diff --git a/src/contentmanager.cpp b/src/contentmanager.cpp
index 9517957..6b3eedf 100644
--- a/src/contentmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/contentmanager.cpp
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ void ContentManager::onCustomContextMenu(const QPoint &point)
     QAction menuCancelBook(gt("cancel-download"), this);
     QAction menuOpenFolder(gt("open-folder"), this);
 
-    if (bookNode->isDownloading()) {
-        if (bookNode->getDownloadInfo().paused) {
+    if (DownloadState* download = bookNode->getDownloadState()) {
+        if (download->getDownloadInfo().paused) {
             contextMenu.addAction(&menuResumeBook);
         } else {
             contextMenu.addAction(&menuPauseBook);
diff --git a/src/contentmanagerdelegate.cpp b/src/contentmanagerdelegate.cpp
index 4d7583a..6b1b415 100644
--- a/src/contentmanagerdelegate.cpp
+++ b/src/contentmanagerdelegate.cpp
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@ void ContentManagerDelegate::paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionViewItem
     }
     QStyleOptionViewItem eOpt = option;
     if (index.column() == 5) {
-        if (node->isDownloading()) {
-            auto downloadInfo = node->getDownloadInfo();
+        if (DownloadState* downloadState = node->getDownloadState()) {
+            auto downloadInfo = downloadState->getDownloadInfo();
             showDownloadProgress(painter, r, downloadInfo);
         }
         else {
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ void ContentManagerDelegate::handleLastColumnClicked(const QModelIndex& index, Q
     int x = r.left();
     int w = r.width();
 
-    if (node->isDownloading()) {
-        if (node->getDownloadInfo().paused) {
+    if (DownloadState* downloadState = node->getDownloadState()) {
+        if (downloadState->getDownloadInfo().paused) {
             if (clickX < (x + w/2)) {
                 KiwixApp::instance()->getContentManager()->cancelBook(id, index);
             } else {
diff --git a/src/contentmanagermodel.cpp b/src/contentmanagermodel.cpp
index bab8244..4612a53 100644
--- a/src/contentmanagermodel.cpp
+++ b/src/contentmanagermodel.cpp
@@ -239,10 +239,10 @@ std::shared_ptr<RowNode> getSharedPointer(RowNode* ptr)
 void ContentManagerModel::startDownload(QModelIndex index)
 {
     auto node = getSharedPointer(static_cast<RowNode*>(index.internalPointer()));
-    node->setIsDownloading(true); // this starts the internal timer
-    QTimer *timer = node->getDownloadUpdateTimer();
+    node->setDownloadState(new DownloadState);
+    QTimer *timer = node->getDownloadState()->getDownloadUpdateTimer();
     connect(timer, &QTimer::timeout, this, [=]() {
-        node->updateDownloadStatus(node->getBookId());
+        node->getDownloadState()->updateDownloadStatus(node->getBookId());
         emit dataChanged(index, index);
     });
 }
@@ -250,21 +250,21 @@ void ContentManagerModel::startDownload(QModelIndex index)
 void ContentManagerModel::pauseDownload(QModelIndex index)
 {
     auto node = static_cast<RowNode*>(index.internalPointer());
-    node->pauseDownload();
+    node->getDownloadState()->pauseDownload();
     emit dataChanged(index, index);
 }
 
 void ContentManagerModel::resumeDownload(QModelIndex index)
 {
     auto node = static_cast<RowNode*>(index.internalPointer());
-    node->resumeDownload();
+    node->getDownloadState()->resumeDownload();
     emit dataChanged(index, index);
 }
 
 void ContentManagerModel::cancelDownload(QModelIndex index)
 {
     auto node = static_cast<RowNode*>(index.internalPointer());
-    node->setIsDownloading(false); // this stops & deletes the timer
+    node->setDownloadState(nullptr);
     emit dataChanged(index, index);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rownode.cpp b/src/rownode.cpp
index 39374fb..e11a104 100644
--- a/src/rownode.cpp
+++ b/src/rownode.cpp
@@ -10,24 +10,8 @@
 DownloadState::DownloadState()
     : m_downloadInfo({0, "", "", false})
 {
-}
-
-void DownloadState::setIsDownloading(bool val)
-{
-    assert(val != isDownloading());
-    if ( val ) {
-        m_downloadUpdateTimer.reset(new QTimer);
-        m_downloadUpdateTimer->start(1000);
-    } else {
-        m_downloadUpdateTimer->stop();
-
-        // Deleting the timer object immediately instead of via
-        // QObject::deleteLater() seems to be safe since it is not a recipient
-        // of any events that may be in the process of being delivered to it
-        // from another thread.
-        m_downloadUpdateTimer.reset();
-        m_downloadInfo = {0, "", "", false};
-    }
+    m_downloadUpdateTimer.reset(new QTimer);
+    m_downloadUpdateTimer->start(1000);
 }
 
 namespace
@@ -59,7 +43,14 @@ void DownloadState::updateDownloadStatus(QString id)
     auto downloadSpeed = convertToUnits(downloadInfos["downloadSpeed"].toString()) + "/s";
     m_downloadInfo = {percent, completedLength, downloadSpeed, false};
     if (!downloadInfos["status"].isValid()) {
-        setIsDownloading(false); // this stops & deletes the timer
+        m_downloadUpdateTimer->stop();
+
+        // Deleting the timer object immediately instead of via
+        // QObject::deleteLater() seems to be safe since it is not a recipient
+        // of any events that may be in the process of being delivered to it
+        // from another thread.
+        m_downloadUpdateTimer.reset();
+        m_downloadInfo = {0, "", "", false};
     }
 }
 
@@ -150,3 +141,8 @@ bool RowNode::isChild(Node *candidate)
     }
     return false;
 }
+
+void RowNode::setDownloadState(DownloadState* ds)
+{
+    m_downloadState.reset(ds);
+}
diff --git a/src/rownode.h b/src/rownode.h
index c07a4c8..defbc2e 100644
--- a/src/rownode.h
+++ b/src/rownode.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ public:
     bool isDownloading() const { return m_downloadUpdateTimer.get() != nullptr; }
     DownloadInfo getDownloadInfo() const { return m_downloadInfo; }
     QTimer* getDownloadUpdateTimer() const { return m_downloadUpdateTimer.get(); }
-    void setIsDownloading(bool val);
     void pauseDownload();
     void resumeDownload();
     void updateDownloadStatus(QString id);
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ protected:
     DownloadInfo m_downloadInfo;
 };
 
-class RowNode : public Node, public DownloadState
+class RowNode : public Node
 {
 public:
     explicit RowNode(QList<QVariant> itemData, QString bookId, std::weak_ptr<RowNode> parentItem);
@@ -50,11 +49,16 @@ public:
     void setIconData(QByteArray iconData) { m_itemData[0] = iconData; }
     bool isChild(Node* candidate);
 
+
+    void setDownloadState(DownloadState* ds);
+    DownloadState* getDownloadState() { return m_downloadState.get(); }
+
 private:
     QList<QVariant> m_itemData;
     QList<std::shared_ptr<Node>> m_childItems;
     std::weak_ptr<RowNode> m_parentItem;
     QString m_bookId;
+    std::unique_ptr<DownloadState> m_downloadState;
 };