diff --git a/cmd/dagger/cmd/compute.go b/cmd/dagger/cmd/compute.go
index f6624b4f..9f2d32e4 100644
--- a/cmd/dagger/cmd/compute.go
+++ b/cmd/dagger/cmd/compute.go
@@ -130,6 +130,25 @@ var computeCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			}
 		}
 
+		if f := viper.GetString("input-file"); f != "" {
+			lg := lg.With().Str("path", f).Logger()
+
+			parts := strings.SplitN(f, "=", 2)
+			k, v := parts[0], parts[1]
+
+			content, err := os.ReadFile(v)
+			if err != nil {
+				lg.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed to read file")
+			}
+
+			if len(content) > 0 {
+				err = st.SetInput(k, dagger.FileInput(v))
+				if err != nil {
+					lg.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed to set input string")
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		deployment := common.DeploymentUp(ctx, st)
 
 		v := compiler.NewValue()
@@ -150,6 +169,7 @@ var computeCmd = &cobra.Command{
 func init() {
 	computeCmd.Flags().StringSlice("input-string", []string{}, "TARGET=STRING")
 	computeCmd.Flags().StringSlice("input-dir", []string{}, "TARGET=PATH")
+	computeCmd.Flags().String("input-file", "", "TARGET=PATH")
 	computeCmd.Flags().StringSlice("input-git", []string{}, "TARGET=REMOTE#REF")
 	computeCmd.Flags().String("input-json", "", "JSON")
 	computeCmd.Flags().String("input-yaml", "", "YAML")
diff --git a/dagger/compiler/value.go b/dagger/compiler/value.go
index 7560b4a4..964cce8d 100644
--- a/dagger/compiler/value.go
+++ b/dagger/compiler/value.go
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ func (v *Value) Exists() bool {
 	return v.val.Exists()
 }
 
+// Proxy function to the underlying cue.Value
+func (v *Value) Bytes() ([]byte, error) {
+	return v.val.Bytes()
+}
+
 // Proxy function to the underlying cue.Value
 func (v *Value) String() (string, error) {
 	return v.val.String()
diff --git a/dagger/input.go b/dagger/input.go
index c27db8c4..563cb017 100644
--- a/dagger/input.go
+++ b/dagger/input.go
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ package dagger
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"cuelang.org/go/cue"
+
 	"dagger.io/go/dagger/compiler"
 )
 
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ const (
 	InputTypeText   InputType = "text"
 	InputTypeJSON   InputType = "json"
 	InputTypeYAML   InputType = "yaml"
+	InputTypeFile   InputType = "file"
 	InputTypeEmpty  InputType = ""
 )
 
@@ -41,6 +45,7 @@ type Input struct {
 	Text   *textInput   `json:"text,omitempty"`
 	JSON   *jsonInput   `json:"json,omitempty"`
 	YAML   *yamlInput   `json:"yaml,omitempty"`
+	File   *fileInput   `json:"file,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (i Input) Compile() (*compiler.Value, error) {
@@ -57,6 +62,8 @@ func (i Input) Compile() (*compiler.Value, error) {
 		return i.JSON.Compile()
 	case InputTypeYAML:
 		return i.YAML.Compile()
+	case InputTypeFile:
+		return i.File.Compile()
 	case "":
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("input has not been set")
 	default:
@@ -211,3 +218,28 @@ type yamlInput struct {
 func (i yamlInput) Compile() (*compiler.Value, error) {
 	return compiler.DecodeYAML("", []byte(i.Data))
 }
+
+func FileInput(data string) Input {
+	return Input{
+		Type: InputTypeFile,
+		File: &fileInput{
+			Path: data,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+type fileInput struct {
+	Path string `json:"data,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func (i fileInput) Compile() (*compiler.Value, error) {
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(i.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	value := compiler.NewValue()
+	if err := value.FillPath(cue.MakePath(), data); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return value, nil
+}
diff --git a/dagger/pipeline.go b/dagger/pipeline.go
index db824eb8..212ffc63 100644
--- a/dagger/pipeline.go
+++ b/dagger/pipeline.go
@@ -798,7 +798,21 @@ func (p *Pipeline) DockerBuild(ctx context.Context, op *compiler.Value, st llb.S
 }
 
 func (p *Pipeline) WriteFile(ctx context.Context, op *compiler.Value, st llb.State) (llb.State, error) {
-	content, err := op.Lookup("content").String()
+	var content []byte
+	var err error
+
+	switch kind := op.Lookup("content").Kind(); kind {
+	case cue.BytesKind:
+		content, err = op.Lookup("content").Bytes()
+	case cue.StringKind:
+		var str string
+		str, err = op.Lookup("content").String()
+		if err == nil {
+			content = []byte(str)
+		}
+	default:
+		err = fmt.Errorf("unhandled data type in WriteFile: %s", kind)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return st, err
 	}
@@ -814,7 +828,7 @@ func (p *Pipeline) WriteFile(ctx context.Context, op *compiler.Value, st llb.Sta
 	}
 
 	return st.File(
-		llb.Mkfile(dest, fs.FileMode(mode), []byte(content)),
+		llb.Mkfile(dest, fs.FileMode(mode), content),
 		llb.WithCustomName(p.vertexNamef("WriteFile %s", dest)),
 	), nil
 }
diff --git a/stdlib/dagger/dagger.cue b/stdlib/dagger/dagger.cue
index b6c141df..8fa8571c 100644
--- a/stdlib/dagger/dagger.cue
+++ b/stdlib/dagger/dagger.cue
@@ -15,4 +15,6 @@ import (
 // Secret value
 // FIXME: currently aliased as a string to mark secrets
 // this requires proper support.
-#Secret: string
+#Secret: {
+	string | bytes
+}
diff --git a/stdlib/dagger/op/op.cue b/stdlib/dagger/op/op.cue
index d48943a3..6bdcc8a4 100644
--- a/stdlib/dagger/op/op.cue
+++ b/stdlib/dagger/op/op.cue
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ package op
 
 #WriteFile: {
 	do:      "write-file"
-	content: string
+	content: string | bytes
 	dest:    string
 	mode:    int | *0o644
 }