diff --git a/lib/functions/installs.bash b/lib/functions/installs.bash
index 721ae50c..036c1dab 100644
--- a/lib/functions/installs.bash
+++ b/lib/functions/installs.bash
@@ -236,8 +236,13 @@ install_tool_version() {
     if [ $install_exit_code -eq 0 ] && [ $download_exit_code -eq 0 ]; then
       # Remove download directory if --keep-download flag or always_keep_download config setting are not set
       always_keep_download=$(get_asdf_config_value "always_keep_download")
-      if [ ! "$keep_download" = "true" ] && [ ! "$always_keep_download" = "yes" ] && [ -d "$download_path" ]; then
-        rm -r "$download_path"
+      if [ ! "$keep_download" = "true" ] && [ ! "$always_keep_download" = "yes" ]; then
+        if [ -d "$download_path" ]; then
+          rm -r "$download_path"
+        else
+          printf '%s\n' "asdf: Warn: You have configured asdf to preserve downloaded files (with always_keep_download=yes or --keep-download). But" >&2
+          printf '%s\n' "asdf: Warn: the current plugin ($plugin_name) does not support that. Downloaded files will not be preserved." >&2
+        fi
       fi
 
       reshim_command "$plugin_name" "$full_version"
diff --git a/test/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download/LICENSE b/test/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3084751
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+The MIT License (MIT)
+
+Copyright (c) 2014 Akash Manohar J
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of
+this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in
+the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to
+use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of
+the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
+subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
+FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR
+COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER
+IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN
+CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/test/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download/bin/install b/test/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download/bin/install
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..4c5589ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download/bin/install
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+printf '%s' 'install'
diff --git a/test/install_command.bats b/test/install_command.bats
index bd945cbe..9e70d544 100644
--- a/test/install_command.bats
+++ b/test/install_command.bats
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ EOM
   echo 'legacy_version_file = yes' >"$HOME/.asdfrc"
   echo '1.2.0' >>"$PROJECT_DIR/.dummy-version"
   cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+
   run asdf install
   [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
-  [ -z "$output" ]
   [ -f "$ASDF_DIR/installs/dummy/1.2.0/version" ]
 }
 
@@ -257,7 +257,6 @@ EOM
 
   run asdf install
   [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
-  [ -z "$output" ]
   [ -f "$ASDF_DIR/installs/dummy/1.2.0/version" ]
 }
 
@@ -302,3 +301,12 @@ EOM
   [ ! -d "$ASDF_DIR/installs/dummy-broken/1.1.0" ]
   [ "$output" = "Download failed!" ]
 }
+
+@test "install_command prints info message if plugin does not support preserving download data if configured" {
+  install_dummy_plugin_no_download
+
+  run asdf install dummy-no-download 1.0.0
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+  [[ "$output" == *'asdf: Warn:'*'not be preserved'* ]]
+}
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.bash b/test/test_helpers.bash
index 103da76c..6f4468e1 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.bash
+++ b/test/test_helpers.bash
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ install_mock_plugin() {
   cp -r "$BATS_TEST_DIRNAME/fixtures/dummy_plugin" "$location/plugins/$plugin_name"
 }
 
+install_mock_plugin_no_download() {
+  local plugin_name=$1
+  local location="${2:-$ASDF_DIR}"
+  cp -r "$BATS_TEST_DIRNAME/fixtures/dummy_plugin_no_download" "$location/plugins/$plugin_name"
+}
+
 install_mock_legacy_plugin() {
   local plugin_name=$1
   local location="${2:-$ASDF_DIR}"
@@ -64,6 +70,10 @@ install_dummy_plugin() {
   install_mock_plugin "dummy"
 }
 
+install_dummy_plugin_no_download() {
+  install_mock_plugin_no_download "dummy-no-download" "$1"
+}
+
 install_dummy_legacy_plugin() {
   install_mock_legacy_plugin "legacy-dummy"
 }