diff --git a/src/servo/resource/file_loader.rs b/src/servo/resource/file_loader.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e5c4eb95681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/servo/resource/file_loader.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+export factory;
+
+import comm::{chan, methods};
+import task::spawn;
+import resource_task::{ProgressMsg, Payload, Done};
+import std::net::url::url;
+import io::file_reader;
+import result::{result, ok, err};
+
+const READ_SIZE: uint = 1024;
+
+fn factory(url: url, progress_chan: chan<ProgressMsg>) {
+    assert url.scheme == ~"file";
+
+    do spawn {
+        alt file_reader(url.path) {
+          ok(reader) {
+            while !reader.eof() {
+                let data = reader.read_bytes(READ_SIZE);
+                progress_chan.send(Payload(data));
+            }
+            progress_chan.send(Done(ok(())));
+          }
+          err(*) {
+            progress_chan.send(Done(err(())));
+          }
+        };
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/servo/resource/resource_task.rs b/src/servo/resource/resource_task.rs
index 0d7fcca2f46..a3593cbac58 100644
--- a/src/servo/resource/resource_task.rs
+++ b/src/servo/resource/resource_task.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ A task that takes a URL and streams back the binary data
 
 */
 
-export ControlMsg, ProgressMsg, ResourceTask, ResourceManager, LoaderTaskFactory;
+export ControlMsg, Load, Exit;
+export ProgressMsg, Payload, Done;
+export ResourceTask, ResourceManager, LoaderTaskFactory;
 
 import comm::{chan, port, methods};
 import task::{spawn, spawn_listener};
@@ -27,7 +29,10 @@ type ResourceTask = chan<ControlMsg>;
 type LoaderTaskFactory = fn~(url: url, chan<ProgressMsg>);
 
 fn ResourceTask() -> ResourceTask {
-    create_resource_task_with_loaders(~[])
+    let loaders = ~[
+        (~"file", file_loader::factory)
+    ];
+    create_resource_task_with_loaders(loaders)
 }
 
 fn create_resource_task_with_loaders(+loaders: ~[(~str, LoaderTaskFactory)]) -> ResourceTask {
@@ -63,6 +68,7 @@ class ResourceManager {
 
         alt self.get_loader_factory(url) {
           some(loader_factory) {
+            #debug("resource_task: loading url: %s", url::to_str(url));
             loader_factory(url, progress_chan);
           }
           none {
diff --git a/src/servo/servo.rc b/src/servo/servo.rc
index 7b846e855e6..db25821594b 100755
--- a/src/servo/servo.rc
+++ b/src/servo/servo.rc
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ mod engine;
 
 mod resource {
     mod resource_task;
+    mod file_loader;
 }
 
 import servo_text = text;