diff --git a/provider/file/file.go b/provider/file/file.go
index b15236768..ff4d7055e 100644
--- a/provider/file/file.go
+++ b/provider/file/file.go
@@ -175,17 +175,36 @@ func (p *Provider) loadFileConfig(filename string, parseTemplate bool) (*types.C
 	} else {
 		configuration, err = p.DecodeConfiguration(fileContent)
 	}
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	var tlsConfigs []*tls.Configuration
+	for _, conf := range configuration.TLS {
+		bytes, err := conf.Certificate.CertFile.Read()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(err)
+			continue
+		}
+		conf.Certificate.CertFile = tls.FileOrContent(string(bytes))
+
+		bytes, err = conf.Certificate.KeyFile.Read()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(err)
+			continue
+		}
+		conf.Certificate.KeyFile = tls.FileOrContent(string(bytes))
+		tlsConfigs = append(tlsConfigs, conf)
+	}
+	configuration.TLS = tlsConfigs
+
 	if configuration == nil || configuration.Backends == nil && configuration.Frontends == nil && configuration.TLS == nil {
 		configuration = &types.Configuration{
 			Frontends: make(map[string]*types.Frontend),
 			Backends:  make(map[string]*types.Backend),
 		}
 	}
-	return configuration, err
+	return configuration, nil
 }
 
 func (p *Provider) loadFileConfigFromDirectory(directory string, configuration *types.Configuration) (*types.Configuration, error) {
diff --git a/provider/file/file_test.go b/provider/file/file_test.go
index eae4f847f..38321d764 100644
--- a/provider/file/file_test.go
+++ b/provider/file/file_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containous/traefik/safe"
 	"github.com/containous/traefik/types"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 // createRandomFile Helper
@@ -332,3 +333,24 @@ func createProvider(t *testing.T, test ProvideTestCase, watch bool) (*Provider,
 		os.Remove(tempDir)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTLSContent(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir := createTempDir(t, "testdir")
+	defer os.Remove(tempDir)
+
+	fileTLS := createRandomFile(t, tempDir, "CONTENT")
+	fileConfig := createRandomFile(t, tempDir, `
+[[tls]]
+entryPoints = ["https"]
+  [tls.certificate]
+    certFile = "`+fileTLS.Name()+`"
+    keyFile = "`+fileTLS.Name()+`"
+`)
+
+	provider := &Provider{}
+	configuration, err := provider.loadFileConfig(fileConfig.Name(), true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Equal(t, "CONTENT", configuration.TLS[0].Certificate.CertFile.String())
+	require.Equal(t, "CONTENT", configuration.TLS[0].Certificate.KeyFile.String())
+}