diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 9655d5e..c844aef 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -519,6 +519,19 @@
               foo: 1
               bar: 'bar'
 
+Ensure presence of file to be decoded through file.decode module (see:
+https://docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/ref/states/all/salt.states.file.html#salt.states.file.decode):
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+    linux:
+      system:
+        file:
+          /tmp/test4.txt:
+            decode: True
+            encoded_data: |
+              dGVzdDQK
+
 Kernel
 ~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/linux/system/file.sls b/linux/system/file.sls
index e8a6d52..1ae9906 100644
--- a/linux/system/file.sls
+++ b/linux/system/file.sls
@@ -3,16 +3,44 @@
 
 {%- for file_name, file in system.file.items() %}
 
+  {%- if file.decode is defined %}
+    {%- if file.name is defined %}
+      {%- set dirname = salt['file.dirname'](file.name) %}
+    {%- else %}
+      {%- set dirname = salt['file.dirname'](file_name) %}
+    {%- endif %}
+linux_directory_{{ dirname }}:
+  file.directory:
+    - name: {{ dirname }}
+    - makedirs: {{ file.get('makedirs', 'True') }}
+    - user: {{ file.get('user', 'root') }}
+    - group: {{ file.get('group', 'root') }}
+
 linux_file_{{ file_name }}:
-{%- if file.serialize is defined %}
+  file.decode:
+    {%- if file.name is defined %}
+    - name: {{ file.name }}
+    {%- else %}
+    - name: {{ file_name }}
+    {%- endif %}
+    - encoding_type: base64
+    {%- if file.contents_pillar is defined %}
+    - contents_pillar: {{ file.contents_pillar }}
+    {%- elif file.encoded_data is defined %}
+    - encoded_data: |
+        {{ file.encoded_data | indent(8) }}
+    {%- endif %}
+  {%- else %}
+linux_file_{{ file_name }}:
+    {%- if file.serialize is defined %}
   file.serialize:
     - formatter: {{ file.serialize }}
-  {%- if file.contents is defined  %}
+      {%- if file.contents is defined  %}
     - dataset: {{ file.contents|yaml }}
-  {%- elif file.contents_pillar is defined %}
+      {%- elif file.contents_pillar is defined %}
     - dataset_pillar: {{ file.contents_pillar }}
-  {%- endif %}
-{%- else %}
+      {%- endif %}
+    {%- else %}
   file.managed:
     {%- if file.source is defined %}
     - source: {{ file.source }}
@@ -31,8 +59,7 @@
     {%- elif file.contents_grains is defined %}
     - contents_grains: {{ file.contents_grains }}
     {%- endif %}
-
-{%- endif %}
+  {%- endif %}
     {%- if file.name is defined %}
     - name: {{ file.name }}
     {%- else %}
@@ -50,6 +77,7 @@
     {%- if file.encoding is defined %}
     - encoding: {{ file.encoding }}
     {%- endif %}
+{%- endif %}
 
 {%- endfor %}
 
diff --git a/tests/pillar/system.sls b/tests/pillar/system.sls
index 73448aa..d5a953e 100644
--- a/tests/pillar/system.sls
+++ b/tests/pillar/system.sls
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@
         name: /tmp/test3.txt
         source: salt://linux/files/test/file_template.jinja
         template: jinja
+      test4:
+        decode: True
+        name: /tmp/test4.txt
+        encoded_data: dGVzdDQK
     apt:
       preferences:
         enabled: true