diff --git a/composer/checkpoint/__init__.py b/composer/checkpoint/__init__.py
index d4b21c790d..33162fc5e6 100644
--- a/composer/checkpoint/__init__.py
+++ b/composer/checkpoint/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 """Module for checkpointing API."""
 
+from composer.checkpoint.download import download_monolithic_checkpoint
 from composer.checkpoint.state_dict import (
     get_metadata_state_dict,
     get_model_state_dict,
@@ -15,4 +16,5 @@
     'get_optim_state_dict',
     'get_metadata_state_dict',
     'get_resumption_state_dict',
+    'download_monolithic_checkpoint',
 ]
diff --git a/composer/checkpoint/download.py b/composer/checkpoint/download.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..01a80beb5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/composer/checkpoint/download.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# Copyright 2024 MosaicML Composer authors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+"""Useful functions for load checkpoints from remote object store or local disk."""
+
+import logging
+from typing import Optional
+
+from composer.utils import (
+    dist,
+    extract_path_from_symlink,
+    maybe_create_object_store_from_uri,
+    parse_uri,
+    retry,
+)
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def download_file(
+    source_uri: str,
+    destination_path: str,
+    node_ranks: Optional[list[int]] = None,
+    num_attempts: int = 5,
+):
+    """Downloads a file (object) from the specified URI to the specified directory.
+
+    Args:
+        source_uri (str): The URI to download the file from or a symlink to the URI.
+        destination_path (str): The directory to download the file to.
+        node_ranks (list[int]): The ranks of the nodes that will download the file. If None, all nodes will download the file.
+        num_attempts (int): Retry for object store downloads. Default to 5.
+    """
+    # Only local rank 0 downloads
+    local_rank = dist.get_local_rank()
+    if local_rank != 0:
+        return
+
+    node_rank = dist.get_node_rank()
+    if node_ranks is not None and node_rank not in node_ranks:
+        return
+
+    object_store = maybe_create_object_store_from_uri(source_uri)
+    _, _, source_path = parse_uri(source_uri)
+    if source_uri.endswith('.symlink'):
+        source_path = extract_path_from_symlink(source_path, object_store)
+    assert object_store is not None
+
+    @retry(num_attempts=num_attempts)
+    def _download():
+        object_store.download_object(
+            object_name=source_path,
+            filename=destination_path,
+        )
+
+    log.debug(f'Downloading {source_path} to {destination_path}')
+    _download()
+    log.debug(f'Finished downloading {source_path} to {destination_path}')
+
+
+def download_monolithic_checkpoint(
+    source_uri: str,
+    destination_path: str,
+    global_rank_zero_only: bool = True,
+):
+    """Downloads a monolithic checkpoint from the specified URI to the specified directory.
+
+    Args:
+        source_uri (str): The URI to download the checkpoint from or symlink that points to the URI.
+        destination_path (str): The directory to download the checkpoint to.
+        global_rank_zero_only (bool): If True, only rank 0 will download the checkpoint.
+        broadcast_files_to_other_nodes (bool): If True, the downloaded checkpoint will be broadcast to all other nodes.
+            If torch syncs modules states this is unnecessary.
+    """
+    node_ranks = None
+    if global_rank_zero_only:
+        node_ranks = [0]
+    download_file(
+        source_uri=source_uri,
+        destination_path=destination_path,
+        node_ranks=node_ranks,
+    )
+    if not global_rank_zero_only or (global_rank_zero_only and dist.get_global_rank() == 0):
+        return destination_path
+    return None
diff --git a/composer/utils/__init__.py b/composer/utils/__init__.py
index 0850fd2bdd..20fa44e092 100644
--- a/composer/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/composer/utils/__init__.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     create_symlink_file,
     ensure_folder_has_no_conflicting_files,
     ensure_folder_is_empty,
+    extract_path_from_symlink,
     format_name_with_dist,
     format_name_with_dist_and_time,
     get_file,
@@ -158,6 +159,7 @@
     'ParallelismConfig',
     'MLFLOW_EXPERIMENT_ID_FORMAT_KEY',
     'MLFLOW_RUN_ID_FORMAT_KEY',
+    'extract_path_from_symlink',
     'RemoteUploader',
     'validate_credentials',
     'build_remote_backend',
diff --git a/composer/utils/file_helpers.py b/composer/utils/file_helpers.py
index 11d10328ea..4f458b0a8e 100644
--- a/composer/utils/file_helpers.py
+++ b/composer/utils/file_helpers.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
     'maybe_create_object_store_from_uri',
     'maybe_create_remote_uploader_downloader_from_uri',
     'parse_uri',
+    'extract_path_from_symlink',
     'validate_credentials',
 ]
 
@@ -57,6 +58,16 @@ def extract_path_from_symlink(
     source_path: str,
     object_store: Optional[Union[LoggerDestination, ObjectStore]] = None,
 ) -> str:
+    """Returns the checkpont path from symlink file.
+
+    Args:
+        source_path(str): The remote symlink path.
+        object_store(LoggerDestination | ObjectStore, optional): The object store
+            used to download the remote symlink file
+
+    Returns:
+        str: The content of the remote symlink file.
+    """
     if object_store is not None:
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
             _, _, source_path = parse_uri(source_path)
diff --git a/tests/checkpoint/test_download.py b/tests/checkpoint/test_download.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98c937bac4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/checkpoint/test_download.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Copyright 2024 MosaicML Composer authors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import os
+import tempfile
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+import torch
+
+from composer.checkpoint import download_monolithic_checkpoint
+from composer.utils import dist
+from tests.checkpoint.helpers import init_model
+from tests.common.markers import world_size
+from tests.utils.test_remote_uploader import DummyObjectStore
+
+
+@world_size(1, 2)
+@pytest.mark.gpu
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('rank_zero_only', [True, False])
+def test_download_monolithic_checkpoint(world_size: int, rank_zero_only: bool):
+    # Write a checkpoint
+    tmp_dir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+    use_fsdp = False
+    if world_size > 1:
+        use_fsdp = True
+    fsdp_model, _ = init_model(use_fsdp=use_fsdp)
+
+    from torch.distributed.checkpoint.state_dict import StateDictOptions, get_model_state_dict
+    state = get_model_state_dict(fsdp_model, options=StateDictOptions(full_state_dict=True))
+
+    checkpoint_filename = 'state_dict'
+    save_filename = os.path.join(tmp_dir.name, checkpoint_filename)
+    if dist.get_global_rank() == 0:
+        torch.save(state, save_filename)
+
+    class DummyS3ObjectStore(DummyObjectStore):
+
+        def get_tmp_dir(self):
+            return tmp_dir
+
+    # Download a monolithic checkpoint
+    local_file_name = 'state_dict.download'
+    with patch('composer.utils.file_helpers.S3ObjectStore', DummyS3ObjectStore):
+        ret = download_monolithic_checkpoint(
+            source_uri=f's3://bucket_name/{checkpoint_filename}',
+            destination_path=local_file_name,
+            global_rank_zero_only=rank_zero_only,
+        )
+    dist.barrier()
+
+    if rank_zero_only and dist.get_global_rank() != 0:
+        assert ret == None
+    if dist.get_global_rank() == 0:
+        assert ret == local_file_name
+        assert os.path.isfile(local_file_name) == True
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_remote_uploader.py b/tests/utils/test_remote_uploader.py
index 2e41e91d18..100e64ecf0 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_remote_uploader.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_remote_uploader.py
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ def download_object(
         overwrite: bool = False,
         callback: Optional[Callable[[int, int], None]] = None,
     ):
+        if overwrite is False and os.path.isfile(filename):
+            raise FileExistsError(f'The file at {filename} already exists and overwrite is set to False.')
         object_path = pathlib.Path(self.root) / object_name
         shutil.copy2(object_path, filename)