diff --git a/libpathod/pathoc.py b/libpathod/pathoc.py
index 9970ffd9e..3e5204c21 100644
--- a/libpathod/pathoc.py
+++ b/libpathod/pathoc.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import sys
+import sys, os
 from netlib import tcp, http
 import rparse
 
@@ -18,14 +18,19 @@ def print_full(fp, httpversion, code, msg, headers, content):
 class Pathoc(tcp.TCPClient):
     def __init__(self, host, port):
         tcp.TCPClient.__init__(self, host, port)
+        self.settings = dict(
+            staticdir = os.getcwd(),
+            unconstrained_file_access = True
+        )
 
     def request(self, spec):
         """
             Return an (httpversion, code, msg, headers, content) tuple.
 
-            May raise rparse.ParseException and netlib.http.HttpError.
+            May raise rparse.ParseException, netlib.http.HttpError or
+            rparse.FileAccessDenied.
         """
-        r = rparse.parse_request({}, spec)
+        r = rparse.parse_request(self.settings, spec)
         ret = r.serve(self.wfile)
         self.wfile.flush()
         return http.read_response(self.rfile, r.method, None)
@@ -37,7 +42,7 @@ class Pathoc(tcp.TCPClient):
         """
         for i in reqs:
             try:
-                r = rparse.parse_request({}, i)
+                r = rparse.parse_request(self.settings, i)
                 req = r.serve(self.wfile)
                 if reqdump:
                     print >> fp, "\n>>", req["method"], repr(req["path"])
@@ -52,6 +57,9 @@ class Pathoc(tcp.TCPClient):
                 print >> fp, "Error parsing request spec: %s"%v.msg
                 print >> fp, v.marked()
                 return
+            except rparse.FileAccessDenied, v:
+                print >> fp, "File access error: %s"%v
+                return
             except http.HttpError, v:
                 print >> fp, "<<", v.msg
                 return
diff --git a/libpathod/pathod.py b/libpathod/pathod.py
index 9d155301f..5180361be 100644
--- a/libpathod/pathod.py
+++ b/libpathod/pathod.py
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ class PathodHandler(tcp.BaseHandler):
                     800,
                     "Error parsing response spec: %s\n"%v.msg + v.marked()
                 )
+            except rparse.FileAccessDenied:
+                crafted = rparse.InternalResponse(
+                    800,
+                    "Access Denied"
+                )
 
         request_log = dict(
             path = path,
diff --git a/libpathod/rparse.py b/libpathod/rparse.py
index 17e1ebd49..bcbd01f93 100644
--- a/libpathod/rparse.py
+++ b/libpathod/rparse.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import utils
 BLOCKSIZE = 1024
 TRUNCATE = 1024
 
+class FileAccessDenied(Exception): pass
+
 class ParseException(Exception):
     def __init__(self, msg, s, col):
         Exception.__init__(self)
@@ -675,7 +677,29 @@ class InternalResponse(Response):
         return d
 
 
+FILESTART = "+"
+def read_file(settings, s):
+    uf = settings.get("unconstrained_file_access")
+    sd = settings.get("staticdir")
+    if not sd:
+        raise FileAccessDenied("File access disabled.")
+    sd = os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(sd))
+    s = s[1:]
+    s = os.path.expanduser(s)
+    s = os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(sd, s)))
+    if not uf and not s.startswith(sd):
+        raise FileAccessDenied("File access outside of configured directory")
+    if not os.path.isfile(s):
+        raise FileAccessDenied("File not readable")
+    return file(s, "r").read()
+
+
 def parse_response(settings, s):
+    """
+        May raise ParseException or FileAccessDenied
+    """
+    if s.startswith(FILESTART):
+        s = read_file(settings, s)
     try:
         return CraftedResponse(settings, s, Response.expr().parseString(s, parseAll=True))
     except pp.ParseException, v:
@@ -683,6 +707,11 @@ def parse_response(settings, s):
 
 
 def parse_request(settings, s):
+    """
+        May raise ParseException or FileAccessDenied
+    """
+    if s.startswith(FILESTART):
+        s = read_file(settings, s)
     try:
         return CraftedRequest(settings, s, Request.expr().parseString(s, parseAll=True))
     except pp.ParseException, v:
diff --git a/libpathod/templates/docs_lang.html b/libpathod/templates/docs_lang.html
index 11a489b0c..66b2ca306 100644
--- a/libpathod/templates/docs_lang.html
+++ b/libpathod/templates/docs_lang.html
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
    <h1>Executing specs from file</h1>
 </div>
 
-    <pre class="example">=./path/to/spec</pre>
+    <pre class="example">+./path/to/spec</pre>
 
 
 <div class="page-header">
diff --git a/test/data/request b/test/data/request
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4c90e76f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/data/request
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+get:/foo
diff --git a/test/data/response b/test/data/response
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f897c857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/data/response
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+202
diff --git a/test/test_pathoc.py b/test/test_pathoc.py
index 310d75f68..784e2ee32 100644
--- a/test/test_pathoc.py
+++ b/test/test_pathoc.py
@@ -41,3 +41,8 @@ class TestDaemon:
 
     def test_conn_err(self):
         assert "Invalid server response" in self.tval(["get:'/p/200:d2'"])
+
+    def test_fileread(self):
+        d = tutils.test_data.path("data/request")
+        assert "foo" in self.tval(["+%s"%d])
+        assert "File" in self.tval(["+/nonexistent"])
diff --git a/test/test_pathod.py b/test/test_pathod.py
index 4a8d90d58..d917e25cc 100644
--- a/test/test_pathod.py
+++ b/test/test_pathod.py
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ class _DaemonTests:
         assert l["type"] == "error"
         assert "Invalid" in l["msg"]
 
+    def test_access_denied(self):
+        rsp = self.get("=nonexistent")
+        assert rsp.status_code == 800
+
 
 class TestDaemon(_DaemonTests):
     SSL = False
diff --git a/test/test_rparse.py b/test/test_rparse.py
index 8d157a100..f3dc73677 100644
--- a/test/test_rparse.py
+++ b/test/test_rparse.py
@@ -229,6 +229,12 @@ class TestPauses:
 
 
 class TestParseRequest:
+    def test_file(self):
+        p = tutils.test_data.path("data")
+        d = dict(staticdir=p)
+        r = rparse.parse_request(d, "+request")
+        assert r.path == "/foo"
+
     def test_err(self):
         tutils.raises(rparse.ParseException, rparse.parse_request, {}, 'GET')
 
@@ -266,9 +272,9 @@ class TestParseRequest:
             GET
 
             "/foo
-            
-            
-            
+
+
+
             bar"
 
             ir,@1
@@ -394,6 +400,12 @@ class TestResponse:
     def dummy_response(self):
         return rparse.parse_response({}, "400'msg'")
 
+    def test_file(self):
+        p = tutils.test_data.path("data")
+        d = dict(staticdir=p)
+        r = rparse.parse_response(d, "+response")
+        assert r.code == 202
+
     def test_response(self):
         r = rparse.parse_response({}, "400'msg'")
         assert r.code == 400
@@ -417,3 +429,18 @@ class TestResponse:
         testlen(rparse.parse_response({}, "400'msg'"))
         testlen(rparse.parse_response({}, "400'msg':h'foo'='bar'"))
         testlen(rparse.parse_response({}, "400'msg':h'foo'='bar':b@100b"))
+
+
+
+def test_read_file():
+    tutils.raises(rparse.FileAccessDenied, rparse.read_file, {}, "=/foo")
+    p = tutils.test_data.path("data")
+    d = dict(staticdir=p)
+    assert rparse.read_file(d, "+./file").strip() == "testfile"
+    assert rparse.read_file(d, "+file").strip() == "testfile"
+    tutils.raises(rparse.FileAccessDenied, rparse.read_file, d, "+./nonexistent")
+    tutils.raises(rparse.FileAccessDenied, rparse.read_file, d, "+/nonexistent")
+
+    tutils.raises(rparse.FileAccessDenied, rparse.read_file, d, "+../test_rparse.py")
+    d["unconstrained_file_access"] = True
+    assert rparse.read_file(d, "+../test_rparse.py")