle a download.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    filename
+        The filename of the download.
+    label
+        A label for the button, when used in Express mode. Defaults to "Download".
+    media_type
+        The media type of the download.
+    encoding
+        The encoding of the download.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    :
+        The decorated function.
+
+    See Also
+    --------
+    ~shiny.ui.download_button
+    """
+
+    def default_ui(self, id: str) -> Tag:
+        return _ui.download_button(id, label=self.label)
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        fn: Optional[DownloadHandler] = None,
+        *,
+        filename: Optional[str | Callable[[], str]] = None,
+        label: TagChild = "Download",
+        media_type: None | str | Callable[[], str] = None,
+        encoding: str = "utf-8",
+    ) -> None:
+        super().__init__()
+
+        self.label = label
+        self.filename = filename
+        self.media_type = media_type
+        self.encoding = encoding
+
+        if fn is not None:
+            self(fn)
+
+    def __call__(  # pyright: ignore[reportIncompatibleMethodOverride]
+        self,
+        fn: DownloadHandler,
+    ) -> Self:
+        # For downloads, the value function (which is passed to `__call__()`) is
+        # different than for other renderers. For normal renderers, the user supplies
+        # the value function. This function returns a value which is transformed,
+        # serialized to JSON, and then sent to the browser.
+        #
+        # For downloads, the download button itself is actually an output. The value
+        # that it renders is a URL; when the user clicks the button, the browser
+        # initiates a download from that URL, and the server provides the file via
+        # `session._downloads`.
+        #
+        # The `url()` function here is the value function for the download button. It
+        # returns the URL for downloading the file.
+        def url() -> str:
+            from urllib.parse import quote
+
+            session = require_active_session(None)
+            return f"session/{quote(session.id)}/download/{quote(self.output_id)}?w="
+
+        # Unlike most value functions, this one's name is `url`. But we want to get the
+        # name from the user-supplied function.
+        url.__name__ = fn.__name__
+
+        # We invoke `super().__call__()` now, because it indirectly invokes
+        # `Outputs.__call__()`, which sets `output_id` (and `self.__name__`), which is
+        # then used below.
+        super().__call__(url)
+
+        # Register the download handler for the session. The reason we check for session
+        # not being None is because in Express, when the UI is rendered, this function
+        # `render.download()()`  called once before any sessions have been started.
+        session = get_current_session()
+        if session is not None:
+            session._downloads[self.output_id] = DownloadInfo(
+                filename=self.filename,
+                content_type=self.media_type,
+                handler=fn,
+                encoding=self.encoding,
+            )
+
+        return self
+
+    async def transform(self, value: str) -> Jsonifiable:
+        return value
diff --git a/shiny/session/_session.py b/shiny/session/_session.py
index 79ffdd8b7..f2618aaa3 100644
--- a/shiny/session/_session.py
+++ b/shiny/session/_session.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 from .. import _utils, reactive, render
 from .._connection import Connection, ConnectionClosed
+from .._deprecated import warn_deprecated
 from .._docstring import add_example
 from .._fileupload import FileInfo, FileUploadManager
 from .._namespaces import Id, ResolvedId, Root
@@ -456,7 +457,7 @@ async def _handle_request(
                                 warnings.warn(
                                     "Unable to infer a filename for the "
                                     f"'{download_id}' download handler; please use "
-                                    "@session.download(filename=) to specify one "
+                                    "@render.download(filename=) to specify one "
                                     "manually",
                                     SessionWarning,
                                     stacklevel=2,
@@ -748,7 +749,7 @@ def download(
         encoding: str = "utf-8",
     ) -> Callable[[DownloadHandler], None]:
         """
-        Decorator to register a function to handle a download.
+        Deprecated. Please use :class:`~shiny.render.download` instead.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -767,6 +768,10 @@ def download(
             The decorated function.
         """
 
+        warn_deprecated(
+            "session.download() is deprecated. Please use render.download() instead."
+        )
+
         def wrapper(fn: DownloadHandler):
             effective_name = id or fn.__name__
 
diff --git a/shiny/ui/_download_button.py b/shiny/ui/_download_button.py
index be0e92fd4..52ab48d1c 100644
--- a/shiny/ui/_download_button.py
+++ b/shiny/ui/_download_button.py
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ def download_button(
 
     See Also
     --------
-    ~shiny.Session.download
-    ~shiny.ui.download_link
+    * :class:`~shiny.render.download`
+    * :func:`~shiny.ui.download_link`
     """
 
     return tags.a(
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ def download_link(
 
     See Also
     --------
-    ~shiny.Session.download
-    ~shiny.ui.download_link
+    * :class:`~shiny.render.download`
+    * :func:`~shiny.ui.download_button`
     """
 
     return tags.a(
diff --git a/tests/playwright/shiny/bugs/0696-resolve-id/app.py b/tests/playwright/shiny/bugs/0696-resolve-id/app.py
index 179e26a7b..e59d7cbde 100644
--- a/tests/playwright/shiny/bugs/0696-resolve-id/app.py
+++ b/tests/playwright/shiny/bugs/0696-resolve-id/app.py
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ def out_ui():
 
     download_button_count = 0
 
-    @session.download(filename=lambda: f"download_button-{session.ns}.csv")
+    @render.download(filename=lambda: f"download_button-{session.ns}.csv")
     async def download_button():
         nonlocal download_button_count
         download_button_count += 1
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ async def download_button():
 
     download_link_count = 0
 
-    @session.download(filename=lambda: f"download_link-{session.ns}.csv")
+    @render.download(filename=lambda: f"download_link-{session.ns}.csv")
     async def download_link():
         nonlocal download_link_count
         download_link_count += 1