diff --git a/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py b/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
index de0d2a08a..bd09b0c32 100644
--- a/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
+++ b/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
@@ -2120,3 +2120,140 @@ def block(
         else:
             cmd = StringCommand(f"awk '/{mark_1}/,/{mark_2}/ {{next}} 1'")
             yield StringCommand(out_prep, cmd, q_path, "> $OUT", real_out)
+
+
+_TAR_FORMATS = {
+    ".tar": ["-x"],
+    ".tar.gz": ["-xz"],
+    ".tgz": ["-xz"],
+    ".tar.bz2": ["-xj"],
+    ".tbz2": ["-xj"],
+    ".tar.xz": ["-xJ"],
+    ".txz": ["-xJ"],
+    ".tar.zst": ["-x", "--zstd"],
+}
+_ZIP_FORMATS = (".zip",)
+_ARCHIVE_EXTENSIONS = tuple(_TAR_FORMATS.keys()) + _ZIP_FORMATS
+
+
+def _get_archive_format(src: str) -> tuple[str, list[str]] | None:
+    lower = src.lower()
+    for ext, flags in _TAR_FORMATS.items():
+        if lower.endswith(ext):
+            return "tar", flags
+    for ext in _ZIP_FORMATS:
+        if lower.endswith(ext):
+            return "unzip", ["-o"]
+    return None
+
+
+@operation()
+def unarchive(
+    src: str,
+    dest: str,
+    remote_src: bool = False,
+    creates: str | None = None,
+    extra_opts: list[str] | None = None,
+    user: str | None = None,
+    group: str | None = None,
+):
+    """
+    Extract archive files on the remote system.
+
+    + src: path to the archive file (local or remote depending on ``remote_src``)
+    + dest: remote directory to extract into (must exist)
+    + remote_src: set to ``True`` if the archive is already on the remote system
+    + creates: if this path already exists, the operation is skipped (idempotency)
+    + extra_opts: list of additional arguments to pass to the extract command
+    + user: user to own the extracted files
+    + group: group to own the extracted files
+
+    Supported formats:
+        ``.tar``, ``.tar.gz``/``.tgz``, ``.tar.bz2``/``.tbz2``,
+        ``.tar.xz``/``.txz``, ``.tar.zst``, ``.zip``
+
+    **Examples:**
+
+    .. code:: python
+
+        # Extract a remote archive
+        files.unarchive(
+            name="Extract app tarball",
+            src="/tmp/app.tar.gz",
+            dest="/opt/app",
+            remote_src=True,
+        )
+
+        # Upload and extract a local archive
+        files.unarchive(
+            name="Deploy release",
+            src="releases/app-v1.0.tar.gz",
+            dest="/opt/app",
+            creates="/opt/app/bin/start",
+        )
+    """
+
+    # Idempotency: skip if creates path already exists
+    if creates:
+        if host.get_fact(File, path=creates) is not None:
+            host.noop("archive already extracted ({0} exists)".format(creates))
+            return
+
+    # Validate destination exists and is a directory
+    dest_info = host.get_fact(Directory, path=dest)
+    if not dest_info:
+        raise OperationError("Destination {0} is not an existing directory".format(dest))
+
+    archive_format = _get_archive_format(src)
+    if archive_format is None:
+        raise OperationValueError(
+            "Unsupported archive format for {0}. Supported: {1}".format(
+                src, ", ".join(_ARCHIVE_EXTENSIONS)
+            )
+        )
+
+    tool, flags = archive_format
+
+    if not remote_src:
+        # Upload the local archive to a temp location on the remote
+        temp_archive = host.get_temp_filename(src)
+        yield FileUploadCommand(src, temp_archive)
+        archive_path = temp_archive
+    else:
+        # Validate the remote archive exists
+        if host.get_fact(File, path=src) is None:
+            raise OperationError("Remote archive {0} does not exist".format(src))
+        archive_path = src
+
+    extras = list(extra_opts) if extra_opts else []
+
+    if tool == "tar":
+        # tar <flags> <extras> -f <archive> -C <dest>
+        # Keep -f adjacent to the archive path so extras never get mistaken for it.
+        yield StringCommand(
+            tool,
+            *flags,
+            *extras,
+            "-f",
+            QuoteString(archive_path),
+            "-C",
+            QuoteString(dest),
+        )
+    else:
+        # unzip <flags> <extras> <archive> -d <dest>
+        yield StringCommand(
+            tool,
+            *flags,
+            *extras,
+            QuoteString(archive_path),
+            "-d",
+            QuoteString(dest),
+        )
+
+    # Clean up uploaded temp file
+    if not remote_src:
+        yield StringCommand("rm", "-f", QuoteString(temp_archive))
+
+    # Set ownership if requested
+    if user or group:
+        yield file_utils.chown(dest, user, group, recursive=True)
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/dest_not_directory.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/dest_not_directory.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..747e6809b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/dest_not_directory.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/missing",
+        "remote_src": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/missing": null
+        }
+    },
+    "exception": {
+        "name": "OperationError",
+        "message": "Destination /opt/missing is not an existing directory"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_local_tar_gz.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_local_tar_gz.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a1812495
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_local_tar_gz.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "releases/app.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/app"
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        ["upload", "releases/app.tar.gz", "_tempfile_"],
+        "tar -xz -f _tempfile_ -C /opt/app",
+        "rm -f _tempfile_"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_tar_gz.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_tar_gz.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54a039c87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_tar_gz.json
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/app.tar.gz": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "tar -xz -f /tmp/app.tar.gz -C /opt/app"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_tar_zst.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_tar_zst.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..06d2c65b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_tar_zst.json
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.tar.zst",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/app.tar.zst": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "tar -x --zstd -f /tmp/app.tar.zst -C /opt/app"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_zip.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_zip.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4664e765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_remote_zip.json
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.zip",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/app.zip": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "unzip -o /tmp/app.zip -d /opt/app"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_with_chown.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_with_chown.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..880de42ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_with_chown.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true,
+        "user": "www-data",
+        "group": "www-data"
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/app.tar.gz": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "tar -xz -f /tmp/app.tar.gz -C /opt/app",
+        "chown -R www-data:www-data /opt/app"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_with_extra_opts.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_with_extra_opts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8a6314b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_with_extra_opts.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true,
+        "extra_opts": ["--strip-components=1"]
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/app.tar.gz": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "tar -xz --strip-components=1 -f /tmp/app.tar.gz -C /opt/app"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_zip_with_extra_opts.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_zip_with_extra_opts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e0c8e1c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/extract_zip_with_extra_opts.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.zip",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true,
+        "extra_opts": ["-q"]
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/app.zip": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "unzip -o -q /tmp/app.zip -d /opt/app"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..468bdbec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/missing.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        },
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/missing.tar.gz": null
+        }
+    },
+    "exception": {
+        "name": "OperationError",
+        "message": "Remote archive /tmp/missing.tar.gz does not exist"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/skip_creates_exists.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/skip_creates_exists.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c1641d62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/skip_creates_exists.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.tar.gz",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true,
+        "creates": "/opt/app/bin/start"
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/opt/app/bin/start": true
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [],
+    "noop_description": "archive already extracted (/opt/app/bin/start exists)"
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/unsupported_format.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/unsupported_format.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d432bb880
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/unsupported_format.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/app.rar",
+        "dest": "/opt/app",
+        "remote_src": true
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/opt/app": true
+        }
+    },
+    "exception": {
+        "name": "OperationValueError",
+        "message": "Unsupported archive format for /tmp/app.rar. Supported: .tar, .tar.gz, .tgz, .tar.bz2, .tbz2, .tar.xz, .txz, .tar.zst, .zip"
+    }
+}