diff --git a/cmd/argocd/commands/app.go b/cmd/argocd/commands/app.go
index 967596670f..534e0d00b2 100644
--- a/cmd/argocd/commands/app.go
+++ b/cmd/argocd/commands/app.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
@@ -492,6 +493,18 @@ func setAppSpecOptions(flags *pflag.FlagSet, spec *argoappv1.ApplicationSpec, ap
 			spec.RevisionHistoryLimit = &i
 		case "values":
 			setHelmOpt(&spec.Source, helmOpts{valueFiles: appOpts.valuesFiles})
+		case "values-literal-file":
+			var data []byte
+
+			// read uri
+			parsedURL, err := url.ParseRequestURI(appOpts.values)
+			if err != nil || !(parsedURL.Scheme == "http" || parsedURL.Scheme == "https") {
+				data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(appOpts.values)
+			} else {
+				data, err = config.ReadRemoteFile(appOpts.values)
+			}
+			errors.CheckError(err)
+			setHelmOpt(&spec.Source, helmOpts{values: string(data)})
 		case "release-name":
 			setHelmOpt(&spec.Source, helmOpts{releaseName: appOpts.releaseName})
 		case "helm-set":
@@ -613,6 +626,7 @@ func setKustomizeOpt(src *argoappv1.ApplicationSource, opts kustomizeOpts) {
 
 type helmOpts struct {
 	valueFiles     []string
+	values         string
 	releaseName    string
 	helmSets       []string
 	helmSetStrings []string
@@ -626,6 +640,9 @@ func setHelmOpt(src *argoappv1.ApplicationSource, opts helmOpts) {
 	if len(opts.valueFiles) > 0 {
 		src.Helm.ValueFiles = opts.valueFiles
 	}
+	if len(opts.values) > 0 {
+		src.Helm.Values = opts.values
+	}
 	if opts.releaseName != "" {
 		src.Helm.ReleaseName = opts.releaseName
 	}
@@ -684,6 +701,7 @@ type appOptions struct {
 	destNamespace          string
 	parameters             []string
 	valuesFiles            []string
+	values                 string
 	releaseName            string
 	helmSets               []string
 	helmSetStrings         []string
@@ -716,6 +734,7 @@ func addAppFlags(command *cobra.Command, opts *appOptions) {
 	command.Flags().StringVar(&opts.destNamespace, "dest-namespace", "", "K8s target namespace (overrides the namespace specified in the ksonnet app.yaml)")
 	command.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&opts.parameters, "parameter", "p", []string{}, "set a parameter override (e.g. -p guestbook=image=example/guestbook:latest)")
 	command.Flags().StringArrayVar(&opts.valuesFiles, "values", []string{}, "Helm values file(s) to use")
+	command.Flags().StringVar(&opts.values, "values-literal-file", "", "Filename or URL to import as a literal Helm values block")
 	command.Flags().StringVar(&opts.releaseName, "release-name", "", "Helm release-name")
 	command.Flags().StringArrayVar(&opts.helmSets, "helm-set", []string{}, "Helm set values on the command line (can be repeated to set several values: --helm-set key1=val1 --helm-set key2=val2)")
 	command.Flags().StringArrayVar(&opts.helmSetStrings, "helm-set-string", []string{}, "Helm set STRING values on the command line (can be repeated to set several values: --helm-set-string key1=val1 --helm-set-string key2=val2)")
@@ -741,6 +760,7 @@ func addAppFlags(command *cobra.Command, opts *appOptions) {
 func NewApplicationUnsetCommand(clientOpts *argocdclient.ClientOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	var (
 		parameters       []string
+		valuesLiteral    bool
 		valuesFiles      []string
 		nameSuffix       bool
 		namePrefix       bool
@@ -822,7 +842,7 @@ func NewApplicationUnsetCommand(clientOpts *argocdclient.ClientOptions) *cobra.C
 				}
 			}
 			if app.Spec.Source.Helm != nil {
-				if len(parameters) == 0 && len(valuesFiles) == 0 {
+				if len(parameters) == 0 && len(valuesFiles) == 0 && !valuesLiteral {
 					c.HelpFunc()(c, args)
 					os.Exit(1)
 				}
@@ -836,17 +856,20 @@ func NewApplicationUnsetCommand(clientOpts *argocdclient.ClientOptions) *cobra.C
 						}
 					}
 				}
-				specValueFiles := app.Spec.Source.Helm.ValueFiles
+				if valuesLiteral {
+					app.Spec.Source.Helm.Values = ""
+					updated = true
+				}
 				for _, valuesFile := range valuesFiles {
+					specValueFiles := app.Spec.Source.Helm.ValueFiles
 					for i, vf := range specValueFiles {
 						if vf == valuesFile {
-							specValueFiles = append(specValueFiles[0:i], specValueFiles[i+1:]...)
+							app.Spec.Source.Helm.ValueFiles = append(specValueFiles[0:i], specValueFiles[i+1:]...)
 							updated = true
 							break
 						}
 					}
 				}
-				setHelmOpt(&app.Spec.Source, helmOpts{valueFiles: specValueFiles})
 				if !updated {
 					return
 				}
@@ -859,8 +882,9 @@ func NewApplicationUnsetCommand(clientOpts *argocdclient.ClientOptions) *cobra.C
 			errors.CheckError(err)
 		},
 	}
-	command.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&parameters, "parameter", "p", []string{}, "unset a parameter override (e.g. -p guestbook=image)")
-	command.Flags().StringArrayVar(&valuesFiles, "values", []string{}, "unset one or more helm values files")
+	command.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&parameters, "parameter", "p", []string{}, "Unset a parameter override (e.g. -p guestbook=image)")
+	command.Flags().StringArrayVar(&valuesFiles, "values", []string{}, "Unset one or more Helm values files")
+	command.Flags().BoolVar(&valuesLiteral, "values-literal", false, "Unset literal Helm values block")
 	command.Flags().BoolVar(&nameSuffix, "namesuffix", false, "Kustomize namesuffix")
 	command.Flags().BoolVar(&namePrefix, "nameprefix", false, "Kustomize nameprefix")
 	command.Flags().BoolVar(&kustomizeVersion, "kustomize-version", false, "Kustomize version")
diff --git a/test/e2e/helm_test.go b/test/e2e/helm_test.go
index 33494e88ae..17c7900bf9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helm_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helm_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package e2e
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -121,6 +123,70 @@ func TestHelmValues(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 }
 
+func TestHelmValuesLiteralFileLocal(t *testing.T) {
+	Given(t).
+		Path("helm").
+		When().
+		Create().
+		AppSet("--values-literal-file", "testdata/helm/baz.yaml").
+		Then().
+		And(func(app *Application) {
+			data, err := ioutil.ReadFile("testdata/helm/baz.yaml")
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			assert.Equal(t, string(data), app.Spec.Source.Helm.Values)
+		}).
+		When().
+		AppUnSet("--values-literal").
+		Then().
+		And(func(app *Application) {
+			assert.Nil(t, app.Spec.Source.Helm)
+		})
+}
+
+func TestHelmValuesLiteralFileRemote(t *testing.T) {
+	sentinel := "a: b"
+	serve := func(c chan<- string) {
+		// listen on first available dynamic (unprivileged) port
+		listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":0")
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+
+		// send back the address so that it can be used
+		c <- listener.Addr().String()
+		http.HandleFunc("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			// return the sentinel text at root URL
+			fmt.Fprint(w, sentinel)
+		})
+
+		panic(http.Serve(listener, nil))
+	}
+	c := make(chan string, 1)
+
+	// run a local webserver to test data retrieval
+	go serve(c)
+	address := <-c
+	t.Logf("Listening at address: %s", address)
+
+	Given(t).
+		Path("helm").
+		When().
+		Create().
+		AppSet("--values-literal-file", "http://"+address).
+		Then().
+		And(func(app *Application) {
+			assert.Equal(t, "a: b", app.Spec.Source.Helm.Values)
+		}).
+		When().
+		AppUnSet("--values-literal").
+		Then().
+		And(func(app *Application) {
+			assert.Nil(t, app.Spec.Source.Helm)
+		})
+}
+
 func TestHelmCrdHook(t *testing.T) {
 	Given(t).
 		Path("helm-crd").