diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index 440d36b2..c7fa6390 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import sys
 import textwrap
 import threading
 import time
+import base64
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from sqlite3 import register_adapter
 
@@ -161,6 +162,8 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
             "clicked()"), self.click_pushButtonTTL)
         QtCore.QObject.connect(self.ui.pushButtonClear, QtCore.SIGNAL(
             "clicked()"), self.click_pushButtonClear)
+        QtCore.QObject.connect(self.ui.pushButtonAttach, QtCore.SIGNAL(
+            "clicked()"), self.click_pushButtonAttach)
         QtCore.QObject.connect(self.ui.pushButtonSend, QtCore.SIGNAL(
             "clicked()"), self.click_pushButtonSend)
         QtCore.QObject.connect(self.ui.pushButtonFetchNamecoinID, QtCore.SIGNAL(
@@ -1951,6 +1954,23 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
         self.ui.textEditMessage.reset()
         self.ui.comboBoxSendFrom.setCurrentIndex(0)
 
+    def click_pushButtonAttach(self):
+        """Launch a file picker and append to the current message the base64-encoded contents of the chosen file."""
+        filename = QtGui.QFileDialog.getOpenFileName(self, "Attach File")
+        if filename:
+            f = open(filename, 'rb')
+            data = f.read()
+            f.close()
+            data_b64 = base64.b64encode(data)
+            html_data = '<a href="data:application/octet-stream;base64,' + data_b64 + '">' \
+                        + os.path.basename(unicode(filename)) + '</a>'
+            if self.ui.tabWidgetSend.currentIndex() == self.ui.tabWidgetSend.indexOf(self.ui.sendDirect):
+                # send direct message
+                self.ui.textEditMessage.insertPlainText(html_data)
+            else:
+                # send broadcast message
+                self.ui.textEditMessageBroadcast.insertPlainText(html_data)
+
     def click_pushButtonSend(self):
         encoding = 3 if QtGui.QApplication.queryKeyboardModifiers() & QtCore.Qt.ShiftModifier else 2
 
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.py b/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.py
index 30d054d0..ca103dd5 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.py
@@ -340,6 +340,9 @@ class Ui_MainWindow(object):
         self.pushButtonClear = QtGui.QPushButton(self.send)
         self.pushButtonClear.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("pushButtonClear"))
         self.horizontalLayout_5.addWidget(self.pushButtonClear, 0, QtCore.Qt.AlignRight)
+        self.pushButtonAttach = QtGui.QPushButton(self.send)
+        self.pushButtonAttach.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("pushButtonAttach"))
+        self.horizontalLayout_5.addWidget(self.pushButtonAttach, 0, QtCore.Qt.AlignRight)
         self.pushButtonSend = QtGui.QPushButton(self.send)
         self.pushButtonSend.setObjectName(_fromUtf8("pushButtonSend"))
         self.horizontalLayout_5.addWidget(self.pushButtonSend, 0, QtCore.Qt.AlignRight)
@@ -713,6 +716,7 @@ class Ui_MainWindow(object):
             pass
         self.labelHumanFriendlyTTLDescription.setText(_translate("MainWindow", "%n hour(s)", None, QtCore.QCoreApplication.CodecForTr, hours))
         self.pushButtonClear.setText(_translate("MainWindow", "Clear", None))
+        self.pushButtonAttach.setText(_translate("MainWindow", "Attach File", None))
         self.pushButtonSend.setText(_translate("MainWindow", "Send", None))
         self.tabWidget.setTabText(self.tabWidget.indexOf(self.send), _translate("MainWindow", "Send", None))
         self.treeWidgetSubscriptions.headerItem().setText(0, _translate("MainWindow", "Subscriptions", None))
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.ui b/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.ui
index fef40be6..b8b92b68 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.ui
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/bitmessageui.ui
@@ -594,6 +594,19 @@ p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }
                 </property>
                </widget>
               </item>
+              <item>
+               <widget class="QPushButton" name="pushButtonAttach">
+                <property name="maximumSize">
+                 <size>
+                  <width>16777215</width>
+                  <height>16777215</height>
+                 </size>
+                </property>
+                <property name="text">
+                 <string>Attach File</string>
+                </property>
+               </widget>
+              </item>
              </layout>
             </item>
            </layout>
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/messageview.py b/src/bitmessageqt/messageview.py
index 45f3a79a..7a6432b0 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/messageview.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/messageview.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ src/bitmessageqt/messageview.py
 """
 
 from PyQt4 import QtCore, QtGui
+import re
+import base64
 
 from safehtmlparser import SafeHTMLParser
 
@@ -64,6 +66,9 @@ class MessageView(QtGui.QTextBrowser):
 
     def confirmURL(self, link):
         """Show a dialog requesting URL opening confirmation"""
+        link_str = link.toString()
+        datablob_re = r'^data:.*/.*;base64,.*'
+        datablob_match = re.match(datablob_re, link_str)
         if link.scheme() == "mailto":
             window = QtGui.QApplication.activeWindow()
             window.ui.lineEditTo.setText(link.path())
@@ -80,19 +85,29 @@ class MessageView(QtGui.QTextBrowser):
             )
             window.ui.textEditMessage.setFocus()
             return
-        reply = QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
-            self,
-            QtGui.QApplication.translate(
-                "MessageView",
-                "Follow external link"),
-            QtGui.QApplication.translate(
-                "MessageView",
-                "The link \"%1\" will open in a browser. It may be a security risk, it could de-anonymise you"
-                " or download malicious data. Are you sure?").arg(unicode(link.toString())),
-            QtGui.QMessageBox.Yes,
-            QtGui.QMessageBox.No)
-        if reply == QtGui.QMessageBox.Yes:
-            QtGui.QDesktopServices.openUrl(link)
+        if datablob_match:
+            name = QtGui.QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(self, 'Save File')
+            if name:
+                f = open(name, 'wb')
+                data_begin_pos = re.finditer(";base64,", link_str).next()
+                data_b64 = link_str[data_begin_pos.span()[1]:]
+                data = base64.b64decode(data_b64)
+                f.write(data)
+                f.close()
+        else:
+            reply = QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
+                self,
+                QtGui.QApplication.translate(
+                    "MessageView",
+                    "Follow external link"),
+                QtGui.QApplication.translate(
+                    "MessageView",
+                    "The link \"%1\" will open in a browser. It may be a security risk, it could de-anonymise you"
+                    " or download malicious data. Are you sure?").arg(unicode(link.toString())),
+                QtGui.QMessageBox.Yes,
+                QtGui.QMessageBox.No)
+            if reply == QtGui.QMessageBox.Yes:
+                QtGui.QDesktopServices.openUrl(link)
 
     def loadResource(self, restype, name):
         """