diff --git a/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py b/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py
index 6eb20b10..91b2dfa1 100644
--- a/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py
+++ b/pulsar/client/action_mapper.py
@@ -543,6 +543,9 @@ def __init__(self, source, file_lister=None, url=None):
     def from_dict(cls, action_dict):
         return JsonTransferAction(source=action_dict["source"], url=action_dict["url"])
 
+    def to_dict(self):
+        return self._extend_base_dict(url=self.url)
+
     def write_to_path(self, path):
         self._to_path = path
 
diff --git a/pulsar/client/client.py b/pulsar/client/client.py
index d6d20166..64879e2c 100644
--- a/pulsar/client/client.py
+++ b/pulsar/client/client.py
@@ -498,6 +498,7 @@ def launch(
         # 4. stage outputs back using manifest [handled by ARC]
         pass
 
+
 class CoexecutionLaunchMixin(BaseRemoteConfiguredJobClient):
     execution_type: ExecutionType
     pulsar_container_image: str
diff --git a/pulsar/client/staging/up.py b/pulsar/client/staging/up.py
index 57b7b300..200a0451 100644
--- a/pulsar/client/staging/up.py
+++ b/pulsar/client/staging/up.py
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ def submit_job(client, client_job_description, job_config=None):
     launch_kwds["dynamic_file_sources"] = client_job_description.client_outputs.dynamic_file_sources
     launch_kwds["token_endpoint"] = client.token_endpoint
 
+    # populate `to_path`
+    for action in file_stager.action_mapper.actions:
+        name = action.path
+        input_type = "input"
+        path = file_stager.job_directory.calculate_path(name, input_type)
+        action.write_to_path(path)
+
     staging_manifest = file_stager.action_mapper.finalize()
     if staging_manifest:
         launch_kwds["staging_manifest"] = staging_manifest
diff --git a/pulsar/scripts/staging_arc.py b/pulsar/scripts/staging_arc.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..693f0bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pulsar/scripts/staging_arc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+"""Stage files in or out of a compute environment made available via the Advanced Resource Connector (ARC) [1].
+
+This script reads a set of source and target URL (with `http`, `https` or `file` as URL scheme) and/or path pairs passed
+either as command line arguments and/or from a file in the form of a JSON array. It then reads the files from the source
+URLs and posts (copies them for `file://` urls) them to the target URLs.
+
+Example usage:
+
+```shell
+$ ./staging_arc.py --stage https://example.org file.dat --stage file:///home/user/text.txt https://example.org/files \
+    --json staging_manifest.json
+```
+
+_staging_manifest.json_
+```json
+[
+  {
+    "source": "file:///home/user/data.txt",
+    "target": "file:///home/person/file.txt"
+  },
+  {
+    "source": "file:///home/user/analysis.txt",
+    "target": "https://example.org/files/analysis.txt"
+  }
+]
+```
+
+Retrieve files from a set of source URLs and save them to a set of target URLs.
+
+References:
+- [1] https://www.nordugrid.org/arc/about-arc.html
+"""
+
+# When the URL is the target, use POST.
+
+import aiohttp
+import json
+import sys
+from typing import Iterable
+from typing import Literal
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
+from typing import Optional
+
+
+@dataclass
+class StagingDeclaration:
+    """Declare where to read a file from and where to save it to."""
+
+    source: str  # a URL
+    target: str  # a URL
+
+
+...
+
+
+def parse_json_manifest() -> tuple[StagingDeclaration]:
+    ...
+
+
+HELP_STAGE = "Read a file from `source` and save it to `target`."
+HELP_JSON = "Read a list of `source` and `target` URLs from a JSON file."
+
+
+def make_parser() -> ArgumentParser:
+    """Construct an argument parser used to call the script from the command line."""
+
+    module_docstring = sys.modules[__name__].__doc__
+
+    parser = ArgumentParser(description=module_docstring)
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--stage", dest="stage", metavar=("source", "target"), nargs=2, action="append", help=HELP_STAGE
+    )
+    parser.add_argument("--json", dest="json", nargs=1, action="append", help=HELP_JSON)
+
+    return parser
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    """Invoke script from the command line."""
+    argument_parser = make_parser()
+    args = argument_parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
diff --git a/pulsar/scripts/submit.py b/pulsar/scripts/submit.py
index bf0c2f17..04be8db8 100644
--- a/pulsar/scripts/submit.py
+++ b/pulsar/scripts/submit.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ def main(args=None):
     add_common_submit_args(arg_parser)
     arg_parser.add_argument('--wait', action='store_true')
     arg_parser.add_argument('--no_wait', "--no-wait", dest='wait', action='store_false')
+    arg_parser.add_argument('--build_client_manager', action='store_true')
     arg_parser.set_defaults(wait=True)
     args = arg_parser.parse_args(args)
     run_server_for_job(args)
diff --git a/pulsar/scripts/submit_util.py b/pulsar/scripts/submit_util.py
index c00a2c32..85257e2c 100644
--- a/pulsar/scripts/submit_util.py
+++ b/pulsar/scripts/submit_util.py
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 import logging
 import time
 
+from pulsar.client import ClientJobDescription, ClientOutputs, ClientInput
+from pulsar.client import submit_job as submit_client_job
+from pulsar.client.manager import build_client_manager
 from pulsar.client.util import from_base64_json
 from pulsar.main import (
     load_pulsar_app,
@@ -32,6 +35,23 @@ def run_server_for_job(args):
         submit_job(manager, job_config)
         if wait:
             log.info("Co-execution job setup, now waiting for job completion and postprocessing.")
+            if args.build_client_manager:
+                client_manager = build_client_manager(arc_enabled=True)
+                client = client_manager.get_client({"arc_url": "http://localhost:8082", "jobs_directory": app.staging_directory}, job_id=job_config["job_id"], default_file_action=job_config["remote_staging"]["action_mapper"]["default_action"], files_endpoint=job_config["remote_staging"]["action_mapper"]["files_endpoint"])
+                # FIXME: we can probably only test the input staging here, so adjust tests accordingly
+                client_inputs = [
+                    ClientInput(path=action_source["path"], input_type="input_path")
+                    for action_source in job_config["remote_staging"]["client_inputs"]
+                ]
+                client_outputs = ClientOutputs.from_dict(job_config["remote_staging"]["client_outputs"])
+                job_description = ClientJobDescription(
+                    command_line=job_config["command_line"],
+                    working_directory=client_outputs.working_directory,
+                    client_inputs=client_inputs,
+                    client_outputs=client_outputs,
+                )
+                job_config["working_directory"] = client_outputs.working_directory
+                submit_client_job(client, job_description)
             wait_for_job(manager, job_config)
             log.info("Leaving finish_execution and shutting down app")
     except BaseException:
diff --git a/test/test_cli_submit.py b/test/test_cli_submit.py
index 9c8897a3..fcd3aa12 100644
--- a/test/test_cli_submit.py
+++ b/test/test_cli_submit.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     temp_directory_persist,
 )
 
-from pulsar.client import ClientOutputs
+from pulsar.client import ClientOutputs, ClientInput
 from pulsar.client.util import to_base64_json
 from pulsar.scripts import submit
 
@@ -25,19 +25,33 @@ def setup_action_mapper(self, files_endpoint):
     def run_and_check_submission(self):
         job_id = "0"
         galaxy_working = temp_directory_persist()
+        input_name = "dataset_1.dat"
         output_name = "dataset_1211231231231231231.dat"
+        galaxy_input = os.path.join(galaxy_working, input_name)
+        with open(galaxy_input, "w") as handle:
+            handle.write("cow_file_contents\n")
         galaxy_output = os.path.join(galaxy_working, output_name)
+        pulsar_input = os.path.join(self.staging_directory, job_id, "inputs", input_name)
         pulsar_output = os.path.join(
             self.staging_directory, job_id, "outputs", output_name
         )
-        pulsar_input = os.path.join(self.staging_directory, job_id, "inputs", "cow")
         with files_server("/") as test_files_server:
             files_endpoint = test_files_server.application_url
             action = {
                 "name": "cow",
                 "type": "input",
-                "action": {"action_type": "message", "contents": "cow file contents\n"},
+                "action": {
+                    "action_type": "json_transfer",
+                    "files_endpoint": files_endpoint,
+                    "path": galaxy_input,
+                },
             }
+            client_inputs = [
+                ClientInput(
+                     path=galaxy_input,
+                     input_type="input_path",
+                ).action_source
+            ]
             client_outputs = ClientOutputs(
                 working_directory=galaxy_working,
                 output_files=[os.path.join(galaxy_working, output_name)],
@@ -52,12 +66,13 @@ def run_and_check_submission(self):
                 remote_staging={
                     "setup": [action],
                     "action_mapper": self.setup_action_mapper(files_endpoint),
+                    "client_inputs": client_inputs,
                     "client_outputs": client_outputs.to_dict(),
                 },
             )
             base64 = to_base64_json(launch_params)
             assert not os.path.exists(galaxy_output)
-            submit.main(["--build_client_manager", "true", "--base64", base64] + self._encode_application())
+            submit.main(["--build_client_manager", "--base64", base64] + self._encode_application())
             assert os.path.exists(galaxy_output)
             out_contents = open(galaxy_output).read()
             assert out_contents == "cow file contents\n", out_contents