diff --git a/lua/rest-nvim/client/curl/cli.lua b/lua/rest-nvim/client/curl/cli.lua
index d59e5e5..6f09356 100644
--- a/lua/rest-nvim/client/curl/cli.lua
+++ b/lua/rest-nvim/client/curl/cli.lua
@@ -299,7 +299,11 @@ function builder.build(req, ignore_stats)
     insert(args, builder.cookies(req.cookies))
     if req.body then
         if req.body.__TYPE == "external" then
-            insert(args, builder.file(req.body.data.path))
+            if req.body.data.content then
+                insert(args, builder.raw_body(req.body.data.content))
+            else
+                insert(args, builder.file(req.body.data.path))
+            end
         elseif req.body.__TYPE == "multipart_form_data" then
             log.error("multipart-form-data body is not supportted yet")
         elseif vim.list_contains({ "json", "xml", "raw", "graphql" }, req.body.__TYPE) then
diff --git a/lua/rest-nvim/parser/init.lua b/lua/rest-nvim/parser/init.lua
index 50b2d8d..f123389 100644
--- a/lua/rest-nvim/parser/init.lua
+++ b/lua/rest-nvim/parser/init.lua
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@ function parser.parse_body(content_type, body_node, source, context)
             name = get_node_field_text(body_node, "name", source),
             path = path,
         }
+        local body_text = vim.treesitter.get_node_text(body_node, source)
+        if vim.startswith(body_text, "<@") then
+            logger.debug("external body with '<@' prefix")
+            return body
+        end
+        local file_content = utils.read_file(path)
+        file_content = expand_variables(file_content, context)
+        body.data.content = file_content
     elseif node_type == "graphql_body" then
         body.__TYPE = "graphql"
         local query_text = vim.treesitter.get_node_text(assert(body_node:named_child(0)), source)
diff --git a/spec/examples/examples_spec.lua b/spec/examples/examples_spec.lua
index fc5bbf3..67e883c 100644
--- a/spec/examples/examples_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/examples/examples_spec.lua
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ describe("builtin request hooks", function()
         it("with external body", function()
             local source = open("spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http")
             local _, tree = utils.ts_parse_source(source)
-            local req_node = assert(tree:root():child(0))
+            local req_node = assert(tree:root():child(1))
             local req = assert(parser.parse(req_node, source))
             _G.rest_request = req
             vim.api.nvim_exec_autocmds("User", {
diff --git a/spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http b/spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http
index 7bb0be0..319948f 100644
--- a/spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http
+++ b/spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
+@bar=baz
 ### External body
 POST https://example.com:8080/api/html/post
 # rest.nvim can guess and fill the Content-Type header from file path
 
 < ./input.json
+
+### External body (raw)
+POST https://example.com:8080/api/html/post
+# rest.nvim can guess and fill the Content-Type header from file path
+
+<@ ./input.json
diff --git a/spec/examples/request_body/input.json b/spec/examples/request_body/input.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd12586
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/examples/request_body/input.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "foo": "{{bar}}"
+}
diff --git a/spec/parser/http_parser_spec.lua b/spec/parser/http_parser_spec.lua
index 9f6de30..fe3c95f 100644
--- a/spec/parser/http_parser_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/parser/http_parser_spec.lua
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ key5 = value5
             -- external body can be only sourced when
             local source = open("spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http")
             local _, tree = utils.ts_parse_source(source)
-            local req_node = assert(tree:root():child(0))
+            local req_node = assert(tree:root():child(1))
             assert.same({
                 method = "POST",
                 url = "https://example.com:8080/api/html/post",
@@ -194,6 +194,27 @@ key5 = value5
                 cookies = {},
                 handlers = {},
                 name = "External body",
+                body = {
+                    __TYPE = "external",
+                    data = {
+                        path = "spec/examples/request_body/input.json",
+                        content = '{\n    "foo": "baz"\n}\n',
+                    },
+                },
+            }, parser.parse(req_node, source))
+        end)
+        it("parse external body (raw)", function()
+            -- external body can be only sourced when
+            local source = open("spec/examples/request_body/external_body.http")
+            local _, tree = utils.ts_parse_source(source)
+            local req_node = assert(tree:root():child(2))
+            assert.same({
+                method = "POST",
+                url = "https://example.com:8080/api/html/post",
+                headers = {},
+                cookies = {},
+                handlers = {},
+                name = "External body (raw)",
                 body = {
                     __TYPE = "external",
                     data = {