diff --git a/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs.go b/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs.go
index 77bcc6b61..a842ed817 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package add
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/pkg/fs"
 )
@@ -53,11 +54,54 @@ func (a *flagsAndArgs) Validate(args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ExpandFileSource normalizes a string list, possibly
+// containing globs, into a validated, globless list.
+// For example, this list:
+//     some/path
+//     some/dir/a*
+//     bfile=some/dir/b*
+// becomes:
+//     some/path
+//     some/dir/airplane
+//     some/dir/ant
+//     some/dir/apple
+//     bfile=some/dir/banana
+// i.e. everything is converted to a key=value pair,
+// where the value is always a relative file path,
+// and the key, if missing, is the same as the value.
+// In the case where the key is explicitly declared,
+// the globbing, if present, must have exactly one match.
 func (a *flagsAndArgs) ExpandFileSource(fSys fs.FileSystem) error {
-	result, err := globPatterns(fSys, a.FileSources)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	var results []string
+	for _, pattern := range a.FileSources {
+		var patterns []string
+		key := ""
+		// check if the pattern is in `--from-file=[key=]source` format
+		// and if so split it to send only the file-pattern to glob function
+		s := strings.Split(pattern, "=")
+		if len(s) == 2 {
+			patterns = append(patterns, s[1])
+			key = s[0]
+		} else {
+			patterns = append(patterns, s[0])
+		}
+		result, err := globPatterns(fSys, patterns)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// if the format is `--from-file=[key=]source` accept only one result
+		// and extend it with the `key=` prefix
+		if key != "" {
+			if len(result) != 1 {
+				return fmt.Errorf(
+					"'pattern '%s' catches files %v, should catch only one.", pattern, result)
+			}
+			fileSource := fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", key, result[0])
+			results = append(results, fileSource)
+		} else {
+			results = append(results, result...)
+		}
 	}
-	a.FileSources = result
+	a.FileSources = results
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs_test.go b/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs_test.go
index 5638fe71f..797a4639e 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/edit/add/flagsandargs_test.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestExpandFileSource(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeFS := fs.MakeFakeFS()
 	fakeFS.Create("dir/fa1")
 	fakeFS.Create("dir/fa2")
-	fakeFS.Create("dir/reademe")
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/readme")
 	fa := flagsAndArgs{
 		FileSources: []string{"dir/fa*"},
 	}
@@ -102,3 +102,37 @@ func TestExpandFileSource(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("FileSources is not correctly expanded: %v", fa.FileSources)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExpandFileSourceWithKey(t *testing.T) {
+	fakeFS := fs.MakeFakeFS()
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/faaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbccccccccccccccccc")
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/foobar")
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/simplebar")
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/readme")
+	fa := flagsAndArgs{
+		FileSources: []string{"foo-key=dir/fa*", "bar-key=dir/foobar", "dir/simplebar"},
+	}
+	fa.ExpandFileSource(fakeFS)
+	expected := []string{
+		"foo-key=dir/faaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbccccccccccccccccc",
+		"bar-key=dir/foobar",
+		"dir/simplebar",
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(fa.FileSources, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("FileSources is not correctly expanded: %v", fa.FileSources)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExpandFileSourceWithKeyAndError(t *testing.T) {
+	fakeFS := fs.MakeFakeFS()
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/fa1")
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/fa2")
+	fakeFS.Create("dir/readme")
+	fa := flagsAndArgs{
+		FileSources: []string{"foo-key=dir/fa*"},
+	}
+	err := fa.ExpandFileSource(fakeFS)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("FileSources should not be correctly expanded: %v", fa.FileSources)
+	}
+}