diff --git a/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php b/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php
index 14ea40220..5ea4bdfe8 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class FileDownloader implements DownloaderInterface, ChangeReportInterface
             $url = reset($urls);
 
             if ($eventDispatcher) {
-                $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $httpDownloader, $url['processed']);
+                $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $httpDownloader, $url['processed'], 'package', $package);
                 $eventDispatcher->dispatch($preFileDownloadEvent->getName(), $preFileDownloadEvent);
                 $url['processed'] = $preFileDownloadEvent->getProcessedUrl();
             }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Plugin/PreFileDownloadEvent.php b/src/Composer/Plugin/PreFileDownloadEvent.php
index 2ae1e5380..03efe3ab2 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Plugin/PreFileDownloadEvent.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Plugin/PreFileDownloadEvent.php
@@ -32,18 +32,32 @@ class PreFileDownloadEvent extends Event
      */
     private $processedUrl;
 
+    /**
+     * @var string
+     */
+    private $type;
+
+    /**
+     * @var mixed
+     */
+    private $context;
+
     /**
      * Constructor.
      *
-     * @param string           $name         The event name
-     * @param HttpDownloader $httpDownloader
-     * @param string           $processedUrl
+     * @param string          $name            The event name
+     * @param HttpDownloader  $httpDownloader
+     * @param string          $processedUrl
+     * @param string          $type
+     * @param mixed           $context
      */
-    public function __construct($name, HttpDownloader $httpDownloader, $processedUrl)
+    public function __construct($name, HttpDownloader $httpDownloader, $processedUrl, $type, $context = null)
     {
         parent::__construct($name);
         $this->httpDownloader = $httpDownloader;
         $this->processedUrl = $processedUrl;
+        $this->type = $type;
+        $this->context = $context;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -73,4 +87,25 @@ class PreFileDownloadEvent extends Event
     {
         $this->processedUrl = $processedUrl;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the type of this download (package, metadata)
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getType()
+    {
+        return $this->type;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the context of this download, if any.
+     * If this download is of type package, the package object is returned.
+     *
+     * @return mixed
+     */
+    public function getContext()
+    {
+        return $this->context;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Repository/ComposerRepository.php b/src/Composer/Repository/ComposerRepository.php
index bc2844df9..6a2aba6ea 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Repository/ComposerRepository.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Repository/ComposerRepository.php
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ class ComposerRepository extends ArrayRepository implements ConfigurableReposito
         while ($retries--) {
             try {
                 if ($this->eventDispatcher) {
-                    $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $this->httpDownloader, $filename);
+                    $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $this->httpDownloader, $filename, 'metadata');
                     $this->eventDispatcher->dispatch($preFileDownloadEvent->getName(), $preFileDownloadEvent);
                     $filename = $preFileDownloadEvent->getProcessedUrl();
                 }
@@ -1100,7 +1100,7 @@ class ComposerRepository extends ArrayRepository implements ConfigurableReposito
         while ($retries--) {
             try {
                 if ($this->eventDispatcher) {
-                    $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $this->httpDownloader, $filename);
+                    $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $this->httpDownloader, $filename, 'metadata');
                     $this->eventDispatcher->dispatch($preFileDownloadEvent->getName(), $preFileDownloadEvent);
                     $filename = $preFileDownloadEvent->getProcessedUrl();
                 }
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@ class ComposerRepository extends ArrayRepository implements ConfigurableReposito
 
         $httpDownloader = $this->httpDownloader;
         if ($this->eventDispatcher) {
-            $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $this->httpDownloader, $filename);
+            $preFileDownloadEvent = new PreFileDownloadEvent(PluginEvents::PRE_FILE_DOWNLOAD, $this->httpDownloader, $filename, 'metadata');
             $this->eventDispatcher->dispatch($preFileDownloadEvent->getName(), $preFileDownloadEvent);
             $filename = $preFileDownloadEvent->getProcessedUrl();
         }