diff --git a/docs/BUILD b/docs/BUILD
index 3bf6a3c..76486aa 100644
--- a/docs/BUILD
+++ b/docs/BUILD
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ stardoc(
     deps = ["//lib:versions"],
 )
 
+stardoc(
+    name = "copy_file_docs",
+    out = "copy_file_doc_gen.md",
+    input = "//rules:copy_file.bzl",
+    deps = ["//rules:copy_file"],
+)
+
 stardoc(
     name = "maprule_docs",
     out = "maprule_doc_gen.md",
diff --git a/rules/BUILD b/rules/BUILD
index c5340f9..9509985 100644
--- a/rules/BUILD
+++ b/rules/BUILD
@@ -10,6 +10,18 @@ bzl_library(
     deps = ["//lib:new_sets"],
 )
 
+bzl_library(
+    name = "copy_file",
+    srcs = ["copy_file.bzl"],
+    deps = [":copy_file_private"],
+)
+
+bzl_library(
+    name = "copy_file_private",
+    srcs = ["copy_file_private.bzl"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
+)
+
 bzl_library(
     name = "maprule",
     srcs = ["maprule.bzl"],
diff --git a/rules/copy_file.bzl b/rules/copy_file.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e985b3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules/copy_file.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Copyright 2019 The Bazel Authors. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""A rule that copies a file to another place.
+
+native.genrule() is sometimes used to copy files (often wishing to rename them).
+The 'copy_file' rule does this with a simpler interface than genrule.
+
+The rule uses a Bash command on Linux/macOS/non-Windows, and a cmd.exe command
+on Windows (no Bash is required).
+"""
+
+load(
+    ":copy_file_private.bzl",
+    _copy_file = "copy_file",
+)
+
+copy_file = _copy_file
diff --git a/rules/copy_file_private.bzl b/rules/copy_file_private.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c08d40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules/copy_file_private.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+# Copyright 2019 The Bazel Authors. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""Implementation of copy_file macro and underlying rules.
+
+These rules copy a file to another location using Bash (on Linux/macOS) or
+cmd.exe (on Windows). '_copy_xfile' marks the resulting file executable,
+'_copy_file' does not.
+"""
+
+def _common_impl(ctx, is_executable):
+    if ctx.attr.is_windows:
+        # Most Windows binaries built with MSVC use a certain argument quoting
+        # scheme. Bazel uses that scheme too to quote arguments. However,
+        # cmd.exe uses different semantics, so Bazel's quoting is wrong here.
+        # To fix that we write the command to a .bat file so no command line
+        # quoting or escaping is required.
+        bat = ctx.actions.declare_file(ctx.label.name + "-cmd.bat")
+        ctx.actions.write(
+            output = bat,
+            # Do not use lib/shell.bzl's shell.quote() method, because that uses
+            # Bash quoting syntax, which is different from cmd.exe's syntax.
+            content = "@copy /Y \"%s\" \"%s\" >NUL" % (
+                ctx.file.src.path.replace("/", "\\"),
+                ctx.outputs.out.path.replace("/", "\\"),
+            ),
+            is_executable = True,
+        )
+        ctx.actions.run(
+            inputs = [ctx.file.src, bat],
+            outputs = [ctx.outputs.out],
+            executable = "cmd.exe",
+            arguments = ["/C", bat.path.replace("/", "\\")],
+            mnemonic = "CopyFile",
+            progress_message = "Copying files",
+            use_default_shell_env = True,
+        )
+    else:
+        ctx.actions.run_shell(
+            inputs = [ctx.file.src],
+            outputs = [ctx.outputs.out],
+            command = "cp -f \"$1\" \"$2\"",
+            arguments = [ctx.file.src.path, ctx.outputs.out.path],
+            mnemonic = "CopyFile",
+            progress_message = "Copying files",
+            use_default_shell_env = True,
+        )
+
+    files = depset(direct = [ctx.outputs.out])
+    runfiles = ctx.runfiles(files = [ctx.outputs.out])
+    if is_executable:
+        return [DefaultInfo(files = files, runfiles = runfiles, executable = ctx.outputs.out)]
+    else:
+        return [DefaultInfo(files = files, runfiles = runfiles)]
+
+def _impl(ctx):
+    return _common_impl(ctx, False)
+
+def _ximpl(ctx):
+    return _common_impl(ctx, True)
+
+_ATTRS = {
+    "src": attr.label(mandatory = True, allow_single_file = True),
+    "out": attr.output(mandatory = True),
+    "is_windows": attr.bool(mandatory = True),
+}
+
+_copy_file = rule(
+    implementation = _impl,
+    provides = [DefaultInfo],
+    attrs = _ATTRS,
+)
+
+_copy_xfile = rule(
+    implementation = _ximpl,
+    executable = True,
+    provides = [DefaultInfo],
+    attrs = _ATTRS,
+)
+
+def copy_file(name, src, out, is_executable = False, **kwargs):
+    """Copies a file to another location.
+
+    `native.genrule()` is sometimes used to copy files (often wishing to rename them). The 'copy_file' rule does this with a simpler interface than genrule.
+
+    This rule uses a Bash command on Linux/macOS/non-Windows, and a cmd.exe command on Windows (no Bash is required).
+
+    Args:
+      name: Name of the rule.
+      src: A Label. The file to make a copy of. (Can also be the label of a rule
+          that generates a file.)
+      out: Path of the output file, relative to this package.
+      is_executable: A boolean. Whether to make the output file executable. When
+          True, the rule's output can be executed using `bazel run` and can be
+          in the srcs of binary and test rules that require executable sources.
+      **kwargs: further keyword arguments, e.g. `visibility`
+    """
+    if is_executable:
+        _copy_xfile(
+            name = name,
+            src = src,
+            out = out,
+            is_windows = select({
+                "@bazel_tools//src/conditions:host_windows": True,
+                "//conditions:default": False,
+            }),
+            **kwargs
+        )
+    else:
+        _copy_file(
+            name = name,
+            src = src,
+            out = out,
+            is_windows = select({
+                "@bazel_tools//src/conditions:host_windows": True,
+                "//conditions:default": False,
+            }),
+            **kwargs
+        )
diff --git a/tests/BUILD b/tests/BUILD
index e4b67aa..13b496d 100644
--- a/tests/BUILD
+++ b/tests/BUILD
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ load(":versions_tests.bzl", "versions_test_suite")
 
 licenses(["notice"])
 
+exports_files(
+    ["unittest.bash"],
+    visibility = ["//tests:__subpackages__"],
+)
+
 build_test_test_suite()
 
 collections_test_suite()
diff --git a/tests/copy_file/BUILD b/tests/copy_file/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47d7887
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/copy_file/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+# This package aids testing the 'copy_file' rule.
+#
+# The package contains 4 copy_file rules:
+# - 'copy_src' and 'copy_gen' copy a source file and a generated file
+#   respectively
+# - 'copy_xsrc' and 'copy_xgen' copy a source file and a generated file
+#   respectively (both are shell scripts), and mark their output as executable
+#
+# The generated file is the output of the 'gen' genrule.
+#
+# The 'bin_src' and 'bin_gen' rules are sh_binary rules. They use the
+# 'copy_xsrc' and 'copy_xgen' rules respectively. The sh_binary rule requires
+# its source to be executable, so building these two rules successfully means
+# that 'copy_file' managed to make its output executable.
+#
+# The 'run_executables' genrule runs the 'bin_src' and 'bin_gen' binaries,
+# partly to ensure they can be run, and partly so we can observe their output
+# and assert the contents in the 'copy_file_tests' test.
+#
+# The 'file_deps' filegroup depends on 'copy_src'. The filegroup rule uses the
+# DefaultInfo.files field from its dependencies. When we data-depend on the
+# filegroup from 'copy_file_tests', we transitively data-depend on the
+# DefaultInfo.files of the 'copy_src' rule.
+#
+# The 'copy_file_tests' test is the actual integration test. It data-depends
+# on:
+# - the 'run_executables' rule, to get the outputs of 'bin_src' and 'bin_gen'
+# - the 'file_deps' rule, and by nature of using a filegroup, we get the files
+#   from the DefaultInfo.files of the 'copy_file' rule, and thereby assert that
+#   that field contains the output file of the rule
+# - the 'copy_nonempty_text' rule, and thereby on the DefaultInfo.runfiles field
+#   of it, so we assert that that field contains the output file of the rule
+
+load("//rules:copy_file.bzl", "copy_file")
+
+package(default_testonly = 1)
+
+sh_test(
+    name = "copy_file_tests",
+    srcs = ["copy_file_tests.sh"],
+    data = [
+        ":run_executables",
+        # Use DefaultInfo.files from 'copy_src' (via 'file_deps').
+        ":file_deps",
+        # Use DefaultInfo.runfiles from 'copy_gen'.
+        ":copy_gen",
+        "//tests:unittest.bash",
+    ],
+    deps = ["@bazel_tools//tools/bash/runfiles"],
+)
+
+filegroup(
+    name = "file_deps",
+    # Use DefaultInfo.files from 'copy_src'.
+    srcs = [
+        ":copy_src",
+    ],
+)
+
+# If 'run_executables' is built, then 'bin_gen' and 'bin_src' are
+# executable, asserting that copy_file makes the output executable.
+genrule(
+    name = "run_executables",
+    outs = [
+        "xsrc-out.txt",
+        "xgen-out.txt",
+    ],
+    cmd = ("$(location :bin_src) > $(location xsrc-out.txt) && " +
+           "$(location :bin_gen) > $(location xgen-out.txt)"),
+    output_to_bindir = 1,
+    tools = [
+        ":bin_gen",
+        ":bin_src",
+    ],
+)
+
+# If 'bin_src' is built, then 'copy_xsrc' made its output executable.
+sh_binary(
+    name = "bin_src",
+    srcs = [":copy_xsrc"],
+)
+
+# If 'bin_gen' is built, then 'copy_xgen' made its output executable.
+sh_binary(
+    name = "bin_gen",
+    srcs = [":copy_xgen"],
+)
+
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_src",
+    src = "a.txt",
+    out = "out/a-out.txt",
+)
+
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_gen",
+    src = ":gen",
+    out = "out/gen-out.txt",
+)
+
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_xsrc",
+    src = "a.txt",
+    out = "xout/a-out.sh",
+    is_executable = True,
+)
+
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_xgen",
+    src = ":gen",
+    out = "xout/gen-out.sh",
+    is_executable = True,
+)
+
+genrule(
+    name = "gen",
+    outs = ["b.txt"],
+    cmd = "echo -e '#!/bin/bash\necho potato' > $@",
+)
diff --git a/tests/copy_file/a.txt b/tests/copy_file/a.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acd332a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/copy_file/a.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+echo aaa
diff --git a/tests/copy_file/copy_file_tests.sh b/tests/copy_file/copy_file_tests.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..23f45d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/copy_file/copy_file_tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Copyright 2019 The Bazel Authors. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+# --- begin runfiles.bash initialization ---
+# Copy-pasted from Bazel's Bash runfiles library (tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash).
+set -euo pipefail
+if [[ ! -d "${RUNFILES_DIR:-/dev/null}" && ! -f "${RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE:-/dev/null}" ]]; then
+  if [[ -f "$0.runfiles_manifest" ]]; then
+    export RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE="$0.runfiles_manifest"
+  elif [[ -f "$0.runfiles/MANIFEST" ]]; then
+    export RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE="$0.runfiles/MANIFEST"
+  elif [[ -f "$0.runfiles/bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash" ]]; then
+    export RUNFILES_DIR="$0.runfiles"
+  fi
+fi
+if [[ -f "${RUNFILES_DIR:-/dev/null}/bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash" ]]; then
+  source "${RUNFILES_DIR}/bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash"
+elif [[ -f "${RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE:-/dev/null}" ]]; then
+  source "$(grep -m1 "^bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash " \
+            "$RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE" | cut -d ' ' -f 2-)"
+else
+  echo >&2 "ERROR: cannot find @bazel_tools//tools/bash/runfiles:runfiles.bash"
+  exit 1
+fi
+# --- end runfiles.bash initialization ---
+
+source "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/unittest.bash)" \
+  || { echo "Could not source bazel_skylib/tests/unittest.bash" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+function test_copy_src() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/out/a-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^#!/bin/bash$'
+  expect_log '^echo aaa$'
+}
+
+function test_copy_gen() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/out/gen-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^#!/bin/bash$'
+  expect_log '^echo potato$'
+}
+
+function test_copy_xsrc() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/xsrc-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^aaa$'
+}
+
+function test_copy_xgen() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/xgen-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^potato$'
+}
+
+run_suite "copy_file_tests test suite"