diff --git a/ironicclient/common/utils.py b/ironicclient/common/utils.py
index 963d2f286..769ef3151 100644
--- a/ironicclient/common/utils.py
+++ b/ironicclient/common/utils.py
@@ -435,3 +435,24 @@ def handle_json_arg(json_arg, info_desc):
     if json_arg:
         json_arg = handle_json_or_file_arg(json_arg)
     return json_arg
+
+
+def get_json_data(data):
+    """Check if the binary data is JSON and parse it if so.
+
+    Only supports dictionaries.
+    """
+    # We don't want to simply loads() a potentially large binary. Doing so,
+    # in my testing, is orders of magnitude (!!) slower than this process.
+    for idx in range(len(data)):
+        char = data[idx:idx + 1]
+        if char.isspace():
+            continue
+        if char != b'{' and char != 'b[':
+            return None  # not JSON, at least not JSON we care about
+        break  # maybe JSON
+
+    try:
+        return json.loads(data)
+    except ValueError:
+        return None
diff --git a/ironicclient/osc/v1/baremetal_node.py b/ironicclient/osc/v1/baremetal_node.py
index 7201097a7..c36226118 100755
--- a/ironicclient/osc/v1/baremetal_node.py
+++ b/ironicclient/osc/v1/baremetal_node.py
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ CONFIG_DRIVE_ARG_HELP = _(
     "A gzipped, base64-encoded configuration drive string OR "
     "the path to the configuration drive file OR the path to a "
     "directory containing the config drive files OR a JSON object to build "
-    "config drive from. In case it's a directory, a config drive will be "
-    "generated from it. In case it's a JSON object with optional keys "
-    "`meta_data`, `user_data` and `network_data`, a config drive will "
-    "be generated on the server side (see the bare metal API reference for "
-    "more details).")
+    "config drive from OR the path to the JSON file. In case it's a "
+    "directory, a config drive will be generated from it. In case it's a JSON "
+    "object with optional keys `meta_data`, `user_data` and `network_data` "
+    "or a JSON file, a config drive will be generated on the server side "
+    "(see the bare metal API reference for more details).")
 
 
 NETWORK_DATA_ARG_HELP = _(
diff --git a/ironicclient/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py b/ironicclient/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
index a3c9972ce..c0ab0673f 100644
--- a/ironicclient/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
+++ b/ironicclient/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
@@ -413,3 +413,16 @@ class HandleJsonFileTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
                                    "from file",
                                    utils.handle_json_or_file_arg, f.name)
             mock_open.assert_called_once_with(f.name, 'r')
+
+
+class GetJsonDataTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
+
+    def test_success(self):
+        result = utils.get_json_data(b'\n{"answer": 42}')
+        self.assertEqual({"answer": 42}, result)
+
+    def test_definitely_not_json(self):
+        self.assertIsNone(utils.get_json_data(b'0x010x020x03'))
+
+    def test_could_be_json(self):
+        self.assertIsNone(utils.get_json_data(b'{"hahaha, just kidding\x00'))
diff --git a/ironicclient/tests/unit/v1/test_node.py b/ironicclient/tests/unit/v1/test_node.py
index 83808d569..7cdde36a9 100644
--- a/ironicclient/tests/unit/v1/test_node.py
+++ b/ironicclient/tests/unit/v1/test_node.py
@@ -1599,6 +1599,23 @@ class NodeManagerTest(testtools.TestCase):
         ]
         self.assertEqual(expect, self.api.calls)
 
+    def test_node_set_provision_state_with_configdrive_json_file(self):
+        target_state = 'active'
+        file_content = b'{"user_data": "foo bar"}'
+
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+            f.write(file_content)
+            f.flush()
+            self.mgr.set_provision_state(NODE1['uuid'], target_state,
+                                         configdrive=f.name)
+
+        body = {'target': target_state,
+                'configdrive': {"user_data": "foo bar"}}
+        expect = [
+            ('PUT', '/v1/nodes/%s/states/provision' % NODE1['uuid'], {}, body),
+        ]
+        self.assertEqual(expect, self.api.calls)
+
     @mock.patch.object(common_utils, 'make_configdrive', autospec=True)
     def test_node_set_provision_state_with_configdrive_dir(self,
                                                            mock_configdrive):
diff --git a/ironicclient/v1/node.py b/ironicclient/v1/node.py
index 80a32c899..337410c20 100644
--- a/ironicclient/v1/node.py
+++ b/ironicclient/v1/node.py
@@ -684,13 +684,18 @@ class NodeManager(base.CreateManager):
         :param state: The desired provision state. One of 'active', 'deleted',
              'rebuild', 'inspect', 'provide', 'manage', 'clean', 'abort',
              'rescue', 'unrescue'.
-        :param configdrive: A gzipped, base64-encoded configuration drive
-            string OR the path to the configuration drive file OR the path to
-            a directory containing the config drive files OR a dictionary to
-            build config drive from. In case it's a directory, a config drive
-            will be generated from it. In case it's a dictionary, a config
-            drive will be generated on the server side (requires API version
-            1.56). This is only valid when setting state to 'active'.
+        :param configdrive: One of:
+
+            * a gzipped, base64-encoded configuration drive string
+            * a dictionary to build config drive from
+            * a path to the configuration drive file (ISO 9660 or VFAT)
+            * a path to a directory containing the config drive files
+            * a path to a JSON file to build config from
+
+            In case it's a directory, a config drive will be generated from
+            it. In case it's a dictionary or a JSON file, a config drive will
+            be generated on the server side (requires API version 1.56).
+            This is only valid when setting state to 'active'.
         :param cleansteps: The clean steps as a list of clean-step
             dictionaries; each dictionary should have keys 'interface' and
             'step', and optional key 'args'. This must be specified (and is
@@ -718,6 +723,9 @@ class NodeManager(base.CreateManager):
                 if os.path.isfile(configdrive):
                     with open(configdrive, 'rb') as f:
                         configdrive = f.read()
+                    json_data = utils.get_json_data(configdrive)
+                    if json_data is not None:
+                        configdrive = json_data
                 elif os.path.isdir(configdrive):
                     configdrive = utils.make_configdrive(configdrive)
                 else:
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/configdrive-json-b9d173dde111cf22.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/configdrive-json-b9d173dde111cf22.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b60d3a1ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/configdrive-json-b9d173dde111cf22.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    The ``--config-drive`` argument to the ``node deploy`` CLI command, as well
+    as the underlying ``configdrive`` argument to the ``set_provision_state``
+    call now accept a JSON file with a dictionary.