diff --git a/src/command.rs b/src/command.rs
index 04cef2b..74b9914 100644
--- a/src/command.rs
+++ b/src/command.rs
@@ -612,11 +612,15 @@ pub enum DatabaseTablesCommands {
         schema: String,
 
         /// Path to a local parquet file to upload and load
-        #[arg(long, conflicts_with = "upload_id")]
+        #[arg(long, conflicts_with_all = ["upload_id", "url"])]
         file: Option<String>,
 
+        /// URL of a remote parquet file to download and load
+        #[arg(long, conflicts_with_all = ["file", "upload_id"])]
+        url: Option<String>,
+
         /// Use a previously staged upload ID from `POST /v1/files` instead of uploading
-        #[arg(long)]
+        #[arg(long, conflicts_with_all = ["file", "url"])]
         upload_id: Option<String>,
     },
 
diff --git a/src/databases.rs b/src/databases.rs
index 87b7b4a..e57bc6d 100644
--- a/src/databases.rs
+++ b/src/databases.rs
@@ -177,6 +177,32 @@ fn table_rows_for_database(db_name: &str, tables: Vec<InfoTable>) -> Vec<TableRo
         .collect()
 }
 
+fn finish_upload(api: &ApiClient, reader: impl std::io::Read + Send + 'static, size: Option<u64>, pb: &ProgressBar) -> String {
+    let (status, resp_body) = api.post_body("/files", "application/octet-stream", reader, size);
+    pb.finish_and_clear();
+
+    if !status.is_success() {
+        use crossterm::style::Stylize;
+        eprintln!("{}", crate::util::api_error(resp_body).red());
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
+    let body: serde_json::Value = match serde_json::from_str(&resp_body) {
+        Ok(v) => v,
+        Err(e) => {
+            eprintln!("error parsing upload response: {e}");
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
+    };
+    match body["id"].as_str() {
+        Some(id) => id.to_string(),
+        None => {
+            eprintln!("error: upload response missing id");
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn upload_parquet_file(api: &ApiClient, path: &str) -> String {
     if !is_parquet_path(path) {
         eprintln!(
@@ -205,35 +231,54 @@ fn upload_parquet_file(api: &ApiClient, path: &str) -> String {
         .progress_chars("=>-"),
     );
     let reader = pb.wrap_read(f);
+    finish_upload(api, reader, Some(file_size), &pb)
+}
 
-    let (status, resp_body) = api.post_body(
-        "/files",
-        "application/octet-stream",
-        reader,
-        Some(file_size),
-    );
-    pb.finish_and_clear();
-
-    if !status.is_success() {
-        use crossterm::style::Stylize;
-        eprintln!("{}", crate::util::api_error(resp_body).red());
+fn upload_parquet_url(api: &ApiClient, url: &str) -> String {
+    if !is_parquet_path(url) {
+        eprintln!(
+            "error: managed table loads require a parquet URL ending in .parquet (got '{url}')."
+        );
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
 
-    let body: serde_json::Value = match serde_json::from_str(&resp_body) {
-        Ok(v) => v,
+    let resp = match reqwest::blocking::get(url) {
+        Ok(r) => r,
         Err(e) => {
-            eprintln!("error parsing upload response: {e}");
+            eprintln!("error fetching '{url}': {e}");
             std::process::exit(1);
         }
     };
-    match body["id"].as_str() {
-        Some(id) => id.to_string(),
+
+    if !resp.status().is_success() {
+        eprintln!("error: remote server returned {} for '{url}'", resp.status());
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
+    let content_length = resp.content_length();
+    let pb = match content_length {
+        Some(len) => {
+            let pb = ProgressBar::new(len);
+            pb.set_style(
+                ProgressStyle::with_template(
+                    "{spinner:.green} [{bar:40.cyan/blue}] {bytes}/{total_bytes} ({eta})",
+                )
+                .unwrap()
+                .progress_chars("=>-"),
+            );
+            pb
+        }
         None => {
-            eprintln!("error: upload response missing id");
-            std::process::exit(1);
+            let pb = ProgressBar::new_spinner();
+            pb.set_style(
+                ProgressStyle::with_template("{spinner:.green} {bytes} downloaded ({elapsed})")
+                    .unwrap(),
+            );
+            pb
         }
-    }
+    };
+    let reader = pb.wrap_read(resp);
+    finish_upload(api, reader, content_length, &pb)
 }
 
 fn collect_tables(api: &ApiClient, connection_id: &str, schema: Option<&str>) -> Vec<InfoTable> {
@@ -433,6 +478,7 @@ pub fn tables_load(
     table: &str,
     schema: Option<&str>,
     file: Option<&str>,
+    url: Option<&str>,
     upload_id: Option<&str>,
 ) {
     use crossterm::style::Stylize;
@@ -441,15 +487,16 @@ pub fn tables_load(
     let db = resolve_database(&api, database);
     let schema = schema_name(schema);
 
-    // clap rejects `--file` and `--upload-id` together; the `(Some, Some)` arm is unreachable.
-    let upload_id = match (upload_id, file) {
-        (Some(id), None) => id.to_string(),
-        (None, Some(path)) => upload_parquet_file(&api, path),
-        (None, None) => {
-            eprintln!("error: --file <path> or --upload-id <id> is required");
+    // clap enforces mutual exclusion; only one of these is ever Some.
+    let upload_id = match (upload_id, file, url) {
+        (Some(id), None, None) => id.to_string(),
+        (None, Some(path), None) => upload_parquet_file(&api, path),
+        (None, None, Some(u)) => upload_parquet_url(&api, u),
+        (None, None, None) => {
+            eprintln!("error: --file <path>, --url <url>, or --upload-id <id> is required");
             std::process::exit(1);
         }
-        (Some(_), Some(_)) => unreachable!(),
+        _ => unreachable!(),
     };
 
     let path = managed_table_load_path(&db.id, schema, table);
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index d49d2ac..a26e7d9 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ fn main() {
                                 table,
                                 schema,
                                 file,
+                                url,
                                 upload_id,
                             } => databases::tables_load(
                                 &workspace_id,
@@ -419,6 +420,7 @@ fn main() {
                                 &table,
                                 Some(schema.as_str()),
                                 file.as_deref(),
+                                url.as_deref(),
                                 upload_id.as_deref(),
                             ),
                             DatabaseTablesCommands::Delete {