diff --git a/api/src/api/v2.js b/api/src/api/v2.js
index c0526f4..4f0c3e2 100644
--- a/api/src/api/v2.js
+++ b/api/src/api/v2.js
@@ -87,15 +87,6 @@ function get_job(body) {
             }
         }
 
-        if (
-            files.filter(file => !file.encoding || file.encoding === 'utf8')
-                .length === 0
-        ) {
-            return reject({
-                message: 'files must include at least one utf8 encoded file',
-            });
-        }
-
         const rt = runtime.get_latest_runtime_matching_language_version(
             language,
             version
@@ -106,6 +97,15 @@ function get_job(body) {
             });
         }
 
+        if (
+            rt.language !== 'file' &&
+            !files.some(file => !file.encoding || file.encoding === 'utf8')
+        ) {
+            return reject({
+                message: 'files must include at least one utf8 encoded file',
+            });
+        }
+
         for (const constraint of ['memory_limit', 'timeout']) {
             for (const type of ['compile', 'run']) {
                 const constraint_name = `${type}_${constraint}`;
diff --git a/api/src/job.js b/api/src/job.js
index 7acff22..ca95e6f 100644
--- a/api/src/job.js
+++ b/api/src/job.js
@@ -222,7 +222,9 @@ class Job {
             } runtime=${this.runtime.toString()}`
         );
 
-        const code_files = this.files.filter(file => file.encoding == 'utf8');
+        const code_files =
+            (this.runtime.language === 'file' && this.files) ||
+            this.files.filter(file => file.encoding == 'utf8');
 
         logger.debug('Compiling');
 
@@ -270,7 +272,9 @@ class Job {
             } gid=${this.gid} runtime=${this.runtime.toString()}`
         );
 
-        const code_files = this.files.filter(file => file.encoding == 'utf8');
+        const code_files =
+            (this.runtime.language === 'file' && this.files) ||
+            this.files.filter(file => file.encoding == 'utf8');
 
         if (this.runtime.compiled) {
             eventBus.emit('stage', 'compile');
diff --git a/cli/commands/execute.js b/cli/commands/execute.js
index c69d3a0..0d906bc 100644
--- a/cli/commands/execute.js
+++ b/cli/commands/execute.js
@@ -245,9 +245,18 @@ async function run_non_interactively(files, argv) {
 
 exports.handler = async argv => {
     const files = [...(argv.files || []), argv.file].map(file_path => {
+        const buffer = fs.readFileSync(file_path);
+        const encoding =
+            (buffer
+                .toString()
+                .split('')
+                .some(x => x.charCodeAt(0) >= 128) &&
+                'base64') ||
+            'utf8';
         return {
             name: path.basename(file_path),
-            content: fs.readFileSync(file_path).toString(),
+            content: buffer.toString(encoding),
+            encoding,
         };
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/file/0.0.1/build.sh b/packages/file/0.0.1/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d7ab47e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/file/0.0.1/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Nothing to do here
diff --git a/packages/file/0.0.1/environment b/packages/file/0.0.1/environment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5a7803
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/file/0.0.1/environment
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+export PATH=$PWD:$PATH
diff --git a/packages/file/0.0.1/metadata.json b/packages/file/0.0.1/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae34ae9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/file/0.0.1/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+    "language": "file",
+    "version": "0.0.1",
+    "aliases": ["executable", "elf", "binary"]
+}
diff --git a/packages/file/0.0.1/run b/packages/file/0.0.1/run
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..77ed0a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/file/0.0.1/run
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+filename="$1"
+chmod +x "$filename"
+shift
+./"$filename" "$@"
diff --git a/packages/file/0.0.1/test.file b/packages/file/0.0.1/test.file
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8c7a67d
Binary files /dev/null and b/packages/file/0.0.1/test.file differ
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index d2f2e75..1679568 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ Content-Type: application/json
 `elixir`,
 `emacs`,
 `erlang`,
+`file`,
 `forte`,
 `fortran`,
 `freebasic`,