diff --git a/api/rest/restapi.go b/api/rest/restapi.go
index 264b9367..2b2af8d9 100644
--- a/api/rest/restapi.go
+++ b/api/rest/restapi.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	p2phttp "github.com/hsanjuan/go-libp2p-http"
 	cid "github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmdkit/files"
+	ipld "github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-format"
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-log"
 	libp2p "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p"
 	host "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-host"
@@ -515,8 +516,28 @@ func (api *API) addFileHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		sendAcceptedResponse(w, errors.New("unsupported media type"))
 		return
 	}
+	outChan := make(chan *ipld.Node)
+	go func() {
+		for nodePtr := range outChan {
+			node := *nodePtr
+			/* Send block data to ipfs */
+			pinS := types.PinSerial{}
+			err := api.rpcClient.Call("",
+				"Cluster",
+				"IPFSBlockPut",
+				node.RawData(),
+				&pinS)
 
-	err := importer.ToPrint(f)
+			/* Verify that block put cid matches*/
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Warning(err)
+			}
+			if node.String() != pinS.Cid { // node string is just cid string
+				logger.Warningf("mismatch. node cid: %s\nrpc cid: %s", node.String(), pinS.Cid)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	err := dex.ImportToChannel(f, outChan, context.Background())
 	/*	buf := make([]byte, 256)
 		for {
 			file, err := f.NextFile()
diff --git a/ipfscluster.go b/ipfscluster.go
index f5072f1f..71295073 100644
--- a/ipfscluster.go
+++ b/ipfscluster.go
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ type IPFSConnector interface {
 	// RepoSize returns the current repository size as expressed
 	// by "repo stat".
 	RepoSize() (uint64, error)
+	// BlockPut directly adds a block of data to the IPFS repo
+	BlockPut([]byte) (api.Pin, error)
 }
 
 // Peered represents a component which needs to be aware of the peers
diff --git a/ipfsconn/ipfshttp/ipfshttp.go b/ipfsconn/ipfshttp/ipfshttp.go
index 89db540d..117ad218 100644
--- a/ipfsconn/ipfshttp/ipfshttp.go
+++ b/ipfsconn/ipfshttp/ipfshttp.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 
 	rpc "github.com/hsanjuan/go-libp2p-gorpc"
 	cid "github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmdkit/files"
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-log"
 	peer "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-peer"
 	ma "github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr"
@@ -109,6 +110,10 @@ type ipfsStream struct {
 	Protocol string
 }
 
+type ipfsBlockPutResp struct {
+	Key string
+}
+
 // NewConnector creates the component and leaves it ready to be started
 func NewConnector(cfg *Config) (*Connector, error) {
 	err := cfg.Validate()
@@ -589,7 +594,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) ID() (api.IPFSID, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ipfs.ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 	id := api.IPFSID{}
-	body, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "id")
+	body, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "id", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		id.Error = err.Error()
 		return id, err
@@ -643,7 +648,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) Pin(ctx context.Context, hash *cid.Cid, recursive bool) e
 		}
 
 		path := fmt.Sprintf("pin/add?arg=%s&recursive=%t", hash, recursive)
-		_, err = ipfs.postCtx(ctx, path)
+		_, err = ipfs.postCtx(ctx, path, nil)
 		if err == nil {
 			logger.Info("IPFS Pin request succeeded: ", hash)
 		}
@@ -664,7 +669,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) Unpin(ctx context.Context, hash *cid.Cid) error {
 	}
 	if pinStatus.IsPinned() {
 		path := fmt.Sprintf("pin/rm?arg=%s", hash)
-		_, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, path)
+		_, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, path, nil)
 		if err == nil {
 			logger.Info("IPFS Unpin request succeeded:", hash)
 		}
@@ -680,7 +685,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) Unpin(ctx context.Context, hash *cid.Cid) error {
 func (ipfs *Connector) PinLs(ctx context.Context, typeFilter string) (map[string]api.IPFSPinStatus, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	body, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "pin/ls?type="+typeFilter)
+	body, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "pin/ls?type="+typeFilter, nil)
 
 	// Some error talking to the daemon
 	if err != nil {
@@ -708,7 +713,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) PinLsCid(ctx context.Context, hash *cid.Cid) (api.IPFSPin
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 	lsPath := fmt.Sprintf("pin/ls?arg=%s&type=recursive", hash)
-	body, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, lsPath)
+	body, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, lsPath, nil)
 
 	// Network error, daemon down
 	if body == nil && err != nil {
@@ -735,15 +740,16 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) PinLsCid(ctx context.Context, hash *cid.Cid) (api.IPFSPin
 	return api.IPFSPinStatusFromString(pinObj.Type), nil
 }
 
-func (ipfs *Connector) doPostCtx(ctx context.Context, client *http.Client, apiURL, path string) (*http.Response, error) {
+func (ipfs *Connector) doPostCtx(ctx context.Context, client *http.Client, apiURL, path string, contentType string, postBody io.Reader) (*http.Response, error) {
 	logger.Debugf("posting %s", path)
 	urlstr := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", apiURL, path)
 
-	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", urlstr, nil)
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", urlstr, postBody)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("error creating POST request:", err)
 	}
 
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", contentType)
 	req = req.WithContext(ctx)
 	res, err := ipfs.client.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -772,8 +778,8 @@ func checkResponse(path string, code int, body []byte) error {
 // postCtx makes a POST request against
 // the ipfs daemon, reads the full body of the response and
 // returns it after checking for errors.
-func (ipfs *Connector) postCtx(ctx context.Context, path string) ([]byte, error) {
-	res, err := ipfs.doPostCtx(ctx, ipfs.client, ipfs.apiURL(), path)
+func (ipfs *Connector) postCtx(ctx context.Context, path string, contentType string, postBody io.Reader) ([]byte, error) {
+	res, err := ipfs.doPostCtx(ctx, ipfs.client, ipfs.apiURL(), path, contentType, postBody)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -832,7 +838,11 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) ConnectSwarms() error {
 			// This is a best effort attempt
 			// We ignore errors which happens
 			// when passing in a bunch of addresses
-			_, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("swarm/connect?arg=%s", addr))
+			_, err := ipfs.postCtx(
+				ctx,
+				fmt.Sprintf("swarm/connect?arg=%s", addr),
+				nil,
+			)
 			if err != nil {
 				logger.Debug(err)
 				continue
@@ -849,7 +859,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) ConnectSwarms() error {
 func (ipfs *Connector) ConfigKey(keypath string) (interface{}, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ipfs.ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "config/show")
+	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "config/show", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error(err)
 		return nil, err
@@ -895,7 +905,7 @@ func getConfigValue(path []string, cfg map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, err
 func (ipfs *Connector) FreeSpace() (uint64, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ipfs.ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "repo/stat")
+	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "repo/stat", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error(err)
 		return 0, err
@@ -915,7 +925,7 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) FreeSpace() (uint64, error) {
 func (ipfs *Connector) RepoSize() (uint64, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ipfs.ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "repo/stat")
+	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "repo/stat", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error(err)
 		return 0, err
@@ -930,12 +940,12 @@ func (ipfs *Connector) RepoSize() (uint64, error) {
 	return stats.RepoSize, nil
 }
 
-// SwarmPeers returns the peers currently connected to this ipfs daemon
+// SwarmPeers returns the peers currently connected to this ipfs daemon.
 func (ipfs *Connector) SwarmPeers() (api.SwarmPeers, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ipfs.ctx, ipfs.config.IPFSRequestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 	swarm := api.SwarmPeers{}
-	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "swarm/peers")
+	res, err := ipfs.postCtx(ctx, "swarm/peers", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error(err)
 		return swarm, err
@@ -979,3 +989,31 @@ func extractArgument(u *url.URL) (string, bool) {
 	}
 	return "", false
 }
+
+// BlockPut triggers an ipfs block put on the given data, inserting the block
+// into the ipfs daemon's repo.
+func (ipfs *Connector) BlockPut(data []byte) (api.Pin, error) {
+	pin := api.Pin{}
+
+	r := ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(data))
+	rFile := files.NewReaderFile("", "", r, nil)
+	sliceFile := files.NewSliceFile("", "", []files.File{rFile}) // IPFS reqs require a wrapping directory
+	multiFileR := files.NewMultiFileReader(sliceFile, true)
+	contentType := "multipart/form-data; boundary=" + multiFileR.Boundary()
+
+	res, err := ipfs.post("block/put", contentType, multiFileR)
+	if err != nil {
+		return pin, err
+	}
+	var keyRaw ipfsBlockPutResp
+	err = json.Unmarshal(res, &keyRaw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return pin, err
+	}
+	c, err := cid.Decode(keyRaw.Key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return pin, err
+	}
+
+	return api.PinCid(c), nil
+}
diff --git a/rpc_api.go b/rpc_api.go
index 5e2ef26c..6c1914b2 100644
--- a/rpc_api.go
+++ b/rpc_api.go
@@ -302,6 +302,13 @@ func (rpcapi *RPCAPI) IPFSSwarmPeers(ctx context.Context, in struct{}, out *api.
 	return err
 }
 
+// IPFSBlockPut runs IPFSConnector.BlockPut().
+func (rpcapi *RPCAPI) IPFSBlockPut(in []byte, out *api.PinSerial) error {
+	res, err := rpcapi.c.ipfs.BlockPut(in)
+	*out = res.ToSerial()
+	return err
+}
+
 /*
    Consensus component methods
 */