diff --git a/src/source-pcap-file-helper.c b/src/source-pcap-file-helper.c
index 1c9f5933b..afecaddbf 100644
--- a/src/source-pcap-file-helper.c
+++ b/src/source-pcap-file-helper.c
@@ -193,6 +193,137 @@ static bool PeekFirstPacketTimestamp(PcapFileFileVars *pfv)
     return true;
 }
 
+TmEcode RunPcapOverIP(PcapFileFileVars *pfv)
+{
+    char errbuf[PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE] = "";
+    int sockfd;
+    struct sockaddr_in server_addr;
+    FILE *file;
+    char *ip = NULL;
+    int port = 0;
+
+    if(unlikely(pfv->filename == NULL)) {
+        SCLogError("Filename was null");
+        SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+    }
+
+    // Parse the filename to extract IP and port
+    if (strncmp(pfv->filename, "TCP@", 4) == 0) {
+        char *ip_port = pfv->filename + 4;  // Skip "TCP@"
+        char *colon = strchr(ip_port, ':');
+        if (colon) {
+            *colon = '\0';  // Temporarily null-terminate the IP
+            ip = strdup(ip_port);
+            port = atoi(colon + 1);
+            *colon = ':';  // Restore the colon
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!ip || port == 0) {
+        SCLogError("Invalid filename format. Expected TCP@ip:port");
+        free(ip);
+        SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+    }
+
+    SCLogInfo("Connecting to %s on port %d", ip, port);
+
+    while (1) {  // Outer loop to keep reconnecting
+        sockfd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+        if (sockfd < 0) {
+            SCLogError("socket failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+            goto next;
+        }
+
+        // Initialize server address struct
+        memset(&server_addr, 0, sizeof(server_addr));
+        server_addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
+        server_addr.sin_port = htons(port);
+        if (inet_pton(AF_INET, ip, &server_addr.sin_addr) <= 0) {
+            SCLogError("inet_pton failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+            goto next_close_sock;
+        }
+
+        // Connect to the server
+        if (connect(sockfd, (struct sockaddr *)&server_addr, sizeof(server_addr)) < 0) {
+            SCLogError("connect failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+            goto next_close_sock;
+        }
+
+
+        SCLogInfo("Connected to server %s on port %d.", ip, port);
+
+        file = fdopen(sockfd, "r");
+        if (file == NULL) {
+            SCLogError("fdopen failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+            goto next_close_sock;
+        }
+
+        pfv->pcap_handle = pcap_fopen_offline(file, errbuf);
+        if (pfv->pcap_handle == NULL) {
+            SCLogError("%s", errbuf);
+            fclose(file);
+            goto next_close_sock;
+        }
+
+        if (pfv->shared != NULL && pfv->shared->bpf_string != NULL) {
+            SCLogInfo("using bpf-filter \"%s\"", pfv->shared->bpf_string);
+
+            if (pcap_compile(pfv->pcap_handle, &pfv->filter, pfv->shared->bpf_string, 1, 0) < 0) {
+                SCLogError("bpf compilation error %s for %s", pcap_geterr(pfv->pcap_handle),
+                        pfv->filename);
+
+                pcap_close(pfv->pcap_handle);
+                close(sockfd);
+                SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+            }
+
+            if (pcap_setfilter(pfv->pcap_handle, &pfv->filter) < 0) {
+                SCLogError("could not set bpf filter %s for %s", pcap_geterr(pfv->pcap_handle),
+                        pfv->filename);
+                pcap_freecode(&pfv->filter);
+
+                pcap_close(pfv->pcap_handle);
+                close(sockfd);
+                SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+            }
+            pcap_freecode(&pfv->filter);
+        }
+
+        pfv->datalink = pcap_datalink(pfv->pcap_handle);
+        SCLogDebug("datalink %" PRId32 "", pfv->datalink);
+        DatalinkSetGlobalType(pfv->datalink);
+
+        if (!PeekFirstPacketTimestamp(pfv))
+            SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+
+        DecoderFunc UnusedFnPtr;
+        TmEcode validated = ValidateLinkType(pfv->datalink, &UnusedFnPtr);
+        if (validated != TM_ECODE_OK)
+            SCReturnInt(validated);
+
+        TmEcode result = PcapFileDispatch(pfv);
+
+        pcap_close(pfv->pcap_handle);
+
+        if (result == TM_ECODE_FAILED) {
+            SCLogError("PcapFileDispatch failed");
+            SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+        }
+
+        SCLogInfo("Finished processing. Waiting 5 seconds before reconnecting...");
+
+        // file is already closed by closing the handle no need for fclose
+        next_close_sock:
+        close(sockfd);
+        next:
+        sleep(5);
+    }
+
+    // This point should never be reached due to the infinite loop
+    SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_OK);
+}
+
+
 TmEcode InitPcapFile(PcapFileFileVars *pfv)
 {
     char errbuf[PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE] = "";
diff --git a/src/source-pcap-file-helper.h b/src/source-pcap-file-helper.h
index 2de7d16cc..4a23d2ac1 100644
--- a/src/source-pcap-file-helper.h
+++ b/src/source-pcap-file-helper.h
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ typedef struct PcapFileFileVars_
  */
 TmEcode PcapFileDispatch(PcapFileFileVars *ptv);
 
+TmEcode RunPcapOverIP(PcapFileFileVars *pfv);
+
 /**
  * From a PcapFileFileVars, prepare the filename for processing by setting
  * pcap_handle, datalink, and filter
diff --git a/src/source-pcap-file.c b/src/source-pcap-file.c
index 4492f4698..819ec2dbe 100644
--- a/src/source-pcap-file.c
+++ b/src/source-pcap-file.c
@@ -201,8 +201,13 @@ TmEcode ReceivePcapFileLoop(ThreadVars *tv, void *data, void *slot)
     TmThreadsSetFlag(tv, THV_RUNNING);
 
     if(ptv->is_directory == 0) {
-        SCLogInfo("Starting file run for %s", ptv->behavior.file->filename);
-        status = PcapFileDispatch(ptv->behavior.file);
+        char* pcap_overip_prefix = "TCP@";
+        if (!strncmp(ptv->behavior.file->filename, pcap_overip_prefix, 4)) {
+            RunPcapOverIP(ptv->behavior.file);
+        } else {
+            SCLogInfo("Starting file run for %s", ptv->behavior.file->filename);
+            status = PcapFileDispatch(ptv->behavior.file);
+        }
         CleanupPcapFileFromThreadVars(ptv, ptv->behavior.file);
     } else {
         SCLogInfo("Starting directory run for %s", ptv->behavior.directory->filename);
@@ -264,7 +269,30 @@ TmEcode ReceivePcapFileThreadInit(ThreadVars *tv, const void *initdata, void **d
     if (ConfGetBool("pcap-file.delete-when-done", &should_delete) == 1) {
         ptv->shared.should_delete = should_delete == 1;
     }
+    char* pcap_overip_prefix = "TCP@";
+    if (!strncmp(initdata, pcap_overip_prefix, 4)) {
+        SCLogDebug("argument %s was a file", (char *)initdata);
+        const size_t toalloc = sizeof(PcapFileFileVars) + pcap_g.read_buffer_size;
+        PcapFileFileVars *pv = SCCalloc(1, toalloc);
+        if (unlikely(pv == NULL)) {
+            SCLogError("Failed to allocate file vars");
+            CleanupPcapFileThreadVars(ptv);
+            SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_OK);
+        }
 
+        pv->filename = SCStrdup((char *)initdata);
+        if (unlikely(pv->filename == NULL)) {
+            SCLogError("Failed to allocate filename");
+            CleanupPcapFileFileVars(pv);
+            CleanupPcapFileThreadVars(ptv);
+            SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_OK);
+        }
+
+        pv->shared = &ptv->shared;
+        ptv->is_directory = 0;
+        ptv->behavior.file = pv;
+        goto NEXT_CHECK;
+    }
     DIR *directory = NULL;
     SCLogDebug("checking file or directory %s", (char*)initdata);
     if(PcapDetermineDirectoryOrFile((char *)initdata, &directory) == TM_ECODE_FAILED) {
@@ -371,7 +399,7 @@ TmEcode ReceivePcapFileThreadInit(ThreadVars *tv, const void *initdata, void **d
         ptv->is_directory = 1;
         ptv->behavior.directory = pv;
     }
-
+    NEXT_CHECK:
     if (ConfGet("pcap-file.checksum-checks", &tmpstring) != 1) {
         pcap_g.conf_checksum_mode = CHECKSUM_VALIDATION_AUTO;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/suricata.c b/src/suricata.c
index 293df00b2..ca75c771e 100644
--- a/src/suricata.c
+++ b/src/suricata.c
@@ -1957,11 +1957,11 @@ TmEcode SCParseCommandLine(int argc, char **argv)
                 PrintUsage(argv[0]);
                 return TM_ECODE_FAILED;
             }
-            SCStat buf;
-            if (SCStatFn(optarg, &buf) != 0) {
-                SCLogError("pcap file '%s': %s", optarg, strerror(errno));
-                return TM_ECODE_FAILED;
-            }
+            // SCStat buf;
+            // if (SCStatFn(optarg, &buf) != 0) {
+            //     SCLogError("pcap file '%s': %s", optarg, strerror(errno));
+            //     return TM_ECODE_FAILED;
+            // }
             if (ConfSetFinal("pcap-file.file", optarg) != 1) {
                 SCLogError("ERROR: Failed to set pcap-file.file\n");
                 return TM_ECODE_FAILED;