diff --git a/include/tgbotxx/objects/InputMedia.hpp b/include/tgbotxx/objects/InputMedia.hpp
index 7ac3000dd..8ea6dec7f 100644
--- a/include/tgbotxx/objects/InputMedia.hpp
+++ b/include/tgbotxx/objects/InputMedia.hpp
@@ -19,11 +19,13 @@ namespace tgbotxx {
       /// @brief Type of the result.
       std::string type;
 
-      /// @brief File to send. Pass a file_id to send a file that exists on the Telegram servers (recommended),
-      /// Pass an HTTP URL for Telegram to get a file from the Internet, or
-      /// Pass “attach://<file_attach_name>” to upload a new one using multipart/form-data under <file_attach_name> name.
+      /// @brief File to send.
+      /// - Pass a file_id std::string to send a file that exists on the Telegram servers (recommended),
+      /// - Pass an HTTP URL std::string for Telegram to get a file from the Internet, or
+      /// - Pass a cpr::File to upload a local file
+      /// The latter will internally use “attach://<file_attach_name>” with multipart/form-data under <file_attach_name> name to upload the local file.
       /// More information on Sending Files » https://core.telegram.org/bots/api#sending-files
-      std::string media;
+      std::variant<cpr::File, std::string> media{""};
 
       /// @brief Optional. Caption of the media to be sent, 0-1024 characters after entities parsing
       std::string caption;
@@ -41,7 +43,11 @@ namespace tgbotxx {
       virtual nl::json toJson() const {
         nl::json json = nl::json::object();
         OBJECT_SERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "type", type);
-        OBJECT_SERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "media", media);
+        // media variant
+        if (auto idx = media.index(); idx == 0)
+          json["media"] = std::get<cpr::File>(media).filepath;
+        else if (idx == 1)
+          json["media"] = std::get<std::string>(media);
         OBJECT_SERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "caption", caption);
         OBJECT_SERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "parse_mode", parseMode);
         OBJECT_SERIALIZE_FIELD_PTR_ARRAY(json, "caption_entities", captionEntities);
@@ -51,7 +57,8 @@ namespace tgbotxx {
       /// @brief Deserializes this object from JSON
       virtual void fromJson(const nl::json& json) {
         OBJECT_DESERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "type", type, "", false);
-        OBJECT_DESERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "media", media, "", false);
+        // media variant, we can't get a local file from remote, so it's always a URL or file id std::string.
+        OBJECT_DESERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "media", std::get<std::string>(media), "", false);
         OBJECT_DESERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "caption", caption, "", true);
         OBJECT_DESERIALIZE_FIELD(json, "parse_mode", parseMode, "", true);
         OBJECT_DESERIALIZE_FIELD_PTR_ARRAY(json, "caption_entities", captionEntities, true);
diff --git a/src/Api.cpp b/src/Api.cpp
index ca4779660..aa62ef24f 100644
--- a/src/Api.cpp
+++ b/src/Api.cpp
@@ -731,8 +731,27 @@ std::vector<Ptr<Message>> Api::sendMediaGroup(const std::variant<std::int64_t, s
   if (media.size() > 10 or media.size() < 2)
     throw Exception("Api::sendMediaGroup(): media must include 2-10 items. See https://core.telegram.org/bots/api#sendmediagroup");
   nl::json mediaJson = nl::json::array();
+  // Handle local media files if available, see https://core.telegram.org/bots/api#inputmediaphoto
   for (const Ptr<InputMedia>& m: media)
-    mediaJson.push_back(m->toJson());
+  {
+    nl::json mJson = m->toJson();
+    switch(m->media.index()) {
+      case 0: // cpr::File (Local File)
+      {
+        const cpr::File& file = std::get<cpr::File>(m->media);
+        std::string fileKey = StringUtils::random(8);
+        mJson["media"] = "attach://" + fileKey;
+        data.parts.emplace_back(fileKey, cpr::Files{file});
+        break;
+      }
+      case 1: // std::string (URL, File ID)
+      {
+        // do nothing as toJson will export the "media": "URL or file ID" object.
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    mediaJson.push_back(mJson);
+  }
   data.parts.emplace_back("media", mediaJson.dump());
   if (messageThreadId)
     data.parts.emplace_back("message_thread_id", messageThreadId);
diff --git a/tests/manual_tests.cpp b/tests/manual_tests.cpp
index c2923b954..f8641cb46 100644
--- a/tests/manual_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/manual_tests.cpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ class MyBot : public Bot {
         getApi()->sendMessage(message->chat->id, "Sending URL photo...");
         getApi()->sendPhoto(message->chat->id, "https://www.hdwallpapers.in/download/landscape_view_of_sunset_under_yellow_black_cloudy_sky_4k_5k_hd_nature-5120x2880.jpg");
         getApi()->sendMessage(message->chat->id, "Sending File photo...");
-        getApi()->sendPhoto(message->chat->id, cpr::File{"/home/bader/Pictures/2021/05/30/thumb-1920-642642.jpg"});
+        getApi()->sendPhoto(message->chat->id, cpr::File{fs::path(__FILE__).parent_path().parent_path() / "examples/sendPhoto/photos/image1.jpg"});
       } else if (message->text == "/inline_buttons") {
         /*
             Create inline keyboard buttons
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ class MyBot : public Bot {
         {
           getApi()->sendMessage(message->chat->id, "Sending pdf media group ...");
           std::vector<Ptr<InputMedia>> mediaGroup;
-          for (const std::string_view docURL: {"https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2023/n4928.pdf",
+          for (const std::string docURL: {"https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2023/n4928.pdf",
                                                "https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2023/n4933.pdf",
                                                "https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2023/n4934.pdf",
                                                "https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2023/p2759r0.pdf"}) {
@@ -234,20 +234,32 @@ class MyBot : public Bot {
             document->media = docURL;
             mediaGroup.push_back(document);
           }
+          // add extra local doc
+          Ptr<InputMediaDocument> localDoc(new InputMediaDocument());
+          localDoc->media = cpr::File{__FILE__};
+          mediaGroup.push_back(localDoc);
+
           api()->sendMediaGroup(message->chat->id, mediaGroup);
         }
         {
           getApi()->sendMessage(message->chat->id, "Sending photo media group ...");
           std::vector<Ptr<InputMedia>> mediaGroup;
-          for (const std::string_view photoURL: {"https://images.alphacoders.com/129/1299740.jpg",
-                                                 "https://images2.alphacoders.com/112/1128233.jpg",
-                                                 "https://images2.alphacoders.com/131/1311487.jpg",
-                                                 "https://images5.alphacoders.com/129/1295587.jpg",
-                                                 "https://images5.alphacoders.com/121/1217119.png",
-                                                 "https://images6.alphacoders.com/510/510365.jpg"}) {
+          for (const fs::path& localPhotoPath: {fs::path(__FILE__).parent_path().parent_path() / "examples/sendPhoto/photos/image1.jpg",
+                                                  fs::path(__FILE__).parent_path().parent_path() / "examples/sendPhoto/photos/image2.jpg"}) {
+            Ptr<InputMediaPhoto> photo(new InputMediaPhoto());
+            photo->media = cpr::File{localPhotoPath}; // Local
+            photo->hasSpoiler = false;
+            mediaGroup.push_back(photo);
+          }
+          for (const std::string photoURL: {"https://images.alphacoders.com/129/1299740.jpg",
+                   "https://images2.alphacoders.com/112/1128233.jpg",
+                   "https://images2.alphacoders.com/131/1311487.jpg",
+                   "https://images5.alphacoders.com/129/1295587.jpg",
+                   "https://images5.alphacoders.com/121/1217119.png",
+                   "https://images6.alphacoders.com/510/510365.jpg"}) {
             Ptr<InputMediaPhoto> photo(new InputMediaPhoto());
-            photo->media = photoURL;
-            photo->hasSpoiler = !!(std::rand() % 3);
+            photo->media = photoURL; // URL
+            photo->hasSpoiler = false;
             mediaGroup.push_back(photo);
           }
           api()->sendMediaGroup(message->chat->id, mediaGroup);