diff --git a/src/TwitterOAuth.php b/src/TwitterOAuth.php
index db361a9b..2e1f43a3 100644
--- a/src/TwitterOAuth.php
+++ b/src/TwitterOAuth.php
@@ -317,6 +317,19 @@ public function mediaStatus(string $media_id)
         );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get media file attached to direct message.
+     *
+     * @param string $url
+     * @param array  $parameters
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getFile(string $url, array $parameters = [])
+    {
+        return $this->makeRequests($url, 'GET', $parameters, false);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Private method to upload media (not chunked) to upload.twitter.com.
      *
@@ -464,7 +477,12 @@ private function http(
         if (!$json) {
             $parameters = $this->cleanUpParameters($parameters);
         }
-        return $this->makeRequests($url, $method, $parameters, $json);
+        $result = $this->makeRequests($url, $method, $parameters, $json);
+
+        $response = JsonDecoder::decode($result, $this->decodeJsonAsArray);
+        $this->response->setBody($response);
+
+        return $response;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -477,7 +495,7 @@ private function http(
      * @param array  $parameters
      * @param bool   $json
      *
-     * @return array|object
+     * @return string
      */
     private function makeRequests(
         string $url,
@@ -488,13 +506,11 @@ private function makeRequests(
         do {
             $this->sleepIfNeeded();
             $result = $this->oAuthRequest($url, $method, $parameters, $json);
-            $response = JsonDecoder::decode($result, $this->decodeJsonAsArray);
-            $this->response->setBody($response);
             $this->attempts++;
             // Retry up to our $maxRetries number if we get errors greater than 500 (over capacity etc)
         } while ($this->requestsAvailable());
 
-        return $response;
+        return $result;
     }
 
     /**