diff --git a/telegram/bot.py b/telegram/bot.py
index 97f83c6a4..12e333c79 100644
--- a/telegram/bot.py
+++ b/telegram/bot.py
@@ -602,10 +602,10 @@ class Bot(object):
         """
 
         if method == 'POST':
-            if 'audio' in data and isinstance(data['audio'], file) or \
-               'document' in data and isinstance(data['document'], file) or \
-               'photo' in data and isinstance(data['photo'], file) or \
-               'video' in data and isinstance(data['video'], file):
+            if 'audio' in data and (isinstance(data['audio'], file) or 'http' in data['audio']) or \
+               'document' in data and (isinstance(data['document'], file) or 'http' in data['document']) or \
+               'photo' in data and (isinstance(data['photo'], file) or 'http' in data['photo']) or \
+               'video' in data and (isinstance(data['video'], file) or 'http' in data['video']):
                 try:
                     data = InputFile(data)
                     request = urllib2.Request(
diff --git a/telegram/inputfile.py b/telegram/inputfile.py
index 2ada2f41a..f33045dd8 100644
--- a/telegram/inputfile.py
+++ b/telegram/inputfile.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import mimetools
 import mimetypes
 import os
+import urllib2
 
 
 class InputFile(object):
@@ -12,21 +13,26 @@ class InputFile(object):
         self.data = data
         self.boundary = mimetools.choose_boundary()
 
-        if 'audio' in data and isinstance(data['audio'], file):
+        if 'audio' in data:
             self.input_name = 'audio'
             self.input_file = data.pop('audio')
-        if 'document' in data and isinstance(data['document'], file):
+        if 'document' in data:
             self.input_name = 'document'
             self.input_file = data.pop('document')
-        if 'photo' in data and isinstance(data['photo'], file):
+        if 'photo' in data:
             self.input_name = 'photo'
             self.input_file = data.pop('photo')
-        if 'video' in data and isinstance(data['video'], file):
+        if 'video' in data:
             self.input_name = 'video'
             self.input_file = data.pop('video')
 
-        self.input_file_content = self.input_file.read()
-        self.filename = os.path.basename(self.input_file.name)
+        if isinstance(self.input_file, file):
+            self.filename = os.path.basename(self.input_file.name)
+            self.input_file_content = self.input_file.read()
+        if 'http' in self.input_file:
+            self.filename = os.path.basename(self.input_file)
+            self.input_file_content = urllib2.urlopen(self.input_file).read()
+
         self.mimetype = mimetypes.guess_type(self.filename)[0] or \
             'application/octet-stream'
 
diff --git a/tests/test_bot.py b/tests/test_bot.py
index afb279f35..794e98ac4 100644
--- a/tests/test_bot.py
+++ b/tests/test_bot.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class BotTest(unittest.TestCase):
         '''Test the telegram.Bot getUpdates method'''
         print 'Testing getUpdates'
         updates = self._bot.getUpdates()
-        self.assertEqual(129566577, updates[0].update_id)
+        self.assertEqual(129566590, updates[0].update_id)
 
     def testForwardMessage(self):
         '''Test the telegram.Bot forwardMessage method'''