diff --git a/cadquery/freecad_impl/importers.py b/cadquery/freecad_impl/importers.py
index 6f29ce8..7d4f0a9 100644
--- a/cadquery/freecad_impl/importers.py
+++ b/cadquery/freecad_impl/importers.py
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 
 import FreeCAD
 import Part
-
+import sys
+import os
+import urllib as urlreader
+import tempfile
+  
 class ImportTypes:
     STEP = "STEP"
 
@@ -30,11 +34,11 @@ def importStep(fileName):
     """
         Accepts a file name and loads the STEP file into a cadquery shape
         :param fileName: The path and name of the STEP file to be imported
-    """
-
+    """      
     #Now read and return the shape
     try:
-        rshape = Part.read(fileName)
+	#print fileName        
+	rshape = Part.read(fileName)
 
         #Make sure that we extract all the solids
         solids = []
@@ -44,3 +48,24 @@ def importStep(fileName):
         return cadquery.Workplane("XY").newObject(solids)
     except:
         raise ValueError("STEP File Could not be loaded")
+
+#Loads a STEP file from an URL into a CQ.Workplane object
+def importStepFromURL(url):    
+    #Now read and return the shape
+    try:
+        webFile = urlreader.urlopen(url)
+	tempFile = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix='.step', delete=False)
+	tempFile.write(webFile.read())
+        webFile.close()
+	tempFile.close()  
+
+	rshape = Part.read(tempFile.name)
+
+        #Make sure that we extract all the solids
+        solids = []
+        for solid in rshape.Solids:
+            solids.append(Shape.cast(solid))
+
+        return cadquery.Workplane("XY").newObject(solids)
+    except:
+        raise ValueError("STEP File from the URL: " + url + " Could not be loaded")