diff --git a/cfbs/commands.py b/cfbs/commands.py
index 0065ad3f..64e044e3 100644
--- a/cfbs/commands.py
+++ b/cfbs/commands.py
@@ -1667,11 +1667,15 @@ def set_input_command(name, infile):
         )
         return CFBSCommandGitResult(1)
 
+    copied_files = _place_file_input(name, data)
+
     path = os.path.join(name, "input.json")
 
     log.debug("Comparing with data already in file '%s'" % path)
     old_data = read_json(path)
-    changes_made = old_data != data
+    # A file can be copied in without input.json itself changing, when the user
+    # gives a file of the same name from somewhere else:
+    changes_made = old_data != data or bool(copied_files)
 
     if changes_made:
         write_json(path, data)
@@ -1681,7 +1685,7 @@ def set_input_command(name, infile):
     else:
         log.debug("Input data for '%s' unchanged, nothing to write / commit" % name)
 
-    return CFBSCommandGitResult(0, changes_made, None, [path])
+    return CFBSCommandGitResult(0, changes_made, None, [path] + copied_files)
 
 
 @cfbs_command("get-input")
diff --git a/tests/shell/061_set_input_file.sh b/tests/shell/061_set_input_file.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e3797c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/061_set_input_file.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+set -e
+set -x
+cd tests/
+mkdir -p ./tmp/
+cd ./tmp/
+touch cfbs.json && rm cfbs.json
+rm -rf .git
+rm -rf copy-a-file
+
+echo '{
+  "name": "Example",
+  "type": "policy-set",
+  "description": "Example description",
+  "git": false,
+  "build": [
+    {
+      "name": "copy-a-file",
+      "description": "Copy a file.",
+      "steps": ["input ./input.json def.json"],
+      "input": [
+        {
+          "type": "file",
+          "variable": "source",
+          "namespace": "cfbs",
+          "bundle": "copy_a_file",
+          "label": "Source file",
+          "question": "Which file should be copied?"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}' > cfbs.json
+
+# A file from outside the project must be copied into the module's directory,
+# with the response replaced by the path of that copy:
+echo "some content" > /tmp/cfbs-notes.txt
+echo '[{"type": "file", "variable": "source", "namespace": "cfbs", "bundle": "copy_a_file", "label": "Source file", "question": "Which file should be copied?", "response": "/tmp/cfbs-notes.txt"}]' | cfbs set-input copy-a-file -
+grep '"response": "./copy-a-file/cfbs-notes.txt"' copy-a-file/input.json
+test "$(cat copy-a-file/cfbs-notes.txt)" = "some content"
+rm -f /tmp/cfbs-notes.txt
+
+# A file already part of the project must be referred to as it is, without
+# copying it into the module's directory:
+echo "already here" > existing.txt
+echo '[{"type": "file", "variable": "source", "namespace": "cfbs", "bundle": "copy_a_file", "label": "Source file", "question": "Which file should be copied?", "response": "./existing.txt"}]' | cfbs set-input copy-a-file -
+grep '"response": "./existing.txt"' copy-a-file/input.json
+test ! -f copy-a-file/existing.txt
+
+rm -rf copy-a-file existing.txt
diff --git a/tests/shell/all.sh b/tests/shell/all.sh
index d095c9cb..b59f7176 100644
--- a/tests/shell/all.sh
+++ b/tests/shell/all.sh
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ run_test tests/shell/057_render_input_no_response.sh
 run_test tests/shell/058_render_input_fail.sh
 run_test tests/shell/059_input_string_multiline.sh
 run_test tests/shell/060_input_file.sh
+run_test tests/shell/061_set_input_file.sh
 
 # Summary
 _suite_end=$(date +%s)