diff --git a/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py b/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
index 2d59cc85e..ab5ba6cdc 100644
--- a/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
+++ b/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
@@ -751,6 +751,15 @@ def _file_equal(local_path: str | IO[Any] | None, remote_path: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def _remote_file_equal(remote_path_a: str, remote_path_b: str) -> bool:
+    for fact in [Sha1File, Md5File, Sha256File]:
+        sum_a = host.get_fact(fact, path=remote_path_a)
+        sum_b = host.get_fact(fact, path=remote_path_b)
+        if sum_a and sum_b:
+            return sum_a == sum_b
+    return False
+
+
 @operation(
     # We don't (currently) cache the local state, so there's nothing we can
     # update to flag the local file as present.
@@ -1312,6 +1321,39 @@ def move(src: str, dest: str, overwrite=False):
     yield StringCommand("mv", QuoteString(src), QuoteString(dest))
 
 
+@operation()
+def copy(src: str, dest: str, overwrite=False):
+    """
+    Copy remote file/directory/link into remote directory
+
+    + src: remote file/directory to copy
+    + dest: remote directory to copy `src` into
+    + overwrite: whether to overwrite dest, if present
+    """
+    src_is_dir = host.get_fact(Directory, src)
+    if not host.get_fact(File, src) and not src_is_dir:
+        raise OperationError(f"src {src} does not exist")
+
+    if not host.get_fact(Directory, dest):
+        raise OperationError(f"dest {dest} is not an existing directory")
+
+    dest_file_path = os.path.join(dest, os.path.basename(src))
+    dest_file_exists = host.get_fact(File, dest_file_path)
+    if dest_file_exists and not overwrite:
+        if _remote_file_equal(src, dest_file_path):
+            host.noop(f"{dest_file_path} already exists")
+            return
+        else:
+            raise OperationError(f"{dest_file_path} already exists and is different than src")
+
+    cp_cmd = ["cp -r"]
+
+    if overwrite:
+        cp_cmd.append("-f")
+
+    yield StringCommand(*cp_cmd, QuoteString(src), QuoteString(dest))
+
+
 def _validate_path(path):
     try:
         return os.fspath(path)
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_directory.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_directory.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19b5d0b92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_directory.json
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir": null,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/src_dir": null,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/src_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": ["cp -r /tmp/src_dir /tmp/dest_dir"]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_directory_overwriting.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_directory_overwriting.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bc7c53f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_directory_overwriting.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir": null,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/src_dir": null,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/src_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": ["cp -r -f /tmp/src_dir /tmp/dest_dir"]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_file.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_file.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f37991ff1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_file.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": ["cp -r /tmp/src_dir/file /tmp/dest_dir"]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_file_overwriting.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_file_overwriting.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c37cadb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/copies_file_overwriting.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": true
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": ["cp -r -f /tmp/src_dir/file /tmp/dest_dir"]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63399aeff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": null,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+        }
+    },
+    "exception": {
+        "name": "OperationError",
+        "message": "dest /tmp/dest_dir is not an existing directory"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_overwrite.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_overwrite.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ff71a326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_overwrite.json
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": true
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Sha1File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": "abc",
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": "xyz"
+        }
+    },
+    "exception": {
+        "name": "OperationError",
+        "message": "/tmp/dest_dir/file already exists and is different than src"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b77a44170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+        }
+    },
+    "exception": {
+        "name": "OperationError",
+        "message": "src /tmp/src_dir/file does not exist"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/noop_dest_file_exists.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/noop_dest_file_exists.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5bc769ade
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/noop_dest_file_exists.json
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": true
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": true,
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Sha1File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": "abc",
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": "abc"
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [],
+    "noop_description": "/tmp/dest_dir/file already exists"
+}