diff --git a/api/cedar_metadata_records/views.py b/api/cedar_metadata_records/views.py
index 86eec237804..33ae361334f 100644
--- a/api/cedar_metadata_records/views.py
+++ b/api/cedar_metadata_records/views.py
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
     CedarMetadataRecordsDetailSerializer,
 )
 from framework.auth.oauth_scopes import CoreScopes
-
-from osf.models import CedarMetadataRecord
+from osf.models import CedarMetadataRecord, Node, Registration
+from website import settings
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -99,5 +99,10 @@ def get_serializer_class(self):
 
     def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         record = self.get_object()
+        is_referent_project_or_registration = isinstance(record.guid.referent, (Node, Registration))
         file_name = f'{record._id}-{record.get_template_name()}-v{record.get_template_version()}.json'
-        return Response(record.metadata, headers={'Content-Disposition': f'attachment; filename={file_name}'})
+        headers = {'Content-Disposition': f'attachment; filename={file_name}'}
+        if is_referent_project_or_registration:
+            guid_id = record.guid._id
+            headers['link'] = f'<{settings.DOMAIN}{guid_id}/>; rel="describes"; type="text/html"'
+        return Response(record.metadata, headers=headers)
diff --git a/api_tests/cedar_metadata_records/views/test_record_metadata_download_get.py b/api_tests/cedar_metadata_records/views/test_record_metadata_download_get.py
index eb10a25aa8c..81cb97852f5 100644
--- a/api_tests/cedar_metadata_records/views/test_record_metadata_download_get.py
+++ b/api_tests/cedar_metadata_records/views/test_record_metadata_download_get.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from .test_record import TestCedarMetadataRecord
 from osf.utils.permissions import READ, WRITE
 from osf_tests.factories import AuthUserFactory
+from website import settings
+
 
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 class TestCedarMetadataRecordMetadataDownloadPrivateProjectPublishedMetadata(TestCedarMetadataRecord):
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@ def test_record_metadata_download_for_node_with_admin_auth(self, app, node, user
         resp = app.get(f'/_/cedar_metadata_records/{cedar_record_for_node._id}/metadata_download/', auth=admin.auth)
         assert resp.status_code == 200
         assert resp.headers['Content-Disposition'] == f'attachment; filename={self.get_record_metadata_download_file_name(cedar_record_for_node)}'
+        assert resp.headers.get('Link') == f'<{settings.DOMAIN}{node._id}/>; rel="describes"; type="text/html"'
         assert resp.json == cedar_record_metadata_json
 
     def test_record_metadata_download_for_node_with_write_auth(self, app, node, cedar_record_for_node, cedar_record_metadata_json):
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ def test_record_metadata_download_for_registration_with_admin_auth(self, app, us
         resp = app.get(f'/_/cedar_metadata_records/{cedar_record_for_registration._id}/metadata_download/', auth=admin.auth)
         assert resp.status_code == 200
         assert resp.headers['Content-Disposition'] == f'attachment; filename={self.get_record_metadata_download_file_name(cedar_record_for_registration)}'
+        assert resp.headers.get('Link') == f'<{settings.DOMAIN}{cedar_record_for_registration.guid._id}/>; rel="describes"; type="text/html"'
         assert resp.json == cedar_record_metadata_json
 
     def test_record_metadata_download_for_registration_with_write_auth(self, app, registration, cedar_record_for_registration, cedar_record_metadata_json):
@@ -307,6 +311,7 @@ def test_record_metadata_download_for_node_with_admin_auth(self, app, user, ceda
         resp = app.get(f'/_/cedar_metadata_records/{cedar_draft_record_for_file_alt._id}/metadata_download/', auth=admin.auth)
         assert resp.status_code == 200
         assert resp.headers['Content-Disposition'] == f'attachment; filename={self.get_record_metadata_download_file_name(cedar_draft_record_for_file_alt)}'
+        assert not resp.headers.get('Link')
         assert resp.json == cedar_record_metadata_json
 
     def test_record_metadata_download_for_node_with_write_auth(self, app, node_alt, cedar_draft_record_for_file_alt, cedar_record_metadata_json):