diff --git a/man/man8/swtpm_setup.pod b/man/man8/swtpm_setup.pod
index c9ce534..8f97472 100644
--- a/man/man8/swtpm_setup.pod
+++ b/man/man8/swtpm_setup.pod
@@ -218,6 +218,10 @@ supported by libtpms. The profile may contain an algorithms field with a
 list of algorithms to enable. Unknown fields in the JSON profile will be
 ignored.
 
+=item B<--profile-file <file>>
+
+Configure a TPM 2 with a profile from a file.
+
 =item B<--profile-remove-disabled check|fips-host>
 
 When this option is passed then swtpm will remove algorithms from the given
@@ -305,7 +309,7 @@ TPM 2 setup is supported (libtpms is compiled with TPM 2 support).
 
 =item B<cmdarg-profile> (since v0.10)
 
-The I<--profile> option is supported.
+The I<--profile> and I<--profile-file> option are supported.
 
 =item B<cmdarg-profile-remove-disabled> (since v0.10)
 
diff --git a/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.c b/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.c
index 6ab5abe..d384bf8 100644
--- a/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.c
+++ b/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ static void swtpm_close_comm(struct swtpm *self, bool all)
 static int swtpm_start(struct swtpm *self)
 {
     g_autofree gchar *tpmstate = g_strdup_printf("backend-uri=%s", self->state_path);
+    g_autofree gchar *json_profile_params = NULL;
     g_autofree gchar *json_profile = NULL;
     g_autofree gchar *pidfile_arg = NULL;
     g_autofree gchar *server_fd = NULL;
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ static int swtpm_start(struct swtpm *self)
     unsigned ctr;
     int pidfile_fd;
     int ret = 1;
+    gchar *tmp;
     char pidfile[] = "/tmp/.swtpm_setup.pidfile.XXXXXX";
 
     pidfile_fd = g_mkstemp_full(pidfile, O_EXCL|O_CREAT, 0600);
@@ -119,18 +121,26 @@ static int swtpm_start(struct swtpm *self)
         argv = concat_arrays(argv, (const gchar*[]){"--key", keyopts, NULL}, TRUE);
     }
 
-    if (self->json_profile != NULL) {
-        json_profile = g_strdup_printf("profile=%s%s%s",
-                                       self->json_profile,
-                                       self->profile_remove_disabled_param != NULL
-                                           ? ",remove-disabled="
-                                           : "",
-                                       self->profile_remove_disabled_param != NULL
-                                           ? self->profile_remove_disabled_param
-                                           : "");
-        argv = concat_arrays(argv, (const gchar*[]){"--profile", json_profile, NULL}, TRUE);
+    if (self->json_profile_fd >= 0) {
+        json_profile = g_strdup_printf("fd=%u", self->json_profile_fd);
+    } else if (self->json_profile != NULL) {
+        json_profile = g_strdup_printf("profile=%s", self->json_profile);
         logit(self->logfile, "Apply profile: %s\n", self->json_profile);
     }
+    if (json_profile && self->profile_remove_disabled_param) {
+        tmp = g_strdup_printf("%s,remove-disabled=%s",
+                              json_profile,
+                              self->profile_remove_disabled_param);
+        g_free(json_profile);
+        json_profile = tmp;
+    }
+    if (json_profile)
+        argv = concat_arrays(argv, (const gchar*[]){
+                                 "--profile",
+                                 json_profile,
+                                 json_profile_params,
+                                 NULL
+                             }, TRUE);
 
     if (gl_LOGFILE != NULL) {
         logop = g_strdup_printf("file=%s", gl_LOGFILE);
@@ -2042,6 +2052,7 @@ static void swtpm_init(struct swtpm *swtpm,
                        const gchar *keyopts, const gchar *logfile,
                        int *fds_to_pass, size_t n_fds_to_pass,
                        gboolean is_tpm2, const gchar *json_profile,
+                       int json_profile_fd,
                        const gchar *profile_remove_disabled_param)
 {
     swtpm->cops = &swtpm_cops;
@@ -2053,6 +2064,7 @@ static void swtpm_init(struct swtpm *swtpm,
     swtpm->n_fds_to_pass = n_fds_to_pass;
     swtpm->is_tpm2 = is_tpm2;
     swtpm->json_profile = json_profile;
+    swtpm->json_profile_fd = json_profile_fd;
     swtpm->profile_remove_disabled_param = profile_remove_disabled_param;
 
     swtpm->pid = -1;
@@ -2067,7 +2079,7 @@ struct swtpm12 *swtpm12_new(gchar **swtpm_exec_l, const gchar *state_path,
     struct swtpm12 *swtpm12 = g_malloc0(sizeof(struct swtpm12));
 
     swtpm_init(&swtpm12->swtpm, swtpm_exec_l, state_path, keyopts, logfile,
-               fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, FALSE, NULL, NULL);
+               fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, FALSE, NULL, 0, NULL);
     swtpm12->ops = &swtpm_tpm12_ops;
 
     return swtpm12;
@@ -2076,13 +2088,13 @@ struct swtpm12 *swtpm12_new(gchar **swtpm_exec_l, const gchar *state_path,
 struct swtpm2 *swtpm2_new(gchar **swtpm_exec_l, const gchar *state_path,
                          const gchar *keyopts, const gchar *logfile,
                          int *fds_to_pass, size_t n_fds_to_pass,
-                         const gchar *json_profile,
+                         const gchar *json_profile, int json_profile_fd,
                          const gchar *profile_remove_disabled_param)
 {
     struct swtpm2 *swtpm2 = g_malloc0(sizeof(struct swtpm2));
 
     swtpm_init(&swtpm2->swtpm, swtpm_exec_l, state_path, keyopts, logfile,
-               fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, TRUE, json_profile,
+               fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, TRUE, json_profile, json_profile_fd,
                profile_remove_disabled_param);
     swtpm2->ops = &swtpm_tpm2_ops;
 
diff --git a/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.h b/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.h
index 2615513..ed8d3d4 100644
--- a/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.h
+++ b/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct swtpm {
     size_t n_fds_to_pass;
     gboolean is_tpm2;
     const char *json_profile;
+    int json_profile_fd;
     const char *profile_remove_disabled_param;
 
     GPid pid;
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ struct swtpm12 *swtpm12_new(gchar **swtpm_prg_l, const gchar *tpm_state_path,
 struct swtpm2 *swtpm2_new(gchar **swtpm_prg_l, const gchar *tpm_state_path,
                          const gchar *swtpm_keyopts, const gchar *logfile,
                          int *fds_to_pass, size_t n_fds_to_pass,
-                         const gchar *profile_rules,
+                         const gchar *json_profile, int json_profile_fd,
                          const gchar *profile_remove_disabled_param);
 
 void swtpm_free(struct swtpm *);
diff --git a/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm_setup.c b/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm_setup.c
index a249975..f8de413 100644
--- a/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm_setup.c
+++ b/src/swtpm_setup/swtpm_setup.c
@@ -588,14 +588,14 @@ static int init_tpm2(unsigned long flags, gchar **swtpm_prg_l, const gchar *conf
                      const gchar *swtpm_keyopt, int *fds_to_pass, size_t n_fds_to_pass,
                      unsigned int rsa_keysize, const gchar *certsdir,
                      const gchar *user_certsdir, const gchar *json_profile,
-                     const gchar *profile_remove_disabled_param)
+                     int json_profile_fd, const gchar *profile_remove_disabled_param)
 {
     struct swtpm2 *swtpm2;
     struct swtpm *swtpm;
     int ret;
 
     swtpm2 = swtpm2_new(swtpm_prg_l, tpm2_state_path, swtpm_keyopt, gl_LOGFILE,
-                        fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, json_profile,
+                        fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, json_profile, json_profile_fd,
                         profile_remove_disabled_param);
     if (swtpm2 == NULL)
         return 1;
@@ -1026,6 +1026,9 @@ static void usage(const char *prgname, const char *default_config_file)
         "--profile <json-profile>\n"
         "                 : Configure swtpm with the given profile.\n"
         "\n"
+        "--profile-file <file>\n"
+        "                 : Configure swtpm with a profile read from the given file.\n"
+        "\n"
         "--profile-remove-disabled check|fips-host\n"
         "                 : Instruct swtpm to remove algorithms that may be disabled by\n"
         "                   FIPS mode on the host from 'custom' profile.\n"
@@ -1337,6 +1340,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         {"print-capabilities", no_argument, NULL, 'y'},
         {"reconfigure", no_argument, NULL, 'R'},
         {"profile", required_argument, NULL, 'I'},
+        {"profile-file", required_argument, NULL, 'g'},
         {"profile-remove-disabled", required_argument, NULL, 'j'},
         {"help", no_argument, NULL, 'h'},
         {NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
@@ -1367,7 +1371,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     g_autofree gchar *certsdir = NULL;
     g_autofree gchar *user_certsdir = NULL;
     g_autofree gchar *json_profile = NULL;
+    g_autofree gchar *json_profile_file = NULL;
     g_autofree gchar *profile_remove_disabled_param = NULL;
+    int json_profile_fd = -1;
     gchar *tmp;
     gchar **swtpm_prg_l = NULL;
     gchar **tmp_l = NULL;
@@ -1378,7 +1384,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     char *endptr;
     gboolean swtpm_has_tpm12 = FALSE;
     gboolean swtpm_has_tpm2 = FALSE;
-    int fds_to_pass[1] = { -1 };
+    int fds_to_pass[2] = { -1, -1 };
     unsigned n_fds_to_pass = 0;
     char tmpbuffer[200];
     time_t now;
@@ -1557,6 +1563,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             g_free(json_profile);
             json_profile = g_strdup(optarg);
             break;
+        case 'g': /* --profile-file */
+            g_free(json_profile_file);
+            json_profile_file = g_strdup(optarg);
+            break;
         case 'j': /* --profile-remove-disabled */
             if (strcmp(optarg, "fips-host") != 0 &&
                 strcmp(optarg, "check") != 0) {
@@ -1725,9 +1735,26 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         pcr_banks = get_default_pcr_banks(config_file_lines);
     }
 
+    if ((json_profile != NULL) + (json_profile_file != NULL) > 1) {
+        logerr(gl_LOGFILE, "Only one of --profile and --profile-file may be given\n");
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    if (json_profile_file) {
+        json_profile_fd = open(json_profile_file, O_RDONLY);
+        if (json_profile_fd < 0) {
+            logerr(gl_LOGFILE, "Could not open profile file '%s': %s\n",
+                   json_profile_file, strerror(errno));
+            goto error;
+        }
+        fds_to_pass[n_fds_to_pass++] = json_profile_fd;
+    }
+
     /* read default profile from swtpm_setup.conf */
-    if ((flags & SETUP_TPM2_F) != 0 && json_profile == NULL)
+    if ((flags & SETUP_TPM2_F) != 0 &&
+        json_profile == NULL && json_profile_fd < 0) {
         json_profile = get_default_profile(config_file_lines);
+    }
 
     if ((flags & SETUP_TPM2_F) != 0 && json_profile) {
         if (validate_json_profile((const char **)swtpm_prg_l, json_profile) != 0)
@@ -1851,7 +1878,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     } else {
         ret = init_tpm2(flags, swtpm_prg_l, config_file, tpm_state_path, vmid, pcr_banks,
                        swtpm_keyopt, fds_to_pass, n_fds_to_pass, rsa_keysize, certsdir,
-                       user_certsdir, json_profile, profile_remove_disabled_param);
+                       user_certsdir, json_profile, json_profile_fd,
+                       profile_remove_disabled_param);
     }
 
     if (ret == 0) {
diff --git a/tests/test_tpm2_swtpm_setup_profile b/tests/test_tpm2_swtpm_setup_profile
index a11cd65..7fbf8bd 100755
--- a/tests/test_tpm2_swtpm_setup_profile
+++ b/tests/test_tpm2_swtpm_setup_profile
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ if ! $SWTPM_SETUP \
 	--config "${workdir}/swtpm_setup.conf" \
 	--log "${workdir}/logfile" \
 	--tpm "${SWTPM_EXE} socket ${SWTPM_TEST_SECCOMP_OPT}" \
-	--profile '{"Name":"null"}'
+	--profile-file <(echo '{"Name":"null"}')
 then
 	echo "Test failed: Error: Could not run $SWTPM_SETUP and set null-profile."
 	echo "Setup Logfile:"