diff --git a/backend/app/pypi_proxy.py b/backend/app/pypi_proxy.py
index 7f07e89..aff7c24 100644
--- a/backend/app/pypi_proxy.py
+++ b/backend/app/pypi_proxy.py
@@ -578,10 +578,7 @@ async def pypi_download_file(
                     result = storage.store(f)
                 sha256 = result.sha256
                 size = result.size
-
-                # Read content for response
-                with open(tmp_path, 'rb') as f:
-                    content = f.read()
+                s3_key = result.s3_key
 
                 logger.info(f"PyPI proxy: downloaded {filename}, {size} bytes, sha256={sha256[:12]}")
             finally:
@@ -677,17 +674,31 @@ async def pypi_download_file(
 
         db.commit()
 
-        # Return the file
-        return Response(
-            content=content,
-            media_type=content_type,
-            headers={
-                "Content-Disposition": f'attachment; filename="{filename}"',
-                "Content-Length": str(size),
-                "X-Checksum-SHA256": sha256,
-                "X-Cache": "MISS",
-            }
-        )
+        # Stream the file from S3 (don't load into memory)
+        try:
+            stream, content_length, _ = storage.get_stream(s3_key)
+
+            def stream_content():
+                """Generator that yields chunks from the S3 stream."""
+                try:
+                    for chunk in stream.iter_chunks():
+                        yield chunk
+                finally:
+                    stream.close()
+
+            return StreamingResponse(
+                stream_content(),
+                media_type=content_type,
+                headers={
+                    "Content-Disposition": f'attachment; filename="{filename}"',
+                    "Content-Length": str(size),
+                    "X-Checksum-SHA256": sha256,
+                    "X-Cache": "MISS",
+                }
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"PyPI proxy: error streaming from S3: {e}")
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=f"Error streaming file: {e}")
 
     except httpx.ConnectError as e:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=502, detail=f"Connection failed: {e}")