diff --git a/bin/download.js b/bin/download.js
index 8b8cd64..40e301d 100644
--- a/bin/download.js
+++ b/bin/download.js
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ exports.builder = {
     },
     l: {
         alias: 'lang',
-        description: 'Limit the download to only resources in the given language. e.g. "en"'
+        description: 'Limit the download to only resources in the given language. e.g. "en"',
+        array: true
     },
     p: {
         alias: 'proj',
@@ -72,11 +73,8 @@ exports.handler = function(argv) {
     // if(argv.zip) compression = 'zip';
     let client = new Door43Client(argv.index, argv.dir, {compression_method:compression});
     let getLanguages = function(lang) {
-        if(lang) {
-            return client.index.getSourceLanguage(lang)
-                .then(function(language) {
-                    return [language];
-                });
+        if(lang && lang.length > 0) {
+            return client.index.getSpecificSourceLanguages(lang);
         } else {
             return client.index.getSourceLanguages();
         }
@@ -178,4 +176,4 @@ exports.handler = function(argv) {
         .catch(function(err) {
             if(argv.verbose) console.error(err);
         });
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/lib/library.js b/lib/library.js
index 23dad96..a9e8326 100644
--- a/lib/library.js
+++ b/lib/library.js
@@ -548,7 +548,21 @@ function Library(sqliteHelper, opts) {
             }
             return null;
         },
-    
+
+        /**
+         * Returns a specific set of source languages
+         * @param slugs {string[]} an array of language slugs to retrieve
+         * @returns {string[]} an array of language objects
+         */
+        getSpecificSourceLanguages: function(slugs) {
+            let questionBuilder = function(items) {
+                return items.map(function() {
+                    return '?';
+                }).join(',');
+            };
+            return query('select * from source_language where slug in (' + questionBuilder(slugs) + ')', slugs);
+        },
+
         /**
          * Returns a list of every source language.
          *
@@ -1132,8 +1146,8 @@ function Library(sqliteHelper, opts) {
 
         // TODO: add getTranslation. see android
     };
-    
+
     return this;
 }
 
-module.exports = Library;
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports = Library;