diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2436a3c..fd7b2b7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [Unreleased (Targeting 0.2.5)]
+
+### Added
+- Optional parameter to `fetch_file()` with a modified time of the remote file pulled from the TIND API
+- `fetch_file()` uses this to avoid unnecessary downloads if a file already exists at the target
+  location and has a modified time that is newer than the requested file
+
+### Changed
+- slight change to raise a file not downloaded error if `tind_download()` fails to return a written file path
+
+
 ## [0.2.4]
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/tind_client/client.py b/tind_client/client.py
index 77b9883..b3da18f 100644
--- a/tind_client/client.py
+++ b/tind_client/client.py
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
 """
 
 import json
+import logging
 import os
 import re
 from io import StringIO
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Iterator
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as E
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 from pymarc import Record
 from pymarc.marcxml import parse_xml_to_array
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@
 from .api import tind_get, tind_download
 from .errors import RecordNotFoundError, TINDError
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 NS = "http://www.loc.gov/MARC21/slim"
 E.register_namespace("", NS)
@@ -69,12 +72,15 @@ def fetch_metadata(self, record: str) -> Record:
 
         return records[0]
 
-    def fetch_file(self, file_url: str, output_dir: str = "") -> str:
-        """Download a file from TIND and save it locally.
+    def fetch_file(self, file_url: str, output_dir: str = "", modified: str = "") -> str:
+        """Download a file from TIND and save it locally. If the file already exists in the output
+        directory and has a local modified timestamp that is newer than supplied ``modified``
+        timestamp, the file will not be re-downloaded.
 
         :param str file_url: The TIND file download URL.
         :param str output_dir: Directory in which to save the file.
                                Falls back to ``default_storage_dir`` when empty.
+        :param str modified: Optional modified timestamp from the file metadata returned by TIND
         :raises AuthorizationError: When the TIND API key is invalid or the file is restricted.
         :raises ValueError: When ``file_url`` is not a valid TIND file download URL.
         :raises RecordNotFoundError: When the file is invalid or not found.
@@ -84,9 +90,20 @@ def fetch_file(self, file_url: str, output_dir: str = "") -> str:
             raise ValueError("URL is not a valid TIND file download URL.")
 
         output_target = output_dir or self.default_storage_dir
+
+        expected_filename = file_url.rstrip("/").split("/")[-2]
+        expected_path = Path(output_target) / expected_filename
+
+        if modified and expected_path.exists():
+            meta_mtime = datetime.fromisoformat(modified).replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+            local_mtime = datetime.fromtimestamp(expected_path.stat().st_mtime, tz=timezone.utc)
+            if local_mtime >= meta_mtime:
+                logger.debug("Cached file at (%s) is newer; skipping download.", expected_path)
+                return str(expected_path)
+
         (status, saved_to) = tind_download(file_url, output_dir=output_target, api_key=self.api_key)
 
-        if status != 200:
+        if status != 200 or not saved_to:
             raise RecordNotFoundError("Referenced file could not be downloaded.")
 
         return saved_to