diff --git a/compiler/native/expand.go b/compiler/native/expand.go
index c4395d6dc..e17d03161 100644
--- a/compiler/native/expand.go
+++ b/compiler/native/expand.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/constants"
 
+	"github.com/go-vela/server/compiler/registry"
 	"github.com/go-vela/server/compiler/template/native"
 	"github.com/go-vela/server/compiler/template/starlark"
 	"github.com/spf13/afero"
@@ -212,6 +213,39 @@ func (c *client) getTemplate(tmpl *yaml.Template, name string) ([]byte, error) {
 			}
 		}
 
+	case strings.EqualFold(tmpl.Type, "file"):
+		src := &registry.Source{
+			Org:  c.repo.GetOrg(),
+			Repo: c.repo.GetName(),
+			Name: tmpl.Source,
+			Ref:  c.build.GetCommit(),
+		}
+
+		if !c.UsePrivateGithub {
+			logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
+				"org":  src.Org,
+				"repo": src.Repo,
+				"path": src.Name,
+			}).Tracef("Using GitHub client to pull template")
+
+			bytes, err = c.Github.Template(nil, src)
+			if err != nil {
+				return bytes, err
+			}
+		} else {
+			logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
+				"org":  src.Org,
+				"repo": src.Repo,
+				"path": src.Name,
+			}).Tracef("Using authenticated GitHub client to pull template")
+
+			// use private (authenticated) github instance to pull from
+			bytes, err = c.PrivateGithub.Template(c.user, src)
+			if err != nil {
+				return bytes, err
+			}
+		}
+
 	default:
 		return bytes, fmt.Errorf("unsupported template type: %v", tmpl.Type)
 	}
diff --git a/compiler/native/expand_test.go b/compiler/native/expand_test.go
index d4f9f8d7c..ae3fc32b7 100644
--- a/compiler/native/expand_test.go
+++ b/compiler/native/expand_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/raw"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/yaml"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
@@ -190,11 +191,40 @@ func TestNative_ExpandSteps(t *testing.T) {
 	set.String("github-token", "", "doc")
 	c := cli.NewContext(nil, set, nil)
 
-	tmpls := map[string]*yaml.Template{
-		"gradle": {
-			Name:   "gradle",
-			Source: "github.example.com/foo/bar/template.yml",
-			Type:   "github",
+	testBuild := new(library.Build)
+
+	testBuild.SetID(1)
+	testBuild.SetCommit("123abc456def")
+
+	testRepo := new(library.Repo)
+
+	testRepo.SetID(1)
+	testRepo.SetOrg("foo")
+	testRepo.SetName("bar")
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		tmpls map[string]*yaml.Template
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "GitHub",
+			tmpls: map[string]*yaml.Template{
+				"gradle": {
+					Name:   "gradle",
+					Source: "github.example.com/foo/bar/template.yml",
+					Type:   "github",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "File",
+			tmpls: map[string]*yaml.Template{
+				"gradle": {
+					Name:   "gradle",
+					Source: "template.yml",
+					Type:   "file",
+				},
+			},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -287,25 +317,31 @@ func TestNative_ExpandSteps(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Creating new compiler returned err: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	build, err := compiler.ExpandSteps(&yaml.Build{Steps: steps, Services: yaml.ServiceSlice{}, Environment: globalEnvironment}, tmpls)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("ExpandSteps returned err: %v", err)
-	}
+	compiler.WithBuild(testBuild).WithRepo(testRepo)
 
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Steps, wantSteps); diff != "" {
-		t.Errorf("ExpandSteps() mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
-	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			build, err := compiler.ExpandSteps(&yaml.Build{Steps: steps, Services: yaml.ServiceSlice{}, Environment: globalEnvironment}, test.tmpls)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("ExpandSteps_Type%s returned err: %v", test.name, err)
+			}
 
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Secrets, wantSecrets); diff != "" {
-		t.Errorf("ExpandSteps() mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
-	}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Steps, wantSteps); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("ExpandSteps()_Type%s mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", test.name, diff)
+			}
 
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Services, wantServices); diff != "" {
-		t.Errorf("ExpandSteps() mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
-	}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Secrets, wantSecrets); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("ExpandSteps()_Type%s mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", test.name, diff)
+			}
 
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Environment, wantEnvironment); diff != "" {
-		t.Errorf("ExpandSteps() mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Services, wantServices); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("ExpandSteps()_Type%s mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", test.name, diff)
+			}
+
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(build.Environment, wantEnvironment); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("ExpandSteps()_Type%s mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", test.name, diff)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }