diff --git a/components/feature/downloads/src/androidTest/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/OnDeviceDownloadStorageTest.kt b/components/feature/downloads/src/androidTest/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/OnDeviceDownloadStorageTest.kt
index 1eb3e3ca4c7..4737a33b2f9 100644
--- a/components/feature/downloads/src/androidTest/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/OnDeviceDownloadStorageTest.kt
+++ b/components/feature/downloads/src/androidTest/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/OnDeviceDownloadStorageTest.kt
@@ -145,6 +145,49 @@ class OnDeviceDownloadStorageTest {
         assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(download3, downloads[2]!!))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun testAddingDataURLDownload() = runBlockingTest {
+        val download1 = createMockDownload("1", "data:text/plain;base64,SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ==")
+        val download2 = createMockDownload("2", "url2")
+
+        storage.add(download1)
+        storage.add(download2)
+
+        val downloads = getDownloadsPagedList()
+
+        assertEquals(2, downloads.size)
+
+        assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(download1.copy(url = ""), downloads.first()))
+        assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(download2, downloads[1]!!))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testUpdatingDataURLDownload() = runBlockingTest {
+        val download1 = createMockDownload("1", "url1")
+        val download2 = createMockDownload("2", "url2")
+
+        storage.add(download1)
+        storage.add(download2)
+
+        var downloads = getDownloadsPagedList()
+
+        assertEquals(2, downloads.size)
+
+        assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(download1, downloads.first()))
+        assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(download2, downloads[1]!!))
+
+        val updatedDownload1 = createMockDownload("1", "data:text/plain;base64,SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ==")
+        val updatedDownload2 = createMockDownload("2", "updated_url2")
+
+        storage.update(updatedDownload1)
+        storage.update(updatedDownload2)
+
+        downloads = getDownloadsPagedList()
+
+        assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(updatedDownload1.copy(url = ""), downloads.first()))
+        assertTrue(DownloadStorage.isSameDownload(updatedDownload2, downloads[1]!!))
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun testRemovingDownload() = runBlockingTest {
         val download1 = createMockDownload("1", "url1")
diff --git a/components/feature/downloads/src/main/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntity.kt b/components/feature/downloads/src/main/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntity.kt
index ed87195c339..ff25ff82b69 100644
--- a/components/feature/downloads/src/main/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntity.kt
+++ b/components/feature/downloads/src/main/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntity.kt
@@ -61,9 +61,22 @@ internal data class DownloadEntity(
 }
 
 internal fun DownloadState.toDownloadEntity(): DownloadEntity {
+
+    /**
+     * Data URLs cause problems when restoring the values from the db,
+     * as the string could be so long that it could break the maximum allowed size for a cursor,
+     * causing SQLiteBIobTooBigException when restoring downloads from the DB.
+     */
+    val isDataURL = url.startsWith("data:")
+    val sanitizedURL = if (isDataURL) {
+        ""
+    } else {
+        url
+    }
+
     return DownloadEntity(
         id,
-        url,
+        sanitizedURL,
         fileName,
         contentType,
         contentLength,
diff --git a/components/feature/downloads/src/test/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntityTest.kt b/components/feature/downloads/src/test/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntityTest.kt
index 2544f884909..72da9a55a26 100644
--- a/components/feature/downloads/src/test/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntityTest.kt
+++ b/components/feature/downloads/src/test/java/mozilla/components/feature/downloads/db/DownloadEntityTest.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import android.os.Environment
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import mozilla.components.browser.state.state.content.DownloadState
 import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
 import org.junit.Test
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 
@@ -64,4 +65,30 @@ class DownloadEntityTest {
         assertEquals(downloadState.destinationDirectory, downloadEntity.destinationDirectory)
         assertEquals(downloadState.createdTime, downloadEntity.createdAt)
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `GIVEN a download with data URL WHEN converting a DownloadState to DownloadEntity THEN data url is removed`() {
+        val downloadState = DownloadState(
+            id = "1",
+            url = "data:text/plain;base64,SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ=="
+        )
+
+        val downloadEntity = downloadState.toDownloadEntity()
+
+        assertEquals(downloadState.id, downloadEntity.id)
+        assertTrue(downloadEntity.url.isEmpty())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `GIVEN a download with no data URL WHEN converting a DownloadState to DownloadEntity THEN data url is not removed`() {
+        val downloadState = DownloadState(
+            id = "1",
+            url = "url"
+        )
+
+        val downloadEntity = downloadState.toDownloadEntity()
+
+        assertEquals(downloadState.id, downloadEntity.id)
+        assertEquals(downloadState.url, downloadEntity.url)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index a602e307c50..3bacc7b15a8 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ permalink: /changelog/
 * **feature-downloads**:
   * ⚠️ **This is a breaking change**: `AbstractFetchDownloadService.openFile()` changed its signature from `AbstractFetchDownloadService.openFile(context: Context, filePath: String, contentType: String?)` to `AbstractFetchDownloadService.openFile(applicationContext: Context, download: DownloadState)`.
   * 🚒 Bug fixed [issue #](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/issues/10138) - The downloaded files cannot be seen.
+  * 🚒 Bug fixed [issue #10157](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/issues/10157) - Crash on startup when tying to restore data URLs from the db.
 
 * **browser-engine-gecko(-nightly/beta)**
   * ⚠️ From now on there will be only one `concept-engine` implementation using [GeckoView](https://mozilla.github.io/geckoview/). On `master` this will be the Nightly version. In release versions it will be the corresponding Beta or Release version. More about this in [RFC 7](https://mozac.org/rfc/0007-synchronized-releases).