diff --git a/activestorage/active.py b/activestorage/active.py
index 734321f..da6e549 100644
--- a/activestorage/active.py
+++ b/activestorage/active.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import concurrent.futures
 import os
+import fsspec
 import numpy as np
 import pathlib
 import urllib
@@ -50,6 +51,18 @@ def load_from_s3(uri, storage_options=None):
     return ds
 
 
+def load_from_https(uri):
+    """
+    Load a Dataset from a netCDF4 file on an https server (NGINX).
+    """
+    #TODO need to test if NGINX server behind https://
+    fs = fsspec.filesystem('http')
+    http_file = fs.open(uri, 'rb')
+    ds = pyfive.File(http_file)
+    print(f"Dataset loaded from https with Pyfive: {uri}")
+    return ds
+
+
 def get_missing_attributes(ds):
     """" 
     Load all the missing attributes we need from a netcdf file
@@ -151,6 +164,8 @@ def __init__(
             self.filename = self.ds
         elif input_variable and self.storage_type == "s3":
             self.filename = self.ds.id._filename
+        elif input_variable and self.storage_type == "https":
+            self.filename = self.ds
 
         # get storage_options
         self.storage_options = storage_options
@@ -187,6 +202,8 @@ def __load_nc_file(self):
             nc = pyfive.File(self.uri)
         elif self.storage_type == "s3":
             nc = load_from_s3(self.uri, self.storage_options)
+        elif self.storage_type == "https":
+            nc = load_from_https(self.uri)
         self.filename = self.uri
         self.ds = nc[ncvar]
 
diff --git a/activestorage/storage.py b/activestorage/storage.py
index 56a1ff8..c03e1dc 100644
--- a/activestorage/storage.py
+++ b/activestorage/storage.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Active storage module."""
+import fsspec
 import numpy as np
 import pyfive
 
@@ -34,18 +35,33 @@ def reduce_chunk(rfile,
         #FIXME: for the moment, open the file every time ... we might want to do that, or not
         # we could just use an instance of pyfive.high_level.Dataset.id
         # passed directly from active.py, as below
-        with open(rfile,'rb') as open_file:
-            # get the data
-            chunk = read_block(open_file, offset, size)
-            # reverse any compression and filters
-            chunk = filter_pipeline(chunk, compression, filters)
-            # make it a numpy array of bytes
-            chunk = ensure_ndarray(chunk)
-            # convert to the appropriate data type
-            chunk = chunk.view(dtype)
-            # sort out ordering and convert to the parent hyperslab dimensions
-            chunk = chunk.reshape(-1, order='A')
-            chunk = chunk.reshape(shape, order=order)
+        try:
+            with open(rfile,'rb') as open_file:
+                # get the data
+                chunk = read_block(open_file, offset, size)
+                # reverse any compression and filters
+                chunk = filter_pipeline(chunk, compression, filters)
+                # make it a numpy array of bytes
+                chunk = ensure_ndarray(chunk)
+                # convert to the appropriate data type
+                chunk = chunk.view(dtype)
+                # sort out ordering and convert to the parent hyperslab dimensions
+                chunk = chunk.reshape(-1, order='A')
+                chunk = chunk.reshape(shape, order=order)
+        except FileNotFoundError:  # could a https file
+            fs = fsspec.filesystem('http')
+            with fs.open(rfile, 'rb') as open_file:
+                # get the data
+                chunk = read_block(open_file, offset, size)
+                # reverse any compression and filters
+                chunk = filter_pipeline(chunk, compression, filters)
+                # make it a numpy array of bytes
+                chunk = ensure_ndarray(chunk)
+                # convert to the appropriate data type
+                chunk = chunk.view(dtype)
+                # sort out ordering and convert to the parent hyperslab dimensions
+                chunk = chunk.reshape(-1, order='A')
+                chunk = chunk.reshape(shape, order=order)
     else:
             class storeinfo: pass
             storeinfo.byte_offset = offset
diff --git a/tests/test_real_https.py b/tests/test_real_https.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4a5b8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_real_https.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import os
+import numpy as np
+
+from activestorage.active import Active
+from activestorage.active import load_from_https
+
+
+def test_https():
+    """Run a true test with a https FILE."""
+    test_file_uri = "https://esgf.ceda.ac.uk/thredds/fileServer/esg_cmip6/CMIP6/AerChemMIP/MOHC/UKESM1-0-LL/ssp370SST-lowNTCF/r1i1p1f2/Amon/cl/gn/latest/cl_Amon_UKESM1-0-LL_ssp370SST-lowNTCF_r1i1p1f2_gn_205001-209912.nc"
+
+    active = Active(test_file_uri, "cl", storage_type="https")
+    active._version = 2
+    active._method = "min"
+    result = active[0:3, 4:6, 7:9]
+    print("Result is", result)
+    assert result == np.array([0.6909787], dtype="float32")
+
+
+def test_https_dataset():
+    """Run a true test with a https DATASET."""
+    test_file_uri = "https://esgf.ceda.ac.uk/thredds/fileServer/esg_cmip6/CMIP6/AerChemMIP/MOHC/UKESM1-0-LL/ssp370SST-lowNTCF/r1i1p1f2/Amon/cl/gn/latest/cl_Amon_UKESM1-0-LL_ssp370SST-lowNTCF_r1i1p1f2_gn_205001-209912.nc"
+    dataset = load_from_https(test_file_uri)
+    av = dataset['cl']
+
+    active = Active(av, storage_type="https")
+    active._version = 2
+    active._method = "min"
+    result = active[0:3, 4:6, 7:9]
+    print("Result is", result)
+    assert result == np.array([0.6909787], dtype="float32")