diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1844466..49825b4 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_yaml",
+ "shell-words",
  "simplelog",
  "syntect",
  "textwrap",
@@ -1653,6 +1654,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "unsafe-libyaml",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "shell-words"
+version = "1.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "24188a676b6ae68c3b2cb3a01be17fbf7240ce009799bb56d5b1409051e78fde"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook"
 version = "0.3.17"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e432353..09661ee 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ ansi_colours = "1.2.2"
 reqwest-eventsource = "0.5.0"
 simplelog = "0.12.1"
 log = "0.4.20"
+shell-words = "1.1.0"
 
 [dependencies.reqwest]
 version = "0.11.14"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8d5bfbc..fe6f0dd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ The Chat REPL supports:
 .exit session            End the current session
 .set                     Modify the configuration parameters
 .copy                    Copy the last reply to the clipboard
-.read                    Import from file and submit
+.read                    Read files into the message and submit
 .exit                    Exit the REPL
 
 Type ::: to begin multi-line editing, type ::: to end it.
diff --git a/src/repl/mod.rs b/src/repl/mod.rs
index 511e069..df4d1c2 100644
--- a/src/repl/mod.rs
+++ b/src/repl/mod.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const REPL_COMMANDS: [(&str, &str); 13] = [
     (".exit session", "End the current session"),
     (".set", "Modify the configuration parameters"),
     (".copy", "Copy the last reply to the clipboard"),
-    (".read", "Import from file and submit"),
+    (".read", "Read files into the message and submit"),
     (".exit", "Exit the REPL"),
 ];
 
@@ -185,15 +185,28 @@ impl Repl {
                         .with_context(|| "Failed to copy the last output")?;
                 }
                 ".read" => match args {
-                    Some(file) => {
-                        let mut content = String::new();
-                        let mut file =
-                            std::fs::File::open(file).with_context(|| "Unable to open file")?;
-                        file.read_to_string(&mut content)
-                            .with_context(|| "Unable to read file")?;
+                    Some(args) => {
+                        let (files, text) = match args.split_once(" -- ") {
+                            Some((files, text)) => (files.trim(), text.trim()),
+                            None => (args, ""),
+                        };
+                        let files = shell_words::split(files).with_context(|| "Invalid files")?;
+                        let mut texts = vec![];
+                        if !text.is_empty() {
+                            texts.push(text.to_string());
+                        }
+                        for file_path in files.into_iter() {
+                            let mut text = String::new();
+                            let mut file = std::fs::File::open(&file_path)
+                                .with_context(|| format!("Unable to open file '{file_path}'"))?;
+                            file.read_to_string(&mut text)
+                                .with_context(|| format!("Unable to read file '{file_path}'"))?;
+                            texts.push(text);
+                        }
+                        let content = texts.join("\n");
                         self.ask(&content)?;
                     }
-                    None => println!("Usage: .read <textfile>"),
+                    None => println!("Usage: .read <files>...[ -- <text>...]"),
                 },
                 ".exit" => match args {
                     Some("role") => {