diff --git a/cockatrice/src/client/ui/picture_loader/picture_loader_worker.cpp b/cockatrice/src/client/ui/picture_loader/picture_loader_worker.cpp
index a1cfa53be..89559983c 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/client/ui/picture_loader/picture_loader_worker.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/client/ui/picture_loader/picture_loader_worker.cpp
@@ -244,6 +244,23 @@ QNetworkReply *PictureLoaderWorker::makeRequest(const QUrl &url)
 
     QNetworkRequest req(url);
 
+    // QNetworkDiskCache leaks file descriptors when downloading compressed
+    // files, see https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-135641
+    //
+    // We can set the Accept-Encoding header manually to disable Qt's automatic
+    // response decompression, but then we would have to deal with decompression
+    // ourselves.
+    //
+    // Since we are dowloading images that are usually stored in a
+    // compressed format (e.g. jpeg or webp), it's not clear compression at the
+    // HTTP level helps; in fact, images are typically returned without
+    // compression. Redirects, on the other hand, are compressed and cause file
+    // descriptor leaks -- but since redirects have no payload, we don't really
+    // care either.
+    //
+    // In the end, just do the simple thing and disable HTTP compression.
+    req.setRawHeader("accept-encoding", "identity");
+
     if (!picDownload) {
         req.setAttribute(QNetworkRequest::CacheLoadControlAttribute, QNetworkRequest::AlwaysCache);
     }