diff --git a/plugins/modules/authorized_key.py b/plugins/modules/authorized_key.py
index 9fbc610..f08bf9b 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/authorized_key.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/authorized_key.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ options:
   key:
     description:
       - The SSH public key(s), as a string or (since Ansible 1.9) url (https://github.com/username.keys).
+      - You can also use absolute path on a target host to a file with SSH key(s)
     type: str
     required: true
   path:
@@ -96,6 +97,12 @@ EXAMPLES = r'''
     state: present
     key: https://github.com/charlie.keys
 
+- name: Set authorized keys taken from path
+  ansible.posix.authorized_key:
+    user: charlie
+    state: present
+    key: /home/charlie/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
+
 - name: Set authorized keys taken from url using lookup
   ansible.posix.authorized_key:
     user: charlie
@@ -570,6 +577,18 @@ def enforce_state(module, params):
         # resp.read gives bytes on python3, convert to native string type
         key = to_native(key, errors='surrogate_or_strict')
 
+    # if the key is an absolute path, check for existense and use it as a key source
+    if key.startswith("/"):
+        if not os.path.exists(key):
+            module.fail_json(msg="Path to a key file not found: %s" % key)
+        if not os.path.isfile(key):
+            module.fail_json(msg="Path to a key is a directory and must be a file: %s" % key)
+        try:
+            with open(key, 'r') as source_fh:
+                key = source_fh.read()
+        except OSError as e:
+            module.fail_json(msg="Failed to read key file %s : %s" % (key, to_native(e)))
+
     # extract individual keys into an array, skipping blank lines and comments
     new_keys = [s for s in key.splitlines() if s and not s.startswith('#')]