diff --git a/.github/scripts/download_badges.py b/.github/scripts/download_badges.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0608c08e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/download_badges.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Build shields.io endpoint JSON for PyPI monthly downloads.
+
+pypistats.org exposes two relevant endpoints. `/recent` is the one shields.io
+reads for its own `pypi/dm` badge, and it is aggressively rate limited: when it
+refuses, shields renders "rate limited by upstream service" and GitHub's camo
+proxy caches that error image for hours. `/overall` returns the daily series and
+answers reliably, so this script sums the last 30 days from it instead.
+
+Counts exclude mirrors, which is what shields.io reports and what represents
+real installs. Including mirrors roughly quadruples the number.
+
+Usage: download_badges.py <output-dir>
+"""
+
+import json
+import sys
+import time
+import urllib.error
+import urllib.request
+from datetime import date, timedelta
+
+API = "https://pypistats.org/api/packages/{pkg}/overall?mirrors=false"
+WINDOW_DAYS = 30
+PACKAGES = {
+    "rosetta-mcp": "MCP downloads",
+    "rosetta-cli": "CLI downloads",
+}
+
+
+def fetch(pkg: str, attempts: int = 5) -> dict:
+    """GET the overall series, retrying with linear backoff on transient errors."""
+    url = API.format(pkg=pkg)
+    req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers={"User-Agent": "rosetta-badges/1.0"})
+    last = None
+    for attempt in range(1, attempts + 1):
+        try:
+            with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=30) as resp:
+                return json.load(resp)
+        except (urllib.error.URLError, TimeoutError, json.JSONDecodeError) as exc:
+            last = exc
+            if attempt < attempts:
+                time.sleep(5 * attempt)
+    raise RuntimeError(f"{pkg}: pypistats unreachable after {attempts} attempts: {last}")
+
+
+def monthly(pkg: str) -> int:
+    cutoff = (date.today() - timedelta(days=WINDOW_DAYS)).isoformat()
+    rows = fetch(pkg)["data"]
+    return sum(r["downloads"] for r in rows if r["date"] >= cutoff)
+
+
+def human(n: int) -> str:
+    if n >= 1_000_000:
+        return f"{n / 1_000_000:.1f}M".replace(".0M", "M")
+    if n >= 10_000:
+        return f"{n // 1000}k"
+    if n >= 1_000:
+        return f"{n / 1000:.1f}k".replace(".0k", "k")
+    return str(n)
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+        print(__doc__, file=sys.stderr)
+        return 2
+    out = sys.argv[1]
+
+    for pkg, label in PACKAGES.items():
+        count = monthly(pkg)
+        payload = {
+            "schemaVersion": 1,
+            "label": label,
+            "message": f"{human(count)}/month",
+            "color": "blue",
+        }
+        path = f"{out}/{pkg}.json"
+        with open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+            json.dump(payload, fh, indent=2)
+            fh.write("\n")
+        print(f"{pkg}: {count} downloads in {WINDOW_DAYS}d -> {path}")
+
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/.github/workflows/download-badges.yml b/.github/workflows/download-badges.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9531254b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/download-badges.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+name: Download Badges
+
+# Refreshes the PyPI monthly-download badges shown in README.md.
+#
+# Why this exists: shields.io's own `pypi/dm` badge reads pypistats.org's
+# `/recent` endpoint, which is aggressively rate limited. When it refuses,
+# shields renders "rate limited by upstream service" and GitHub's camo proxy
+# caches that error image, so the badge stays broken long after the upstream
+# recovers. This job reads `/overall` instead, which answers reliably, and
+# publishes a shields endpoint JSON to the orphan `badges` branch.
+#
+# Counts exclude mirrors, matching what shields.io reports.
+#
+# No secrets required: pushes with the default GITHUB_TOKEN.
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '17 4 * * *'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+    paths:
+      - '.github/workflows/download-badges.yml'
+      - '.github/scripts/download_badges.py'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+concurrency:
+  group: download-badges
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  refresh:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.12'
+
+      - name: Build badge JSON
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p "$RUNNER_TEMP/badges"
+          python .github/scripts/download_badges.py "$RUNNER_TEMP/badges"
+
+      - name: Publish to badges branch
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          git config user.name  "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+
+          if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin badges >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            git fetch origin badges --depth=1
+            git switch --force badges
+          else
+            # git switch --orphan starts with an empty tree, unlike git checkout --orphan
+            git switch --orphan badges
+          fi
+
+          cp -f "$RUNNER_TEMP"/badges/*.json .
+
+          git add ./*.json
+          if git diff --cached --quiet; then
+            echo "No change in download counts; nothing to publish."
+          else
+            git commit -m "chore: refresh download badges"
+            git push origin badges
+          fi