diff --git a/core/src/install/mod.rs b/core/src/install/mod.rs
index 80687c0c2..28ac15825 100644
--- a/core/src/install/mod.rs
+++ b/core/src/install/mod.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 use ts_rs::TS;
 
 use crate::context::{CliContext, RpcContext};
+use crate::registry::asset::BufferedHttpSource;
 use crate::db::model::package::{ManifestPreference, PackageStateMatchModelRef};
 use crate::prelude::*;
 use crate::progress::{FullProgress, FullProgressTracker, PhasedProgressBar};
@@ -285,6 +286,57 @@ pub async fn sideload(
     Ok(SideloadResponse { upload, progress })
 }
 
+#[derive(Deserialize, Serialize, TS)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+#[ts(export)]
+pub struct SideloadUrlParams {
+    #[ts(type = "string")]
+    url: Url,
+}
+
+#[instrument(skip_all)]
+pub async fn sideload_url(
+    ctx: RpcContext,
+    SideloadUrlParams { url }: SideloadUrlParams,
+) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    if !matches!(url.scheme(), "http" | "https") {
+        return Err(Error::new(
+            eyre!("URL scheme must be http or https, got: {}", url.scheme()),
+            ErrorKind::InvalidRequest,
+        ));
+    }
+
+    let progress_tracker = FullProgressTracker::new();
+    let download_progress = progress_tracker.add_phase("Downloading".into(), Some(100));
+    let client = ctx.client.clone();
+    let db = ctx.db.clone();
+    let pt_ref = progress_tracker.clone();
+
+    let download = ctx
+        .services
+        .install(
+            ctx.clone(),
+            || async move {
+                let source = BufferedHttpSource::new(client, url, download_progress).await?;
+                let key = db.peek().await.into_private().into_developer_key();
+                crate::s9pk::load(source, || Ok(key.de()?.0), Some(&pt_ref)).await
+            },
+            None,
+            None::<Never>,
+            Some(progress_tracker),
+        )
+        .await?;
+
+    tokio::spawn(async move {
+        if let Err(e) = async { download.await?.await }.await {
+            tracing::error!("Error sideloading package from URL: {e}");
+            tracing::debug!("{e:?}");
+        }
+    });
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Deserialize, Serialize, Parser, TS)]
 #[ts(export)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
diff --git a/core/src/lib.rs b/core/src/lib.rs
index 904999d59..15c23ea40 100644
--- a/core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/core/src/lib.rs
@@ -441,6 +441,12 @@ pub fn package<C: Context>() -> ParentHandler<C> {
                 .with_metadata("get_session", Value::Bool(true))
                 .no_cli(),
         )
+        .subcommand(
+            "sideload-url",
+            from_fn_async(install::sideload_url)
+                .with_metadata("sync_db", Value::Bool(true))
+                .no_cli(),
+        )
         .subcommand(
             "install",
             from_fn_async_local(install::cli_install)
diff --git a/core/src/mcp/ARCHITECTURE.md b/core/src/mcp/ARCHITECTURE.md
index 9dbf67b47..0b8f5bc83 100644
--- a/core/src/mcp/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/core/src/mcp/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ core/src/mcp/
 ├── mod.rs        — HTTP handlers, routing, MCP method dispatch, shell execution, CORS
 ├── protocol.rs   — JSON-RPC 2.0 types, MCP request/response structs, error codes
 ├── session.rs    — Session map, create/remove/sweep, resource subscriptions with debounce
-└── tools.rs      — Tool registry (88 tools), HashMap<String, ToolEntry> mapping names → RPC methods + schemas
+└── tools.rs      — Tool registry (89 tools), HashMap<String, ToolEntry> mapping names → RPC methods + schemas
 ```
 
 ## Tool Dispatch
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ Resource URIs are validated to only allow `/public/**` subtrees and the special
 
 ## Excluded RPC Methods
 
-Of the ~194 RPC methods registered in the StartOS backend, 87 are exposed as MCP tools (plus 1 MCP-only tool: `package.shell`). The remaining 105 are excluded for the following reasons.
+Of the ~195 RPC methods registered in the StartOS backend, 88 are exposed as MCP tools (plus 1 MCP-only tool: `package.shell`). The remaining 105 are excluded for the following reasons.
 
 ### Wrong context — Setup / Init / Diagnostic modes
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ These configure the Start9 tunnel service, which has its own management interfac
 
 | Method | Reason |
 |--------|--------|
-| `package.sideload` | Requires multipart file upload via middleware, not JSON-RPC params |
+| `package.sideload` | Requires multipart file upload via REST continuation, not JSON-RPC params. Use `package.sideload-by-url` MCP tool (backed by `package.sideload-url` RPC) which accepts a URL instead |
 
 ### Security — host-level shell access excluded
 
diff --git a/core/src/mcp/tools.rs b/core/src/mcp/tools.rs
index 54ce0e71a..9d5a044a4 100644
--- a/core/src/mcp/tools.rs
+++ b/core/src/mcp/tools.rs
@@ -299,6 +299,26 @@ pub fn tool_registry() -> HashMap<String, ToolEntry> {
             sync_db: true,
             needs_session: false,
         },
+        ToolEntry {
+            definition: ToolDefinition {
+                name: "package.sideload-by-url".into(),
+                description: "Install a package (service) from a direct URL to an .s9pk file. \
+                    Use this to install packages from download links rather than from a registry. \
+                    The download and installation is asynchronous — subscribe to \
+                    startos:///public/packageData to monitor installation progress in real time.".into(),
+                input_schema: json!({
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "properties": {
+                        "url": { "type": "string", "description": "Direct URL to an .s9pk package file (http or https)" }
+                    },
+                    "required": ["url"],
+                    "additionalProperties": false
+                }),
+            },
+            rpc_method: "package.sideload-url",
+            sync_db: true,
+            needs_session: false,
+        },
         ToolEntry {
             definition: ToolDefinition {
                 name: "package.uninstall".into(),