diff --git a/metaflow/includefile.py b/metaflow/includefile.py
index 3237017bb3c..33f4529bec8 100644
--- a/metaflow/includefile.py
+++ b/metaflow/includefile.py
@@ -292,6 +292,8 @@ def __init__(
             type=FilePathClass(is_text, encoding), **kwargs)
 
     def load_parameter(self, val):
+        if val is None:
+            return val
         ok, file_type, err = LocalFile.is_file_handled(val)
         if not ok:
             raise MetaflowException("Parameter '%s' could not be loaded: %s" % (self.name, err))
diff --git a/test/core/tests/basic_include.py b/test/core/tests/basic_include.py
index b505343cf58..fa9f0404b1d 100644
--- a/test/core/tests/basic_include.py
+++ b/test/core/tests/basic_include.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ class BasicIncludeTest(MetaflowTest):
         'myfile_txt': {'default': "'./reg.txt'"},
         'myfile_utf8': {'default': "'./utf8.txt'", 'encoding': "'utf8'"},
         'myfile_binary': {'default': "'./utf8.txt'", 'is_text': False},
-        'myfile_overriden': {'default': "'./reg.txt'"}
+        'myfile_overriden': {'default': "'./reg.txt'"},
+        'absent_file': {'required': False}
     }
     HEADER = """
 import codecs
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ def step_all(self):
             u"UTF Text File \u5e74".encode(encoding='utf8'), self.myfile_binary)
         assert_equals("Override Text File", self.myfile_overriden)
 
+        # Check that an absent file does not make things crash
+        assert_equals(None, self.absent_file)
         try:
             # Include files should be immutable
             self.myfile_txt = 5