diff --git a/aztk/node_scripts/submit.py b/aztk/node_scripts/submit.py
index dd97b454..b239c859 100644
--- a/aztk/node_scripts/submit.py
+++ b/aztk/node_scripts/submit.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def __app_submit_cmd(
         spark_submit_cmd.add_option('--executor-cores', str(executor_cores))
 
     spark_submit_cmd.add_argument(
-        os.environ['AZ_BATCH_TASK_WORKING_DIR'] + '/' + app + ' ' +
+        os.path.expandvars(app) + ' ' + 
         ' '.join(['\'' + str(app_arg) + '\'' for app_arg in (app_args or [])]))
 
     with open("spark-submit.txt", mode="w", encoding="UTF-8") as stream:
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def recieve_submit_request(application_file_path):
 
     cmd = __app_submit_cmd(
         name=application['name'],
-        app=os.path.basename(application['application']),
+        app=application['application'],
         app_args=application['application_args'],
         main_class=application['main_class'],
         jars=application['jars'],
diff --git a/aztk/spark/client.py b/aztk/spark/client.py
index 4557e17b..def02a45 100644
--- a/aztk/spark/client.py
+++ b/aztk/spark/client.py
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@ def get_remote_login_settings(self, cluster_id: str, node_id: str):
         except batch_error.BatchErrorException as e:
             raise error.AztkError(helpers.format_batch_exception(e))
 
-    def submit(self, cluster_id: str, application: models.ApplicationConfiguration, wait: bool = False):
+    def submit(self, cluster_id: str, application: models.ApplicationConfiguration, remote: bool = False, wait: bool = False):
         try:
-            cluster_submit_helper.submit_application(self, cluster_id, application, wait)
+            cluster_submit_helper.submit_application(self, cluster_id, application, remote, wait)
         except batch_error.BatchErrorException as e:
             raise error.AztkError(helpers.format_batch_exception(e))
 
diff --git a/aztk/spark/helpers/submit.py b/aztk/spark/helpers/submit.py
index ea387708..2e021977 100644
--- a/aztk/spark/helpers/submit.py
+++ b/aztk/spark/helpers/submit.py
@@ -17,17 +17,21 @@ def __get_node(spark_client, node_id: str, cluster_id: str) -> batch_models.Comp
     return spark_client.batch_client.compute_node.get(cluster_id, node_id)
 
 
-def generate_task(spark_client, container_id, application):
+def generate_task(spark_client, container_id, application, remote=False):
     resource_files = []
 
-    app_resource_file = helpers.upload_file_to_container(container_name=container_id,
-                                                         application_name=application.name,
-                                                         file_path=application.application,
-                                                         blob_client=spark_client.blob_client,
-                                                         use_full_path=False)
+    # The application provided is not hosted remotely and therefore must be uploaded
+    if not remote:
+        app_resource_file = helpers.upload_file_to_container(container_name=container_id,
+                                                            application_name=application.name,
+                                                            file_path=application.application,
+                                                            blob_client=spark_client.blob_client,
+                                                            use_full_path=False)
 
-    # Upload application file
-    resource_files.append(app_resource_file)
+        # Upload application file
+        resource_files.append(app_resource_file)
+
+        application.application = '$AZ_BATCH_TASK_WORKING_DIR/' + os.path.basename(application.application)
 
     # Upload dependent JARS
     jar_resource_file_paths = []
@@ -64,7 +68,6 @@ def generate_task(spark_client, container_id, application):
         resource_files.append(files_resource_file_path)
 
     # Upload application definition
-    application.application = os.path.basename(application.application)
     application.jars = [os.path.basename(jar) for jar in application.jars]
     application.py_files = [os.path.basename(py_files) for py_files in application.py_files]
     application.files = [os.path.basename(files) for files in application.files]
@@ -112,11 +115,11 @@ def affinitize_task_to_master(spark_client, cluster_id, task):
     return task
 
 
-def submit_application(spark_client, cluster_id, application, wait: bool = False):
+def submit_application(spark_client, cluster_id, application, remote: bool = False, wait: bool = False):
     """
     Submit a spark app
     """
-    task = generate_task(spark_client, cluster_id, application)
+    task = generate_task(spark_client, cluster_id, application, remote)
     task = affinitize_task_to_master(spark_client, cluster_id, task)
 
 
diff --git a/aztk_cli/spark/endpoints/cluster/cluster_submit.py b/aztk_cli/spark/endpoints/cluster/cluster_submit.py
index d5836364..b69ec1e4 100644
--- a/aztk_cli/spark/endpoints/cluster/cluster_submit.py
+++ b/aztk_cli/spark/endpoints/cluster/cluster_submit.py
@@ -70,9 +70,16 @@ def setup_parser(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser):
                         help='Path to the file you wish to output to. If not \
                               specified, output is printed to stdout')
 
+    parser.add_argument('--remote', action='store_true',
+                        help='Do not upload the app to the cluster, assume it is \
+                              already accessible at the given path')
+
     parser.add_argument('app',
-                        help='App jar OR python file to execute. Use absolute \
-                              path to reference file.')
+                        help='App jar OR python file to execute. A path to a local \
+                              file is expected, unless used in conjunction with \
+                              the --remote flag. When the --remote flag is set, a \
+                              remote path that is accessible from the cluster is \
+                              expected. Remote paths are not validated up-front.')
 
     parser.add_argument('app_args', nargs='*',
                         help='Arguments for the application')
@@ -146,6 +153,7 @@ def execute(args: typing.NamedTuple):
             executor_cores=args.executor_cores,
             max_retry_count=args.max_retry_count
         ),
+        remote=args.remote,
         wait=False
     )
 
diff --git a/docs/20-spark-submit.md b/docs/20-spark-submit.md
index faf2ebc7..022c172e 100644
--- a/docs/20-spark-submit.md
+++ b/docs/20-spark-submit.md
@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ Run a Spark job:
 aztk spark cluster submit --id <name_of_spark_cluster> --name <name_of_spark_job> <executable> <executable_params>
 ```
 
-For example, run a local pi.py file on a Spark cluster
+For example, to run a local pi.py file on a Spark cluster, simply specify the local path of the file:
 ```sh
 aztk spark cluster submit --id spark --name pipy examples/src/main/python/pi.py 100
 ```
 
+To run a remotely hosted pi.py file on a Spark cluster, specify the remote path of the file and use the '--remote' flag:
+```sh
+aztk spark cluster submit --id spark --name pipy --remote wasbs://path@remote/pi.py 100
+```
+
 NOTE: The job name (--name) must be atleast 3 characters long, can only contain alphanumeric characters including hyphens but excluding underscores, and cannot contain uppercase letters. Each job you submit **must** have a unique name.
 
 ## Monitoring job