diff --git a/collects/net/ftp.rkt b/collects/net/ftp.rkt
index 431f469545..8a85a5e4f9 100644
--- a/collects/net/ftp.rkt
+++ b/collects/net/ftp.rkt
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@
   ;; Save the file under the name tmp.file, rename it once download is
   ;; complete this assures we don't over write any existing file without
   ;; having a good file down
-  (let* ([tmpfile "file.tmp"]
-         [new-file (open-output-file tmpfile #:exists 'replace)]
+  (let* ([tmpfile (make-temporary-file "~a.download" #f folder)]
+         [new-file (open-output-file tmpfile #:exists 'truncate)]
          [tcp-data (establish-data-connection ftp-ports 'in)])
 
     (transfer-data ftp-ports 'download tcp-data new-file filename progress-proc)
diff --git a/collects/net/scribblings/ftp.scrbl b/collects/net/scribblings/ftp.scrbl
index cf68e0d86b..e7c317396c 100644
--- a/collects/net/scribblings/ftp.scrbl
+++ b/collects/net/scribblings/ftp.scrbl
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Downloads @racket[file] from the server's current directory and puts
 it in @racket[local-dir] using the same name. If the file already
 exists in the local directory, it is replaced, but only after the
 transfer succeeds (i.e., the file is first downloaded to a temporary
-file, then moved into place on success).
+file in @racket[local-dir], then moved into place on success).
 
 If @racket[progress-proc] is not @racket[#f], then it is called with a
 function @racket[_get-count] that returns two values: the number of bytes