diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ac0c0fad..8d1d95d8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -147,15 +147,24 @@ Options object is cloned, and mutated along the way to add integrity, resolved,
   There must be a configured `_keys` entry in the config that is scoped to the registry the manifest is being fetched from.
 * `tufCache` Where to store metadata/target files when retrieving the package attestation key material via TUF.
   Defaults to the same cache directory that npm will use by default, based on platform and environment.
-* `allowGit` Whether or not to allow data to be fetched from git.
+* `allowGit` Whether or not to allow data to be fetched from a git spec.
   Possible values are `all`, `none`, or `root`.
   Defaults to `all`.
   `all` means git is allowed
   `none` means git is not allowed
   `root` means that git is only allowed if fetching from a root context.
   Context for whether or not the package being fetched is `root` is set via the `_isRoot` option.
+* `allowRemote` Whether or not to allow data to be fetched from remote specs.
+  Possible values and defaults are the same as `allowGit`
+* `allowFile` Whether or not to allow data to be fetched from file specs.
+  Possible values and defaults are the same as `allowGit`
+* `allowDirectory` Whether or not to allow data to be fetched from directory specs.
+  Possible values and defaults are the same as `allowGit`
 * `_isRoot` Whether or not the package being fetched is in a root context.
-  For `npm` itself this means a package that is defined in the local project or workspace package.json, or a package that is being fetched for another command like `npm view`.
+  Defaults to `false`,
+  For `npm` itself this means a package that is defined in the local project or workspace package.json, or a package that is being fetched for another command like `npm view`.  This informs the `allowX` options to let them know the context of the current request.
+
+For more info on spec types (i.e. git, remote) see [npm-package-arg](npm.im/npm-package-arg)
 
 ### Advanced API
 
diff --git a/lib/fetcher.js b/lib/fetcher.js
index 8d52d28e..0ce7aedb 100644
--- a/lib/fetcher.js
+++ b/lib/fetcher.js
@@ -470,14 +470,20 @@ const DirFetcher = require('./dir.js')
 const RemoteFetcher = require('./remote.js')
 
 // possible values for allow: 'all', 'root', 'none'
-const canUseGit = (allow = 'all', isRoot = false) => {
+const canUse = ({ allow = 'all', isRoot = false, allowType, spec }) => {
   if (allow === 'all') {
     return true
   }
   if (allow !== 'none' && isRoot) {
     return true
   }
-  return false
+  throw Object.assign(
+    new Error(`Fetching${allow === 'root' ? ' non-root' : ''} packages of type "${allowType}" have been disabled`),
+    {
+      code: `EALLOW${allowType.toUpperCase()}`,
+      package: spec.toString(),
+    }
+  )
 }
 
 // Get an appropriate fetcher object from a spec and options
@@ -485,18 +491,11 @@ FetcherBase.get = (rawSpec, opts = {}) => {
   const spec = npa(rawSpec, opts.where)
   switch (spec.type) {
     case 'git':
-      if (!canUseGit(opts.allowGit, opts._isRoot)) {
-        throw Object.assign(
-          new Error(`Fetching${opts.allowGit === 'root' ? ' non-root' : ''} packages from git has been disabled`),
-          {
-            code: 'EALLOWGIT',
-            package: spec.toString(),
-          }
-        )
-      }
+      canUse({ allow: opts.allowGit, isRoot: opts._isRoot, allowType: 'git', spec })
       return new GitFetcher(spec, opts)
 
     case 'remote':
+      canUse({ allow: opts.allowRemote, isRoot: opts._isRoot, allowType: 'remote', spec })
       return new RemoteFetcher(spec, opts)
 
     case 'version':
@@ -506,9 +505,11 @@ FetcherBase.get = (rawSpec, opts = {}) => {
       return new RegistryFetcher(spec.subSpec || spec, opts)
 
     case 'file':
+      canUse({ allow: opts.allowFile, isRoot: opts._isRoot, allowType: 'file', spec })
       return new FileFetcher(spec, opts)
 
     case 'directory':
+      canUse({ allow: opts.allowDirectory, isRoot: opts._isRoot, allowType: 'directory', spec })
       return new DirFetcher(spec, opts)
 
     default:
diff --git a/test/fetcher.js b/test/fetcher.js
index 3fed72f1..383cb923 100644
--- a/test/fetcher.js
+++ b/test/fetcher.js
@@ -536,19 +536,30 @@ t.test('fetcher.get', t => {
   t.end()
 })
 
-t.test('allowGit', t => {
-  t.ok(Fetcher.get('npm/repo'), 'defaults')
-  t.ok(Fetcher.get('npm/foo', { allowGit: 'all' }), 'allowGit: all')
-  t.ok(Fetcher.get('npm/foo', { allowGit: 'root', _isRoot: true }), 'allowGit: root')
-  t.throws(() => {
-    Fetcher.get('npm/foo', { allowGit: 'none' })
-  }, { code: 'EALLOWGIT' })
-  t.throws(() => {
-    Fetcher.get('npm/foo', { allowGit: 'root' })
-  }, { code: 'EALLOWGIT' })
-  t.throws(() => {
-    Fetcher.get('npm/foo', { allowGit: 'root', _isRoot: false })
-  }, { code: 'EALLOWGIT' })
+t.test('allowX', t => {
+  const allowTypes = [
+    ['allowGit', 'npm/foo'],
+    ['allowRemote', 'http://npmjs.org/package'],
+    ['allowFile', './local.tgz'],
+    ['allowDirectory', './local/dir'],
+  ]
+  for (const [allowType, spec] of allowTypes) {
+    t.test(`${allowType}: ${spec}`, t => {
+      t.ok(Fetcher.get(spec), 'defaults')
+      t.ok(Fetcher.get(spec, { [allowType]: 'all' }), `${allowType}: all`)
+      t.ok(Fetcher.get(spec, { [allowType]: 'root', _isRoot: true }), `${allowType}: root`)
+      t.throws(() => {
+        Fetcher.get(spec, { [allowType]: 'none' })
+      }, { code: `E${allowType.toUpperCase()}` })
+      t.throws(() => {
+        Fetcher.get(spec, { [allowType]: 'root' })
+      }, { code: `E${allowType.toUpperCase()}` })
+      t.throws(() => {
+        Fetcher.get(spec, { [allowType]: 'root', _isRoot: false })
+      }, { code: `E${allowType.toUpperCase()}` })
+      t.end()
+    })
+  }
   t.end()
 })