diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go b/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go
index 4b29ddbc7..6986f58ca 100644
--- a/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go
+++ b/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"tailscale.com/ipn"
 	"tailscale.com/net/tsaddr"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+	"tailscale.com/util/quarantine"
 	"tailscale.com/version"
 )
 
@@ -393,6 +394,10 @@ func receiveFile(ctx context.Context, wf apitype.WaitingFile, dir string) (targe
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", 0, err
 	}
+	// Apply quarantine attribute before copying
+	if err := quarantine.SetOnFile(f); err != nil {
+		return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to apply quarantine attribute to file %v: %v", f.Name(), err)
+	}
 	_, err = io.Copy(f, rc)
 	if err != nil {
 		f.Close()
diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt b/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt
index 3fa91bafc..27927ec79 100644
--- a/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt
+++ b/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale dependencies: (generated by github.com/tailscale/dep
    W 💣 github.com/alexbrainman/sspi/negotiate                       from tailscale.com/net/tshttpproxy
         github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2                                 from tailscale.com/tka
         github.com/golang/groupcache/lru                             from tailscale.com/net/dnscache
+   D    github.com/google/uuid                                       from tailscale.com/util/quarantine
         github.com/hdevalence/ed25519consensus                       from tailscale.com/tka
    L    github.com/josharian/native                                  from github.com/mdlayher/netlink+
    L 💣 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink                              from tailscale.com/net/interfaces
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale dependencies: (generated by github.com/tailscale/dep
         tailscale.com/util/lineread                                  from tailscale.com/net/interfaces+
         tailscale.com/util/mak                                       from tailscale.com/net/netcheck+
         tailscale.com/util/multierr                                  from tailscale.com/control/controlhttp
+        tailscale.com/util/quarantine                                from tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale/cli
         tailscale.com/util/singleflight                              from tailscale.com/net/dnscache
    L    tailscale.com/util/strs                                      from tailscale.com/hostinfo
    W 💣 tailscale.com/util/winutil                                   from tailscale.com/hostinfo+
@@ -176,6 +178,7 @@ tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale dependencies: (generated by github.com/tailscale/dep
         crypto/tls                                                   from github.com/tcnksm/go-httpstat+
         crypto/x509                                                  from crypto/tls+
         crypto/x509/pkix                                             from crypto/x509+
+   D    database/sql/driver                                          from github.com/google/uuid
         embed                                                        from tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale/cli+
         encoding                                                     from encoding/json+
         encoding/asn1                                                from crypto/x509+
diff --git a/util/quarantine/quarantine.go b/util/quarantine/quarantine.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8f404dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/quarantine/quarantine.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Tailscale Inc & AUTHORS All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Package quarantine sets platform specific "quarantine" attributes on files
+// that are received from other hosts.
+package quarantine
+
+import "os"
+
+// SetOnFile sets the platform-specific quarantine attribute (if any) on the
+// provided file.
+func SetOnFile(f *os.File) error {
+	return setQuarantineAttr(f)
+}
diff --git a/util/quarantine/quarantine_darwin.go b/util/quarantine/quarantine_darwin.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69ccc0b30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/quarantine/quarantine_darwin.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Tailscale Inc & AUTHORS All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package quarantine
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+)
+
+func setQuarantineAttr(f *os.File) error {
+	sc, err := f.SyscallConn()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	// We uppercase the UUID to match what other applications on macOS do
+	id := strings.ToUpper(uuid.New().String())
+
+	// kLSQuarantineTypeOtherDownload; this matches what AirDrop sets when
+	// receiving a file.
+	quarantineType := "0001"
+
+	// This format is under-documented, but the following links contain a
+	// reasonably comprehensive overview:
+	//    https://eclecticlight.co/2020/10/29/quarantine-and-the-quarantine-flag/
+	//    https://nixhacker.com/security-protection-in-macos-1/
+	//    https://ilostmynotes.blogspot.com/2012/06/gatekeeper-xprotect-and-quarantine.html
+	attrData := fmt.Sprintf("%s;%x;%s;%s",
+		quarantineType, // quarantine value
+		now.Unix(),     // time in hex
+		"Tailscale",    // application
+		id,             // UUID
+	)
+
+	var innerErr error
+	err = sc.Control(func(fd uintptr) {
+		innerErr = unix.Fsetxattr(
+			int(fd),
+			"com.apple.quarantine", // attr
+			[]byte(attrData),
+			0,
+		)
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return innerErr
+}
diff --git a/util/quarantine/quarantine_default.go b/util/quarantine/quarantine_default.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86c56845d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/quarantine/quarantine_default.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Tailscale Inc & AUTHORS All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+//go:build !darwin && !windows
+
+package quarantine
+
+import (
+	"os"
+)
+
+func setQuarantineAttr(f *os.File) error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/util/quarantine/quarantine_windows.go b/util/quarantine/quarantine_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ebf4498ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/quarantine/quarantine_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Tailscale Inc & AUTHORS All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package quarantine
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+func setQuarantineAttr(f *os.File) error {
+	// Documentation on this can be found here:
+	//    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/windows_protocols/ms-fscc/6e3f7352-d11c-4d76-8c39-2516a9df36e8
+	//
+	// Additional information can be found at:
+	//    https://www.digital-detective.net/forensic-analysis-of-zone-identifier-stream/
+	//    https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1433179
+	content := strings.Join([]string{
+		"[ZoneTransfer]",
+
+		// "URLZONE_INTERNET"
+		// https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/internet-explorer/ie-developer/platform-apis/ms537175(v=vs.85)
+		"ZoneId=3",
+
+		// TODO(andrew): should/could we add ReferrerUrl or HostUrl?
+	}, "\r\n")
+
+	return os.WriteFile(f.Name()+":Zone.Identifier", []byte(content), 0)
+}