diff --git a/public/app/config/config.js b/public/app/config/config.js
index 9bd1ac9d..304d8707 100644
--- a/public/app/config/config.js
+++ b/public/app/config/config.js
@@ -44,8 +44,10 @@ const TMP_FOLDER = 'tmp';
 const DEFAULT_LANG = 'en';
 const DEFAULT_DEVELOPER_MODE = false;
 const DEFAULT_GEOLOCATION_ENABLED = false;
+const DEFAULT_PROTOCOL = 'https';
 
 module.exports = {
+  DEFAULT_PROTOCOL,
   DEFAULT_DEVELOPER_MODE,
   DEFAULT_GEOLOCATION_ENABLED,
   DOWNLOADABLE_MIME_TYPES,
diff --git a/public/app/download.js b/public/app/download.js
index 42c0537b..a72630ad 100644
--- a/public/app/download.js
+++ b/public/app/download.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+const _ = require('lodash');
 const request = require('request-promise');
 const cheerio = require('cheerio');
 const download = require('download');
 const providers = require('./config/providers');
 const logger = require('./logger');
 const mapping = require('./config/mapping');
+const { DEFAULT_PROTOCOL } = require('./config/config');
 const {
   getExtension,
   isDownloadable,
@@ -52,8 +54,8 @@ const downloadSpaceResources = async ({ lang, space, absoluteSpacePath }) => {
       const { key } = asset;
       if (url) {
         // default to https
-        if (url.startsWith('//')) {
-          url = `https:${url}`;
+        if (_.isString(url) && url.startsWith('//')) {
+          url = `${DEFAULT_PROTOCOL}:${url}`;
         }
 
         // get extension to save file
diff --git a/src/components/phase/PhaseItem.js b/src/components/phase/PhaseItem.js
index 0884b836..5e731c7d 100644
--- a/src/components/phase/PhaseItem.js
+++ b/src/components/phase/PhaseItem.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import _ from 'lodash';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import {
   TEXT,
@@ -7,14 +8,16 @@ import {
   RESOURCE,
   APPLICATION,
   IFRAME,
+  DEFAULT_PROTOCOL,
 } from '../../config/constants';
 import PhaseText from './PhaseText';
 import PhaseImage from './PhaseImage';
 import PhaseVideo from './PhaseVideo';
 import PhaseApp from './PhaseApp';
 
-const renderResource = item => {
-  const { id, mimeType, content, asset, url, name } = item;
+// prop types gets confused when dealing with helper renderers
+// eslint-disable-next-line react/prop-types
+const renderResource = ({ id, mimeType, content, asset, url, name }) => {
   if (mimeType === TEXT) {
     return <PhaseText key={id} id={id} content={content} />;
   }
@@ -44,10 +47,19 @@ const renderResource = item => {
 };
 
 const PhaseItem = ({ item, spaceId, phaseId }) => {
-  const { id, category, asset, url, name, appInstance } = item;
+  const { id, category, asset, name, appInstance, mimeType, content } = item;
+
+  // we might need to fiddle with the url's protocol
+  let { url } = item;
+
+  // default to https urls for items to avoid electron using file:// by default
+  if (_.isString(url) && url.startsWith('//')) {
+    url = `${DEFAULT_PROTOCOL}:${url}`;
+  }
+
   switch (category) {
     case RESOURCE:
-      return renderResource(item);
+      return renderResource({ id, mimeType, content, asset, url, name });
 
     case APPLICATION:
       return (
diff --git a/src/config/constants.js b/src/config/constants.js
index 415bbbbe..f8048922 100644
--- a/src/config/constants.js
+++ b/src/config/constants.js
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ export const CONTROL_TYPES = {
   SWITCH: 'SWITCH',
 };
 export const MIN_CARD_WIDTH = 345;
+export const DEFAULT_PROTOCOL = 'https';