diff --git a/CHANGES/pulp_file/5686.txt b/CHANGES/pulp_file/5686.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9b3605eb582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/pulp_file/5686.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+During sync, quote the URL path for file downloads using HTTP.
diff --git a/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py b/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py
index e7eaca0a235..dca6b76a807 100644
--- a/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py
+++ b/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import os
 
 from gettext import gettext as _
-from urllib.parse import urlparse, urlunparse
+from urllib.parse import quote, urlparse, urlunparse
 
 from django.core.files import File
 
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ async def run(self):
 
             for entry in entries:
                 path = os.path.join(root_dir, entry.relative_path)
+                if not parsed_url.scheme == "file":
+                    path = quote(path, safe=":/")
+
                 url = urlunparse(parsed_url._replace(path=path))
                 file = FileContent(relative_path=entry.relative_path, digest=entry.digest)
                 artifact = Artifact(size=entry.size, sha256=entry.digest)