diff --git a/lib/apivore/swagger_checker.rb b/lib/apivore/swagger_checker.rb
index aee87f1..52f17ed 100644
--- a/lib/apivore/swagger_checker.rb
+++ b/lib/apivore/swagger_checker.rb
@@ -71,13 +71,28 @@ def load_swagger_doc!
     end
 
     def fetch_swagger!
-      session = ActionDispatch::Integration::Session.new(Rails.application)
-      begin
-        session.get(swagger_path)
-      rescue
-        fail "Unable to perform GET request for swagger json: #{swagger_path} - #{$!}."
+      body = (attempt_fetch_from_url || attempt_fetch_from_path)
+
+      unless body
+        fail "Unable to load URL or file: #{swagger_path}."
       end
-       JSON.parse(session.response.body)
+
+      # Check if its JSON or YAML
+      (swagger_path =~ /.json$/) ? JSON.parse(body) : YAML.load(body)
+    end
+
+    def attempt_fetch_from_url
+      session = ActionDispatch::Integration::Session.new(Rails.application)
+      response_code = session.get(swagger_path)
+      session.response.body if response_code == 200
+    rescue URI::InvalidURIError
+      nil
+    end
+
+    def attempt_fetch_from_path
+      File.read(swagger_path)
+    rescue Errno::ENOENT
+      nil
     end
 
     def validate_swagger!
diff --git a/spec/apivore_spec.rb b/spec/apivore_spec.rb
index 95cb649..3b2f372 100644
--- a/spec/apivore_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/apivore_spec.rb
@@ -3,36 +3,44 @@
 describe 'Apivore::Swagger' do
 
   context 'with valid swagger 2.0 input' do
-    let(:doc) { IO.read(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "data", "01_sample2.0.json")) }
-    let(:swagger) { Apivore::Swagger.new(JSON.parse(doc)) }
-
-    subject { swagger }
-    it { should be_an_instance_of(Apivore::Swagger) }
-    it { should respond_to(:version) }
-    it { should respond_to(:validate) }
-    it { should respond_to(:each_response) }
-    it { should respond_to(:base_path) }
-
-    describe 'swagger version' do
-      subject { swagger.version }
-      it { should == '2.0' }
-    end
-
-    describe 'Swagger 2.0 validation issues' do
-      subject { swagger.validate }
-      it { should be_empty }
-    end
-
-    describe 'each_response' do
-      it "should return the responses" do
-        expect { |b| swagger.each_response(&b) }.to yield_successive_args(
-          ["/services.json", "get", "200", ['#', 'paths', '/services.json', 'get', 'responses', '200', 'schema']],
-          ["/services.json", "post", "204", nil],
-          ["/services/{id}.json", "get", "200", ['#', 'paths', '/services/{id}.json', 'get', 'responses', '200', 'schema']],
-          ["/services/{id}.json", "put", "204", nil],
-          ["/services/{id}.json", "delete", "204", nil],
-          ["/services/{id}.json", "patch", "204", nil]
-        )
+    ['01_sample2.0.json', '01a_sample2.0.yaml'].each do |file|
+
+      context "input file #{file}" do
+        let(:doc) { IO.read(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "data", file)) }
+        let(:swagger) do
+          contents = (file =~ /.json$/) ? JSON.parse(doc) : YAML.load(doc)
+          Apivore::Swagger.new(contents)
+        end
+
+        subject { swagger }
+        it { should be_an_instance_of(Apivore::Swagger) }
+        it { should respond_to(:version) }
+        it { should respond_to(:validate) }
+        it { should respond_to(:each_response) }
+        it { should respond_to(:base_path) }
+
+        describe 'swagger version' do
+          subject { swagger.version }
+          it { should == '2.0' }
+        end
+
+        describe 'Swagger 2.0 validation issues' do
+          subject { swagger.validate }
+          it { should be_empty }
+        end
+
+        describe 'each_response' do
+          it "should return the responses" do
+            expect { |b| swagger.each_response(&b) }.to yield_successive_args(
+              ["/services.json", "get", "200", ['#', 'paths', '/services.json', 'get', 'responses', '200', 'schema']],
+              ["/services.json", "post", "204", nil],
+              ["/services/{id}.json", "get", "200", ['#', 'paths', '/services/{id}.json', 'get', 'responses', '200', 'schema']],
+              ["/services/{id}.json", "put", "204", nil],
+              ["/services/{id}.json", "delete", "204", nil],
+              ["/services/{id}.json", "patch", "204", nil]
+            )
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/data/01a_sample2.0.yaml b/spec/data/01a_sample2.0.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c7c6ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/data/01a_sample2.0.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+swagger: '2.0'
+info:
+  version: testing
+  title: Example Centre Directory Service
+host: api.test.example.com
+basePath: "/api"
+schemes:
+- https
+consumes:
+- application/json
+produces:
+- application/json
+paths:
+  x-something: Vendor Specific Tag
+  "/services.json":
+    x-something: Vendor Specific Tag
+    get:
+      description: Services available to shoppers.
+      operationId: Services#index
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: service index response
+          schema:
+            type: array
+            items:
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/service"
+    post:
+      description: Creates a service.
+      operationId: Services#post
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: Service created
+  "/services/{id}.json":
+    parameters:
+    - name: id
+      in: path
+      description: Service identifier.
+      required: true
+      type: integer
+    get:
+      description: Returns a service.
+      operationId: Services#show
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: show service response
+          schema:
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/service"
+    put:
+      description: Update a service.
+      operationId: Services#put
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: Service updated
+    delete:
+      description: Deletes a service.
+      operationId: Services#delete
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: Service deleted
+    patch:
+      description: Patches a service.
+      operationId: Services#patch
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: Service patched
+definitions:
+  service:
+    type: object
+    required:
+    - id
+    properties:
+      id:
+        type: integer
+        description: Service id
+      name:
+        type:
+        - string
+        - 'null'
+        description: Service name
diff --git a/spec/swagger_checker_spec.rb b/spec/swagger_checker_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6831213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/swagger_checker_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Apivore::SwaggerChecker do
+  describe '#instance_of' do
+    ['01_sample2.0.json', '01a_sample2.0.yaml'].each do |file|
+
+      context "input file #{file}" do
+        let(:sample_file_path) { File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "data", file) }
+
+        it 'should be able to load the file via ActionDispatch::Integration' do
+          response_double = double('response', body: IO.read(sample_file_path))
+          session_double = double('integration', response: response_double, get: 200)
+          allow(ActionDispatch::Integration::Session).to receive(:new).and_return(session_double)
+
+          expect { Apivore::SwaggerChecker.instance_for("/random/#{file}") }.to_not raise_error
+        end
+
+        it 'should be able to load the swagger file locally' do
+          expect { Apivore::SwaggerChecker.instance_for(sample_file_path) }.to_not raise_error
+        end
+
+        it 'should throw an exception if it is unable to load the file' do
+          expect { Apivore::SwaggerChecker.instance_for('not_found.json') }.to raise_error(RuntimeError)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end