diff --git a/src/roswire/proxy/launch/__init__.py b/src/roswire/proxy/launch/__init__.py
index ad0758ff..0870df73 100644
--- a/src/roswire/proxy/launch/__init__.py
+++ b/src/roswire/proxy/launch/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 import attr
+import yaml
 
+from .rosparam import load_from_yaml_string as load_rosparam_from_string
 from .config import ROSConfig, NodeConfig, Parameter
 from .context import LaunchContext
 from ..substitution import resolve as resolve_args
@@ -27,6 +29,12 @@
 _TAG_TO_LOADER = {}
 
 
+def _read_contents(tag: ET.Element) -> str:
+    """Reads the text contents of an XML element."""
+    # FIXME add support for CDATA -- possibly via lxml or xml.dom?
+    return ''.join(t.text for t in tag if t.text)
+
+
 def _parse_bool(attr: str, val: str) -> bool:
     """Parses a boolean value from an XML attribute."""
     val = val.lower()
@@ -170,6 +178,65 @@ def _load_param_tag(self,
 
         return ctx, cfg
 
+    @tag('rosparam', ['command', 'ns', 'file', 'param', 'subst_value'])
+    def _load_rosparam_tag(self,
+                           ctx: LaunchContext,
+                           cfg: ROSConfig,
+                           tag: ET.Element
+                           ) -> Tuple[LaunchContext, ROSConfig]:
+        filename = self._read_optional(tag, 'file', ctx)
+        subst_value = self._read_optional_bool(tag, 'subst_value', ctx, False)
+        ns = self._read_optional(tag, 'ns', ctx) or ''
+        param = self._read_optional(tag, 'param', ctx) or ''
+        param = namespace_join(ns, param)
+        full_param = namespace_join(ctx.namespace, param)
+        value = _read_contents(tag)
+
+        cmd: str = self._read_optional(tag, 'command', ctx) or 'load'
+        if cmd not in ('load', 'delete', 'dump'):
+            m = f"<rosparam> unsupported 'command': {cmd}"
+            raise FailedToParseLaunchFile(m)
+
+        if cmd == 'load' and not filename:
+            m = "<rosparam> load command requires 'filename' attribute"
+            raise FailedToParseLaunchFile(m)
+
+        if cmd == 'load':
+            assert filename is not None  # mypy can't work this out
+            if not self.__files.isfile(filename):
+                m = f"<rosparam> file does not exist: {filename}"
+                raise FailedToParseLaunchFile(m)
+
+        if cmd == 'delete' and filename is not None:
+            m = "<rosparam> command:delete does not support filename"
+            raise FailedToParseLaunchFile(m)
+
+        # handle load command
+        if cmd == 'load':
+            assert filename is not None  # mypy can't work this out
+            yml_text = self.__files.read(filename)
+            if subst_value:
+                yml_text = self._resolve_args(yml_text, ctx)
+            logger.debug("parsing rosparam YAML:\n%s", yml_text)
+            data = load_rosparam_from_string(yml_text)
+            logger.debug("rosparam values: %s", data)
+            if not isinstance(data, dict) and not param:
+                m = "<rosparam> requires 'param' for non-dictionary values"
+                raise FailedToParseLaunchFile(m)
+            cfg = cfg.with_param(full_param, data)
+
+        # handle dump command
+        if cmd == 'dump':
+            m = "'dump' command is currently not supported in <rosparam>"
+            raise NotImplementedError(m)
+
+        # handle delete command
+        if cmd == 'delete':
+            m = "'delete' command is currently not supported in <rosparam>"
+            raise NotImplementedError(m)
+
+        return ctx, cfg
+
     @tag('remap', ['from', 'to'])
     def _load_remap_tag(self,
                         ctx: LaunchContext,
diff --git a/src/roswire/proxy/launch/rosparam.py b/src/roswire/proxy/launch/rosparam.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09b59325
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/roswire/proxy/launch/rosparam.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""
+This file provides utilities for interacting with rosparam.
+"""
+__all__ = ('load_from_yaml_string',)
+
+from typing import Dict, Any
+import math
+import re
+
+import yaml
+
+
+class YAMLLoader(yaml.SafeLoader):
+    """A custom YAML loader for rosparam files."""
+
+
+def load_from_yaml_string(s: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Parses the contents of a rosparam file to a dictionary."""
+    return yaml.load(s, Loader=YAMLLoader) or {}
+
+
+def __load_radians(loader: YAMLLoader, node: yaml.YAMLObject) -> float:
+    """Safely converts rad(num) to a float value.
+
+    Note
+    ----
+    This does not support evaluation of expressions.
+    """
+    expr_s = loader.construct_scalar(node).strip()
+    if expr_s.startswith('rad('):
+        expr_s = expr_s[4:-1]
+
+    # TODO safely parse and evaluate expression
+    return float(expr_s)
+
+
+def __load_degrees(loader: YAMLLoader, node: yaml.YAMLObject) -> float:
+    """Safely converts deg(num) to a float value."""
+    expr_s = loader.construct_scalar(node).strip()
+    if expr_s.startswith('def('):
+        expr_s = expr_s[4:-1]
+    return float(expr_s) * math.pi / 180.0
+
+
+YAMLLoader.add_constructor('!degrees', __load_degrees)
+YAMLLoader.add_implicit_resolver(
+    '!degrees', re.compile('^deg\([^\)]*\)$'), first='deg(')
+YAMLLoader.add_constructor('!radians', __load_radians)
+YAMLLoader.add_implicit_resolver(
+    '!radians', re.compile('^rad\([^\)]*\)$'), first='rad(')