diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index e31f6e27..f8b9be28 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -6166,6 +6166,20 @@ Description
     instead of downloading a potentially broken file.
 
 
+downloader.http.validate-html
+-----------------------------
+Type
+    ``bool``
+Default
+    ``true``
+Description
+    Check for unexpected HTML responses.
+
+    Fail file downloads with a ``text/html``
+    `Content-Type header <https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/Content-Type>`__
+    when expecting a media file instead.
+
+
 downloader.ytdl.cmdline-args
 ----------------------------
 Type
diff --git a/docs/gallery-dl.conf b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
index 1723ec33..4d6cecef 100644
--- a/docs/gallery-dl.conf
+++ b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
@@ -1020,7 +1020,8 @@
             "headers"          : null,
             "retry-codes"      : [],
             "sleep-429"        : 60.0,
-            "validate"         : true
+            "validate"         : true,
+            "validate-html"    : true
         },
 
         "ytdl":
diff --git a/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py b/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py
index ac0a03ad..94aa8f33 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class HttpDownloader(DownloaderBase):
         self.metadata = extractor.config("http-metadata")
         self.progress = self.config("progress", 3.0)
         self.validate = self.config("validate", True)
+        self.validate_html = self.config("validate-html", True)
         self.headers = self.config("headers")
         self.minsize = self.config("filesize-min")
         self.maxsize = self.config("filesize-max")
@@ -204,8 +205,8 @@ class HttpDownloader(DownloaderBase):
                 return False
 
             # check for invalid responses
-            validate = kwdict.get("_http_validate")
-            if validate and self.validate:
+            if self.validate and \
+                    (validate := kwdict.get("_http_validate")) is not None:
                 try:
                     result = validate(response)
                 except Exception:
@@ -219,6 +220,14 @@ class HttpDownloader(DownloaderBase):
                     self.release_conn(response)
                     self.log.warning("Invalid response")
                     return False
+            if self.validate_html and response.headers.get(
+                    "content-type", "").startswith("text/html") and \
+                    pathfmt.extension not in ("html", "htm"):
+                if response.history:
+                    self.log.warning("HTTP redirect to '%s'", response.url)
+                else:
+                    self.log.warning("HTML response")
+                return False
 
             # check file size
             size = text.parse_int(size, None)
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/fantia.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/fantia.py
index 64491fcd..2e3f0d8b 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/fantia.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/fantia.py
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ class FantiaExtractor(Extractor):
                         "%s#post-content-id-%s", content["visible_status"],
                         post["post_url"], content["id"])
 
-                post["_http_validate"] = self._validate_response
                 for file in files:
                     post.update(file)
                     post["num"] += 1
@@ -91,10 +90,6 @@ class FantiaExtractor(Extractor):
         self.headers["X-CSRF-Token"] = text.extr(
             page, 'name="csrf-token" content="', '"')
 
-    def _validate_response(self, response):
-        return not response.history or not response.headers.get(
-            "content-type", "").startswith("text/html")
-
     def _get_post_data(self, post_id):
         """Fetch and process post data"""
         url = self.root+"/api/v1/posts/"+post_id