diff --git a/lib/tasks/download.js b/lib/tasks/download.js
index b84046cf..0ed40bf7 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/download.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/download.js
@@ -1,30 +1,32 @@
+'use strict';
 
-var fs = require('fs-extra'),
-    util = require('util'),
-    request = require('request'),
-    _ = require('lodash'),
-    progress = require('../../util/streamProgressBar'),
-    logger = require( 'pelias-logger' ).get( 'geonames' );
+const child_process = require('child_process');
+const logger = require( 'pelias-logger' ).get( 'geonames' );
 
 // use datapath setting from your config file
-var settings = require('pelias-config').generate();
-var basepath = settings.imports.geonames.datapath;
+const settings = require('pelias-config').generate();
+const basepath = settings.imports.geonames.datapath;
 
 module.exports = function (filename) {
+  const remoteFilePath = `http://download.geonames.org/export/dump/${filename}.zip`;
+  const localFileName = `${basepath}/${filename}.zip`;
 
-  var remoteFilePath = util.format( 'http://download.geonames.org/export/dump/%s.zip', filename );
-  var localFileName = util.format( '%s/%s.zip', basepath, filename );
+  logger.info( 'downloading datafile from:', remoteFilePath );
 
-  fs.mkdirs('data', function(error) {
-    if( error ){
-      logger.error( error );
-      return;
-    }
-    logger.info( 'downloading datafile from:', remoteFilePath );
+  const command = `curl ${remoteFilePath} > ${localFileName}`;
 
-    request.get( remoteFilePath )
-      .pipe( progress( _.padEnd( localFileName, 30 ) ) )
-      .pipe( fs.createWriteStream( localFileName ) );
+  const job = child_process.exec(command);
+
+  job.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+      process.stdout.write(data);
+  });
+
+  job.stderr.on('data', (data) => {
+      process.stderr.write(data);
   });
 
+  job.on('close', (code) => {
+      console.log(`Geonames download finished with exit code ${code}`);
+      process.exitCode = code;
+  });
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d1ced8cb..33f1d6fd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@
     "pelias-logger": "0.1.0",
     "pelias-model": "4.4.0",
     "pelias-wof-admin-lookup": "2.8.0",
-    "progress": "^1.1.5",
-    "progress-stream": "^1.2.0",
     "request": "^2.34.0",
     "through2": "^2.0.1",
     "through2-filter": "^2.0.0"