diff --git a/commerce_file.module b/commerce_file.module
index eb7748ef42f301fef0497c57e2356fd1b29a806d..463027e67905f90e7311881984a284af516714f8 100644
--- a/commerce_file.module
+++ b/commerce_file.module
@@ -137,6 +137,36 @@ function commerce_file_file_download_headers_alter(array &$headers, $file) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Implements hook_permission().
+ */
+function commerce_file_permission() {
+  return array(
+    'bypass license control' => array(
+      'title' => t('Bypass license control'),
+      'description' => t('Download files without having a license.'),
+      'restrict access' => TRUE,
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks whether the provided user is allowed to bypass license control.
+ *
+ * This allows the user to download a file without having a license.
+ * Since there's no license, download limits can't be checked and respected.
+ *
+ * @param $account
+ *   The account to check for. If not given, the current user is used instead.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   TRUE if the account is allowed to bypass license control, FALSE
+ *   otherwise.
+ */
+function commerce_file_bypass_license_control($account = NULL) {
+  return user_access('bypass license control', $account) || user_access('administer licenses', $account);
+}
+
 /**
  * Implements hook_file_entity_access().
  */
@@ -175,7 +205,7 @@ function commerce_file_file_download($uri) {
   }
 
   // If the file is licensable, don't allow it to be downloaded this way.
-  if (commerce_file_is_licensable($file)) {
+  if (commerce_file_is_licensable($file) && !commerce_file_bypass_license_control()) {
     return -1;
   }
 }
@@ -211,8 +241,8 @@ function commerce_file_access($op, $file, $account = NULL) {
   if (!empty($_SESSION['commerce_license_uid']) && empty($account->uid)) {
     $account = user_load($_SESSION['commerce_license_uid']);
   }
-  // No need to check access for admin.
-  if (user_access('administer licenses', $account)) {
+  // No need to check access.
+  if (commerce_file_bypass_license_control($account)) {
     return TRUE;
   }
   // This file is not licensable.
@@ -385,8 +415,8 @@ function commerce_file_can_download($license, $file, $account = NULL) {
   if (!empty($_SESSION['commerce_license_uid']) && empty($account->uid)) {
     $account = user_load($_SESSION['commerce_license_uid']);
   }
-  // The admin can always download.
-  if (user_access('administer licenses', $account)) {
+  // No need to check access.
+  if (commerce_file_bypass_license_control($account)) {
     return TRUE;
   }
   // This is not this user's license, and he has no admin rights.
@@ -700,8 +730,7 @@ function commerce_file_field_formatter_view($entity_type, $entity, $field, $inst
     $license = commerce_file_get_product_license($entity);
     $access = TRUE;
     if (!empty($settings['check_access'])) {
-      // The user must either have admin privileges, or have a license.
-      $access = (user_access('administer licenses') || $license);
+      $access = ($license || commerce_file_bypass_license_control());
     }
 
     foreach ($items as $delta => $item) {
@@ -745,8 +774,10 @@ function theme_commerce_file_download_link($variables) {
     $icon = $variables['icon'] . ' ';
   }
 
-  $can_download = FALSE;
-  if (!empty($variables['license'])) {
+  if (empty($variables['license'])) {
+    $can_download = commerce_file_bypass_license_control();
+  }
+  else {
     // The file that this theme function receives is just the filefield item
     // array converted to an object (yay, D7!). The limit download check needs
     // the actual file entity.