diff --git a/connexion/apps/abstract.py b/connexion/apps/abstract.py
index 75daa1cc2..8929e02a9 100644
--- a/connexion/apps/abstract.py
+++ b/connexion/apps/abstract.py
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ def add_api(
         Register an API represented by a single OpenAPI specification on this application.
         Multiple APIs can be registered on a single application.
 
-        :param specification: OpenAPI specification. Can be provided either as dict, or as path
-            to file.
+        :param specification: OpenAPI specification. Can be provided either as dict, a path
+            to file, or a URL.
         :param base_path: Base path to host the API. This overrides the basePath / servers in the
             specification.
         :param name: Name to register the API with. If no name is passed, the base_path is used
diff --git a/connexion/cli.py b/connexion/cli.py
index 73fd2726b..8b7c62505 100644
--- a/connexion/cli.py
+++ b/connexion/cli.py
@@ -117,10 +117,13 @@ def create_app(args: t.Optional[argparse.Namespace] = None) -> AbstractApp:
 
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging_level)
 
-    spec_file_full_path = os.path.abspath(args.spec_file)
-    py_module_path = args.base_module_path or os.path.dirname(spec_file_full_path)
-    sys.path.insert(1, os.path.abspath(py_module_path))
-    logger.debug(f"Added {py_module_path} to system path.")
+    if args.spec_file.startswith("http") or args.spec_file.startswith("https"):
+        spec_file_full_path = args.spec_file
+    else:
+        spec_file_full_path = os.path.abspath(args.spec_file)
+        py_module_path = args.base_module_path or os.path.dirname(spec_file_full_path)
+        sys.path.insert(1, os.path.abspath(py_module_path))
+        logger.debug(f"Added {py_module_path} to system path.")
 
     resolver_error = None
     if args.stub:
diff --git a/connexion/middleware/main.py b/connexion/middleware/main.py
index 641576634..ea1db66fa 100644
--- a/connexion/middleware/main.py
+++ b/connexion/middleware/main.py
@@ -371,8 +371,8 @@ def add_api(
         Register een API represented by a single OpenAPI specification on this middleware.
         Multiple APIs can be registered on a single middleware.
 
-        :param specification: OpenAPI specification. Can be provided either as dict, or as path
-            to file.
+        :param specification: OpenAPI specification. Can be provided either as dict, a path
+            to file, or a URL.
         :param base_path: Base path to host the API. This overrides the basePath / servers in the
             specification.
         :param name: Name to register the API with. If no name is passed, the base_path is used
@@ -408,7 +408,11 @@ def add_api(
         if self.middleware_stack is not None:
             raise RuntimeError("Cannot add api after an application has started")
 
-        if isinstance(specification, (pathlib.Path, str)):
+        if isinstance(specification, str) and (
+            specification.startswith("http://") or specification.startswith("https://")
+        ):
+            pass
+        elif isinstance(specification, (pathlib.Path, str)):
             specification = t.cast(pathlib.Path, self.specification_dir / specification)
 
             # Add specification as file to watch for reloading
diff --git a/connexion/spec.py b/connexion/spec.py
index be5d653e5..40fe46d70 100644
--- a/connexion/spec.py
+++ b/connexion/spec.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 from jsonschema.validators import extend as extend_validator
 
 from .exceptions import InvalidSpecification
-from .json_schema import NullableTypeValidator, resolve_refs
+from .json_schema import NullableTypeValidator, URLHandler, resolve_refs
 from .operations import AbstractOperation, OpenAPIOperation, Swagger2Operation
 from .utils import deep_get
 
@@ -158,6 +158,14 @@ def from_file(cls, spec, *, arguments=None, base_uri=""):
         spec = cls._load_spec_from_file(arguments, specification_path)
         return cls.from_dict(spec, base_uri=base_uri)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def from_url(cls, spec, *, base_uri=""):
+        """
+        Takes in a path to a YAML file, and returns a Specification
+        """
+        spec = URLHandler()(spec)
+        return cls.from_dict(spec, base_uri=base_uri)
+
     @staticmethod
     def _get_spec_version(spec):
         try:
@@ -200,6 +208,10 @@ def clone(self):
 
     @classmethod
     def load(cls, spec, *, arguments=None):
+        if isinstance(spec, str) and (
+            spec.startswith("http://") or spec.startswith("https://")
+        ):
+            return cls.from_url(spec)
         if not isinstance(spec, dict):
             base_uri = f"{pathlib.Path(spec).parent}{os.sep}"
             return cls.from_file(spec, arguments=arguments, base_uri=base_uri)
diff --git a/docs/cli.rst b/docs/cli.rst
index a61d0efb9..bd77391b4 100644
--- a/docs/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/cli.rst
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ The basic usage of this command is:
 
 Where:
 
-- SPEC_FILE: Your OpenAPI specification file in YAML format.
+- SPEC_FILE: Your OpenAPI specification file in YAML format. Can also be given
+  as a URL, which will be automatically downloaded.
 - BASE_MODULE_PATH (optional): filesystem path where the API endpoints
   handlers are going to be imported from. In short, where your Python
   code is saved.
@@ -52,3 +53,5 @@ Your API specification file is not required to have any ``operationId``.
 .. code-block:: bash
 
     $ connexion run your_api.yaml --mock=all
+
+    $ connexion run https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spec-first/connexion/main/examples/helloworld_async/spec/openapi.yaml --mock=all
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 388429792..818be5896 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -51,6 +51,42 @@ def test_api_base_path_slash():
     assert api.blueprint.url_prefix == ""
 
 
+def test_remote_api():
+    api = FlaskApi(
+        Specification.load(
+            "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spec-first/connexion/165a915/tests/fixtures/simple/swagger.yaml"
+        ),
+        base_path="/api/v1.0",
+    )
+    assert api.blueprint.name == "/api/v1_0"
+    assert api.blueprint.url_prefix == "/api/v1.0"
+
+    api2 = FlaskApi(
+        Specification.load(
+            "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spec-first/connexion/165a915/tests/fixtures/simple/swagger.yaml"
+        )
+    )
+    assert api2.blueprint.name == "/v1_0"
+    assert api2.blueprint.url_prefix == "/v1.0"
+
+    api3 = FlaskApi(
+        Specification.load(
+            "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spec-first/connexion/165a915/tests/fixtures/simple/openapi.yaml"
+        ),
+        base_path="/api/v1.0",
+    )
+    assert api3.blueprint.name == "/api/v1_0"
+    assert api3.blueprint.url_prefix == "/api/v1.0"
+
+    api4 = FlaskApi(
+        Specification.load(
+            "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spec-first/connexion/165a915/tests/fixtures/simple/openapi.yaml"
+        )
+    )
+    assert api4.blueprint.name == "/v1_0"
+    assert api4.blueprint.url_prefix == "/v1.0"
+
+
 def test_template():
     api1 = FlaskApi(
         Specification.load(