diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_modal.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_modal.html
index b82c441f..f09b4495 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_modal.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/cover_modal.html
@@ -10,17 +10,27 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block modal-body %}
-<section class="modal-card-body">
+<section class="modal-card-body columns">
     {% csrf_token %}
-    {% csrf_token %}
-    <label class="label">
+    <div class="column">
+        <label class="label" for="id_cover">
+            {% trans "Upload cover:" %}
+        </label>
         <input type="file" name="cover" accept="image/*" enctype="multipart/form-data" id="id_cover">
-    </label>
+    </div>
+    <div class="column">
+        <label class="label" for="id_cover_url">
+            {% trans "Load cover from url:" %}
+        </label>
+        <input class="input" name="cover-url" id="id_cover_url">
+    </div>
 </section>
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block modal-footer %}
 <button class="button is-primary" type="submit">{% trans "Add" %}</button>
+{% trans "Cancel" as button_text %}
+{% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with text=button_text %}
 {% endblock %}
 {% block modal-form-close %}</form>{% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index fca645ab..44492668 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ urlpatterns = [
     re_path(r"^create-book/?$", views.EditBook.as_view()),
     re_path(r"^create-book/confirm?$", views.ConfirmEditBook.as_view()),
     re_path(r"%s/editions(.json)?/?$" % book_path, views.Editions.as_view()),
-    re_path(r"^upload-cover/(?P<book_id>\d+)/?$", views.upload_cover, name="upload-cover"),
+    re_path(
+        r"^upload-cover/(?P<book_id>\d+)/?$", views.upload_cover, name="upload-cover"
+    ),
     re_path(r"^add-description/(?P<book_id>\d+)/?$", views.add_description),
     re_path(r"^resolve-book/?$", views.resolve_book),
     re_path(r"^switch-edition/?$", views.switch_edition),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books.py b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
index 00f3bc54..34432e7e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 """ the good stuff! the books! """
+from uuid import uuid4
+
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required, permission_required
 from django.contrib.postgres.search import SearchRank, SearchVector
+from django.core.files.base import ContentFile
 from django.core.paginator import Paginator
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.db.models import Avg, Q
@@ -14,6 +17,7 @@ from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from bookwyrm.activitypub import ActivitypubResponse
 from bookwyrm.connectors import connector_manager
+from bookwyrm.connectors.abstract_connector import get_image
 from bookwyrm.settings import PAGE_LENGTH
 from .helpers import is_api_request, get_activity_feed, get_edition
 from .helpers import privacy_filter
@@ -257,6 +261,17 @@ def upload_cover(request, book_id):
     """ upload a new cover """
     book = get_object_or_404(models.Edition, id=book_id)
 
+    url = request.POST.get("cover-url")
+    if url:
+        # load it from a url
+        image_file = get_image(url)
+        if not image_file:
+            return redirect("/book/%d" % book.id)
+        image_name = str(uuid4()) + "." + url.split(".")[-1]
+        image_content = ContentFile(image_file.content)
+        book.cover.save(*[image_name, image_content])
+        return redirect("/book/%d" % book.id)
+
     form = forms.CoverForm(request.POST, request.FILES, instance=book)
     if not form.is_valid():
         return redirect("/book/%d" % book.id)