diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index 9d26c61fa..4f800a409 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ General writer options {.options}
new languages or to use altered syntax definitions for
existing languages.
-`-H` *FILE*, `--include-in-header=`*FILE*
+`-H` *FILE*, `--include-in-header=`*FILE*|*URL*
: Include contents of *FILE*, verbatim, at the end of the header.
This can be used, for example, to include special
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ General writer options {.options}
repeatedly to include multiple files in the header. They will be
included in the order specified. Implies `--standalone`.
-`-B` *FILE*, `--include-before-body=`*FILE*
+`-B` *FILE*, `--include-before-body=`*FILE*|*URL*
: Include contents of *FILE*, verbatim, at the beginning of the
document body (e.g. after the `<body>` tag in HTML, or the
@@ -815,7 +815,7 @@ General writer options {.options}
used repeatedly to include multiple files. They will be included in
the order specified. Implies `--standalone`.
-`-A` *FILE*, `--include-after-body=`*FILE*
+`-A` *FILE*, `--include-after-body=`*FILE*|*URL*
: Include contents of *FILE*, verbatim, at the end of the document
body (before the `</body>` tag in HTML, or the
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/OutputSettings.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/OutputSettings.hs
index b4bd9a4b2..0f4923ea4 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/OutputSettings.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/OutputSettings.hs
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ optToOutputSettings opts = do
withList f (x:xs) vars = f x vars >>= withList f xs
let addContentsAsVariable varname fp vars = do
- s <- UTF8.toString <$> readFileStrict fp
- return $ (varname, s) : vars
+ s <- UTF8.toString . fst <$> fetchItem fp
+ return $ (varname, s) : vars
variables <-
withList (addStringAsVariable "sourcefile")