diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/fusion/FusionConfig.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/fusion/FusionConfig.groovy
index 5bd2895a30..8b3a3a5bda 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/fusion/FusionConfig.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/fusion/FusionConfig.groovy
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ class FusionConfig {
 
     MemoryUnit cacheSize() { cacheSize }
 
-    URL containerConfigUrl() {
-        this.containerConfigUrl ? new URL(this.containerConfigUrl) : null
+    URI containerConfigURI() {
+        containerConfigUrl ? new URI(containerConfigUrl) : null
     }
 
     boolean privileged() {
diff --git a/plugins/nf-wave/src/main/io/seqera/wave/plugin/WaveClient.groovy b/plugins/nf-wave/src/main/io/seqera/wave/plugin/WaveClient.groovy
index 89cbb3fe4d..5aaed20f9e 100644
--- a/plugins/nf-wave/src/main/io/seqera/wave/plugin/WaveClient.groovy
+++ b/plugins/nf-wave/src/main/io/seqera/wave/plugin/WaveClient.groovy
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 package io.seqera.wave.plugin
 
+import java.nio.file.Paths
+
 import static io.seqera.wave.util.DockerHelper.*
 
 import java.net.http.HttpClient
@@ -376,25 +378,44 @@ class WaveClient {
     }
 
     ContainerConfig resolveContainerConfig(String platform = DEFAULT_DOCKER_PLATFORM) {
-        final urls = new ArrayList<URL>(config.containerConfigUrl())
+        final uris = config.containerConfigUrl().collect { it.toURI() }
         if( fusion.enabled() ) {
-            final fusionUrl = fusion.containerConfigUrl() ?: defaultFusionUrl(platform)
-            urls.add(fusionUrl)
+            final fusionUrl = fusion.containerConfigURI() ?: defaultFusionUrl(platform).toURI()
+            uris.add(fusionUrl)
         }
         if( awsFargate ) {
             final s5cmdUrl = s5cmdConfigUrl ?: defaultS5cmdUrl(platform)
-            urls.add(s5cmdUrl)
+            uris.add(s5cmdUrl.toURI())
         }
-        if( !urls )
+        if( !uris )
             return null
         def result = new ContainerConfig()
-        for( URL it : urls ) {
+        for( URI it : uris ) {
             // append each config to the other - the last has priority
             result += fetchContainerConfig(it)
         }
         return result
     }
 
+    @Memoized
+    synchronized protected ContainerConfig fetchContainerConfig(URI configURI) {
+        log.debug "Wave fetch container config: $configURI"
+        String scheme = configURI.getScheme()
+        if (scheme != null && scheme == 'http' || scheme == 'https' ) {
+            return fetchContainerConfig(configURI.toURL())
+        }
+        if (scheme == null || scheme == 'file') {
+            return fetchContainerConfig(Paths.get(configURI))
+        }
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported container config URI scheme: $scheme")
+    }
+
+    @Memoized
+    synchronized protected ContainerConfig fetchContainerConfig(Path configPath) {
+        log.debug "Wave read local container config: $configPath"
+        return jsonToContainerConfig(configPath.text)
+    }
+
     @Memoized
     synchronized protected ContainerConfig fetchContainerConfig(URL configUrl) {
         log.debug "Wave request container config: $configUrl"