diff --git a/lib/capistrano/dsl/task_enhancements.rb b/lib/capistrano/dsl/task_enhancements.rb
index 7b93c412..a3536adb 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/dsl/task_enhancements.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/dsl/task_enhancements.rb
@@ -11,5 +11,26 @@ module Capistrano
         invoke(post_task)
       end
     end
+
+    def remote_file(task)
+      target_roles = task.delete(:roles) { :all }
+      define_remote_file_task(task, target_roles)
+    end
+
+    def define_remote_file_task(task, target_roles)
+      Rake::Task.define_task(task) do |t|
+        prerequisite_file = t.prerequisites.first
+        file = shared_path.join(t.name)
+
+        on roles(target_roles) do
+          unless test "[ -f #{file} ]"
+            info "Uploading #{prerequisite_file} to #{file}"
+            upload! File.open(prerequisite_file), file
+          end
+        end
+
+      end
+    end
+
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/integration/remote_file_task_spec.rb b/spec/integration/remote_file_task_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..25eb8016
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/integration/remote_file_task_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+require 'integration_spec_helper'
+
+describe 'cap deploy:started', slow: true do
+  before do
+    install_test_app_with(config)
+    copy_task_to_test_app('spec/support/tasks/database.cap')
+  end
+
+  let(:config) {
+    %{
+      set :stage, :#{stage}
+      set :deploy_to, '#{deploy_to}'
+      set :repo_url, 'git://github.com/capistrano/capistrano.git'
+      set :branch, 'v3'
+      server 'localhost', roles: %w{web app}, user: '#{current_user}'
+      set :linked_files, %w{config/database.yml}
+      set :linked_dirs, %w{config}
+    }
+  }
+
+  describe 'linked_files' do
+
+    before do
+      cap 'deploy:check:linked_dirs'
+    end
+
+    subject { cap 'deploy:check:linked_files' }
+
+    context 'where the file does not exist' do
+      it 'creates the file with the remote_task prerequisite' do
+        expect(subject).to match 'Uploading'
+        expect(subject).not_to match 'config/database.yml does not exist'
+        expect(subject).to match 'successful'
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'where the file already exists' do
+      before do
+        FileUtils.touch(shared_path.join('config/database.yml'))
+      end
+
+      it 'will not recreate the file if it already exists' do
+        expect(subject).not_to match 'Uploading'
+        expect(subject).not_to match 'config/database.yml does not exist'
+        expect(subject).to match 'successful'
+      end
+    end
+
+  end
+end
+
diff --git a/spec/support/tasks/database.cap b/spec/support/tasks/database.cap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a5572642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/tasks/database.cap
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+namespace :deploy do
+  namespace :check do
+    task :linked_files => 'config/database.yml'
+  end
+end
+
+remote_file 'config/database.yml' => '/tmp/database.yml', roles: :all
+
+file '/tmp/database.yml' do |t|
+  sh "touch #{t.name}"
+end
diff --git a/spec/support/test_app.rb b/spec/support/test_app.rb
index 1cbdea90..b186c00b 100644
--- a/spec/support/test_app.rb
+++ b/spec/support/test_app.rb
@@ -83,7 +83,19 @@ module TestApp
     test_app_path.join('Gemfile')
   end
 
+  def capfile
+    test_app_path.join('Capfile')
+  end
+
   def current_user
     `whoami`.chomp
   end
+
+  def task_dir
+    test_app_path.join('lib/capistrano/tasks')
+  end
+
+  def copy_task_to_test_app(source)
+    FileUtils.cp(source, task_dir)
+  end
 end