diff --git a/sourmash/commands.py b/sourmash/commands.py
index 80ca775a59..61eabfffc0 100644
--- a/sourmash/commands.py
+++ b/sourmash/commands.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 import random
 import shutil
 import tempfile
-import zipfile
 
 import screed
 from .sourmash_args import SourmashArgumentParser
diff --git a/sourmash/sbt.py b/sourmash/sbt.py
index 4c7837fd83..da44a6608c 100644
--- a/sourmash/sbt.py
+++ b/sourmash/sbt.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def search_transcript(node, seq, threshold):
 
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals, division
 
-from collections import namedtuple, defaultdict
+from collections import namedtuple
 try:
     from collections.abc import Mapping
 except ImportError:  # Python 2...
@@ -481,10 +481,21 @@ def load(cls, location, leaf_loader=None, storage=None, print_version_warning=Tr
         SBT
             the SBT tree built from the description.
         """
-        dirname = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(location))
-        sbt_name = os.path.basename(location)
-        if sbt_name.endswith('.sbt.json'):
-            sbt_name = sbt_name[:-9]
+        tempfile = None
+        if zipfile.is_zipfile(location):
+            tempfile = NamedTemporaryFile()
+            with zipfile.ZipFile(location, 'r') as zf:
+                tempfile.write(zf.read('tree.sbt.json'))
+                tempfile.flush()
+
+            dirname = os.path.dirname(tempfile.name)
+            sbt_name = os.path.basename(tempfile.name)
+            storage = ZipStorage(location)
+        else:
+            dirname = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(location))
+            sbt_name = os.path.basename(location)
+            if sbt_name.endswith('.sbt.json'):
+                sbt_name = sbt_name[:-9]
 
         loaders = {
             1: cls._load_v1,
@@ -506,11 +517,14 @@ def load(cls, location, leaf_loader=None, storage=None, print_version_warning=Tr
             leaf_loader = Leaf.load
 
         sbt_fn = os.path.join(dirname, sbt_name)
-        if not sbt_fn.endswith('.sbt.json'):
+        if not sbt_fn.endswith('.sbt.json') and tempfile is None:
             sbt_fn += '.sbt.json'
         with open(sbt_fn) as fp:
             jnodes = json.load(fp)
 
+        if tempfile is not None:
+            tempfile.close()
+
         version = 1
         if isinstance(jnodes, Mapping):
             version = jnodes['version']
diff --git a/tests/test_sbt.py b/tests/test_sbt.py
index 5a8c2e00d6..54014a917d 100644
--- a/tests/test_sbt.py
+++ b/tests/test_sbt.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 
 import pytest
+import shutil
 
 from sourmash import signature
 from sourmash.sbt import SBT, GraphFactory, Leaf, Node
@@ -418,6 +419,23 @@ def test_sbt_redisstorage():
             assert old_result == new_result
 
 
+def test_load_zip(tmpdir):
+    testdata = utils.get_test_data("v5.zip")
+    testsbt = tmpdir.join("v5.zip")
+
+    shutil.copyfile(testdata, str(testsbt))
+
+    tree = SBT.load(str(testsbt), leaf_loader=SigLeaf.load)
+
+    to_search = signature.load_one_signature(utils.get_test_data(utils.SIG_FILES[0]))
+
+    print("*" * 60)
+    print("{}:".format(to_search))
+    new_result = {str(s) for s in tree.find(search_minhashes, to_search, 0.1)}
+    print(*new_result, sep="\n")
+    assert len(new_result) == 2
+
+
 def test_tree_repair():
     tree_repair = SBT.load(utils.get_test_data('leaves.sbt.json'),
                            leaf_loader=SigLeaf.load)