diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 7148209..8d6fdba 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -53,8 +53,57 @@ export function equals(a, b) {
     : typeof a === 'object' && Object.keys(a).length === Object.keys(b).length && Object.keys(a).every(k => equals(a[k], b[k]))
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the byte length using fetch with a ranged GET request.
+ * Aborts the request if server returns 200 instead of 206.
+ *
+ * @param {string} url
+ * @param {RequestInit} [requestInit] fetch options
+ * @param {typeof globalThis.fetch} [fetchFn] fetch function to use
+ * @returns {Promise<number>}
+ */
+async function byteLengthFromUrlUsingFetch(url, requestInit = {}, fetchFn = globalThis.fetch) {
+  const controller = new AbortController()
+  const headers = new Headers(requestInit.headers)
+  headers.set('Range', 'bytes=0-0')
+
+  const res = await fetchFn(url, {
+    ...requestInit,
+    headers,
+    signal: controller.signal,
+  })
+
+  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`fetch with range failed ${res.status}`)
+
+  // Server supports Range requests (206 Partial Content)
+  if (res.status === 206) {
+    const contentRange = res.headers.get('Content-Range')
+    if (!contentRange) throw new Error('missing content-range header')
+
+    // Parse "bytes 0-0/9446073" to get total length
+    const match = contentRange.match(/bytes \d+-\d+\/(\d+)/)
+    if (!match) throw new Error(`invalid content-range header: ${contentRange}`)
+
+    return parseInt(match[1])
+  }
+
+  // Server ignored Range and returned 200 - get Content-Length and abort request
+  if (res.status === 200) {
+    const contentLength = res.headers.get('Content-Length')
+
+    // Abort the request to stop any ongoing download
+    controller.abort()
+
+    if (contentLength) return parseInt(contentLength)
+  }
+
+  throw new Error('server does not support range requests and missing content-length')
+}
+
 /**
  * Get the byte length of a URL using a HEAD request.
+ * If HEAD fails with 403 (e.g., with signed S3 URLs), falls back to a ranged GET request.
+ * If HEAD succeeds but Content-Length is missing, falls back to GET with range.
  * If requestInit is provided, it will be passed to fetch.
  *
  * @param {string} url
@@ -64,13 +113,20 @@ export function equals(a, b) {
  */
 export async function byteLengthFromUrl(url, requestInit, customFetch) {
   const fetch = customFetch ?? globalThis.fetch
-  return await fetch(url, { ...requestInit, method: 'HEAD' })
-    .then(res => {
-      if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`fetch head failed ${res.status}`)
-      const length = res.headers.get('Content-Length')
-      if (!length) throw new Error('missing content length')
-      return parseInt(length)
-    })
+  const res = await fetch(url, { ...requestInit, method: 'HEAD' })
+
+  // If HEAD request is forbidden (common with signed S3 URLs), try GET with range
+  if (res.status === 403) {
+    return byteLengthFromUrlUsingFetch(url, requestInit, fetch)
+  }
+
+  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`fetch head failed ${res.status}`)
+  const length = res.headers.get('Content-Length')
+  // If Content-Length is missing from HEAD, fallback to GET with range
+  if (!length) {
+    return byteLengthFromUrlUsingFetch(url, requestInit, fetch)
+  }
+  return parseInt(length)
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/utils.test.js b/test/utils.test.js
index 3a52c83..4e813d6 100644
--- a/test/utils.test.js
+++ b/test/utils.test.js
@@ -56,13 +56,21 @@ describe('byteLengthFromUrl', () => {
     await expect(byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com')).rejects.toThrow('fetch head failed 404')
   })
 
-  it('throws an error if Content-Length header is missing', async () => {
-    global.fetch = vi.fn().mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      ok: true,
-      headers: new Map(),
-    })
+  it('falls back to GET with range if Content-Length header is missing from HEAD', async () => {
+    const customFetch = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        headers: new Map(),
+      })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 206,
+        headers: new Map([['Content-Range', 'bytes 0-0/2048']]),
+      })
 
-    await expect(byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com')).rejects.toThrow('missing content length')
+    const result = await byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)
+    expect(result).toBe(2048)
+    expect(customFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
   })
 
 
@@ -95,6 +103,137 @@ describe('byteLengthFromUrl', () => {
     expect(result).toBe(2048)
     expect(customFetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('https://example.com', { ...requestInit, method: 'HEAD' })
   })
+
+  it('falls back to ranged GET when HEAD returns 403', async () => {
+    const customFetch = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 206,
+        headers: new Map([['Content-Range', 'bytes 0-0/9446073']]),
+      })
+
+    const result = await byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)
+    expect(result).toBe(9446073)
+    expect(customFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(customFetch).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 'https://example.com', { method: 'HEAD' })
+  })
+
+  it('fallback throws error if Content-Range header is missing on 206 response', async () => {
+    const customFetch = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 206,
+        headers: new Map(),
+      })
+
+    await expect(byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)).rejects.toThrow('missing content-range header')
+  })
+
+  it('fallback throws error if Content-Range header is invalid', async () => {
+    const customFetch = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 206,
+        headers: new Map([['Content-Range', 'invalid format']]),
+      })
+
+    await expect(byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)).rejects.toThrow('invalid content-range header')
+  })
+
+  it('fallback uses Content-Length when server returns 200 (Range not supported)', async () => {
+    const mockArrayBuffer = new ArrayBuffer(5242880)
+
+    const customFetch = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 200,
+        headers: new Map([['Content-Length', '5242880']]),
+        arrayBuffer: () => Promise.resolve(mockArrayBuffer),
+      })
+
+    const result = await byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)
+    expect(result).toBe(5242880)
+  })
+
+  it('fallback throws error when server returns 200 without Content-Length', async () => {
+    const customFetch = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 200,
+        headers: new Map(),
+        body: null,
+      })
+
+    await expect(byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)).rejects.toThrow(
+      'server does not support range requests and missing content-length'
+    )
+  })
+
+  describe('fetch with AbortController', () => {
+    it('aborts request when server returns 200 with Content-Length', async () => {
+      let capturedSignal = null
+
+      const customFetch = vi.fn()
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 }) // HEAD fails
+        .mockImplementation((url, options) => { // GET returns 200
+          capturedSignal = options.signal
+          return Promise.resolve({
+            ok: true,
+            status: 200,
+            headers: new Map([['Content-Length', '5242880']]),
+          })
+        })
+
+      const result = await byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)
+      expect(result).toBe(5242880)
+      expect(capturedSignal).toBeDefined()
+      // @ts-ignore - capturedSignal is assigned in the mock
+      expect(capturedSignal.aborted).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('does not abort when server returns 206', async () => {
+      let capturedSignal = null
+
+      const customFetch = vi.fn()
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 }) // HEAD fails
+        .mockImplementation((url, options) => { // GET returns 206
+          capturedSignal = options.signal
+          return Promise.resolve({
+            ok: true,
+            status: 206,
+            headers: new Map([['Content-Range', 'bytes 0-0/9446073']]),
+          })
+        })
+
+      const result = await byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)
+      expect(result).toBe(9446073)
+      expect(capturedSignal).toBeDefined()
+      // @ts-ignore - capturedSignal is assigned in the mock
+      expect(capturedSignal.aborted).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('passes abort signal to fetch', async () => {
+      const customFetch = vi.fn()
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, status: 403 }) // HEAD fails
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({ // GET returns 206
+          ok: true,
+          status: 206,
+          headers: new Map([['Content-Range', 'bytes 0-0/1024']]),
+        })
+
+      await byteLengthFromUrl('https://example.com', undefined, customFetch)
+
+      // Check second call (the GET with range)
+      const secondCallArgs = customFetch.mock.calls[1]
+      expect(secondCallArgs[1]).toHaveProperty('signal')
+      expect(secondCallArgs[1].signal).toBeInstanceOf(AbortSignal)
+    })
+  })
 })
 
 describe('asyncBufferFromUrl', () => {