diff --git a/cirrocumulus/api.py b/cirrocumulus/api.py
index c1a94062..43da9d7e 100644
--- a/cirrocumulus/api.py
+++ b/cirrocumulus/api.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     CIRRO_LIBRARY,
     CIRRO_MIXPANEL,
     CIRRO_SERVE,
+    CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR,
     CIRRO_SPECIES,
     CIRRO_STATIC_DIR,
     CIRRO_UPLOAD,
@@ -167,6 +168,43 @@ def handle_server():
         other=["Gallus gallus", "Macaca fascicularis", "Macaca mulatta", "Rattus norvegicus"],
     )
 
+    # browse server-side data files to allow user to select the desired dataset instead of necessarily typing the URL:
+    d["server_files"] = []
+    if CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR in os.environ and os.environ[CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR]:
+        VALID_EXTENSIONS = [
+            ".h5ad",
+            ".h5",
+            ".zip",
+            ".tar",
+            ".tar.gz",
+            ".loom",
+            ".h5seurat",
+            ".rds",
+            ".zarr",
+        ]
+        for root, dirs, files in os.walk(os.environ[CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR]):
+            for file in dirs + files:
+                if any([file.endswith(ext) for ext in VALID_EXTENSIONS]):
+                    d["server_files"] += [os.path.join(root, file)]
+                    # if this is a directory, e.g. .zarr "files", prevent further recursion:
+                    if file in dirs:
+                        dirs.remove(file)
+                elif (
+                    file in dirs
+                ):  # check if `file` is a MEX formatted directory (we must look at the subfiles)
+                    # https://www.10xgenomics.com/support/software/xenium-panel-designer/latest/tutorials/create-single-cell-reference
+                    count_tsvgz = 0  # MEX directoris have two subfiles with .tsv.gz extension
+                    count_mtxgz = 0  # MEX directories also have one subfile with .mtx.gz extension
+                    for subfile in os.listdir(os.path.join(root, file)):
+                        if subfile.endswith(".tsv.gz"):
+                            count_tsvgz += 1
+                        elif subfile.endswith(".mtx.gz"):
+                            count_mtxgz += 1
+                        if count_tsvgz == 2 and count_mtxgz == 1:
+                            d["server_files"] += [os.path.join(root, file)]
+                            dirs.remove(file)
+                            break
+
     # from https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols/ontologies/efo/terms?iri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebi.ac.uk%2Fefo%2FEFO_0010183&viewMode=All&siblings=false
     d["library"] = load_json(CIRRO_LIBRARY) or [
         "10x 3' v1",
diff --git a/cirrocumulus/envir.py b/cirrocumulus/envir.py
index 79b479b3..698a453c 100644
--- a/cirrocumulus/envir.py
+++ b/cirrocumulus/envir.py
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
 # comma separated list of paths to allow all logged in users to download from
 CIRRO_STATIC_DIR = "CIRRO_STATIC_DIR"
 
+# directory in server whose files can be available to user for direct selection
+CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR = "CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR"
+
 SERVER_CAPABILITY_RENAME_CATEGORIES = "SERVER_CAPABILITY_RENAME_CATEGORIES"
 SERVER_CAPABILITY_JOBS = "SERVER_CAPABILITY_JOBS"
 SERVER_CAPABILITY_FEATURE_SETS = "SERVER_CAPABILITY_FEATURE_SETS"
diff --git a/cirrocumulus/serve.py b/cirrocumulus/serve.py
index f1290ed9..4f449e14 100644
--- a/cirrocumulus/serve.py
+++ b/cirrocumulus/serve.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     CIRRO_JOB_RESULTS,
     CIRRO_JOB_TYPE,
     CIRRO_SERVE,
+    CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR,
     CIRRO_UPLOAD,
 )
 from cirrocumulus.launch import create_app
@@ -100,6 +101,10 @@ def create_parser(description=False):
         "--results", help="URL to save user computed results (e.g. differential expression) to"
     )
     parser.add_argument("--ontology", help="Path to ontology in OBO format for annotation")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--datadir",
+        help='Path to directory in the server where the user can select its dataset from with no need to type the full URL in the "New Dataset" window.',
+    )
     return parser
 
 
@@ -127,6 +132,11 @@ def main(argsv):
         os.environ[CIRRO_JOB_RESULTS] = args.results
         get_fs(os.environ[CIRRO_JOB_RESULTS]).makedirs(os.environ[CIRRO_JOB_RESULTS], exist_ok=True)
 
+    if args.datadir is not None:
+        if not os.path.isdir(args.datadir):
+            raise ValueError("--datadir is not a valid path to a directory")
+        os.environ[CIRRO_SERVER_DATA_DIR] = args.datadir
+
     run_args = [
         "gunicorn",
         "-b",
diff --git a/src/EditNewDatasetDialog.js b/src/EditNewDatasetDialog.js
index e9947cb5..90185537 100644
--- a/src/EditNewDatasetDialog.js
+++ b/src/EditNewDatasetDialog.js
@@ -81,8 +81,11 @@ function EditNewDatasetDialog(props) {
   const otherSpecies = serverInfo.species.other;
   const libraryOptions = serverInfo.library;
 
+  const dataFiles = serverInfo.server_files;
+
   const canUpload = serverInfo.upload;
   const isNew = dataset == null;
+  const mustBrowse = dataFiles.length > 0;
   let saveEnabled = !loading && name.trim() !== '';
   const isAuthEnabled = serverInfo.auth.clientId !== '';
 
@@ -340,7 +343,7 @@ function EditNewDatasetDialog(props) {
           </div>
           <TextField
             size={'small'}
-            style={{display: isNew && canUpload ? 'none' : ''}}
+            style={{display: isNew && (canUpload || mustBrowse) ? 'none' : ''}}
             required={true}
             disabled={loading || !isNew}
             autoComplete="off"
@@ -357,6 +360,22 @@ function EditNewDatasetDialog(props) {
             label={'URL'}
             fullWidth
           />
+          <Select
+            size={'small'}
+            style={{display: isNew && mustBrowse && !canUpload ? '' : 'none'}}
+            required={true}
+            disabled={loading || !isNew}
+            onChange={(event) => setUrl(event.target.value)}
+            margin="dense"
+            label={'Browse server'}
+            fullWidth
+          >
+            {dataFiles.map((file) => (
+              <MenuItem key={file} value={file}>
+                {file}
+              </MenuItem>
+            ))}
+          </Select>
           <TextField
             size={'small'}
             disabled={loading}