diff --git a/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake b/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake
index 9e6e7704..fc2a2913 100644
--- a/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake
+++ b/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ add_library(
 
   # src/writer/categorizer/binary_categorizer.cpp
   src/writer/categorizer/fits_categorizer.cpp
+  src/writer/categorizer/hotness_categorizer.cpp
   src/writer/categorizer/incompressible_categorizer.cpp
   src/writer/categorizer/pcmaudio_categorizer.cpp
 
diff --git a/doc/mkdwarfs.md b/doc/mkdwarfs.md
index 2e5665ff..57244cdf 100644
--- a/doc/mkdwarfs.md
+++ b/doc/mkdwarfs.md
@@ -401,6 +401,11 @@ Most other options are concerned with compression tuning:
   you can switch to `ascii`, which is like `unicode`, but looks less
   fancy.
 
+- `--hotness-list=`*file*:
+  A file containing the paths of all "hot" files for the "hotness"
+  categorizer. The paths must be relative to the `--input` path, but
+  may start with a leading `/`.
+
 - `--incompressible-min-input-size=`*value*:
   The minimum size of a file to be checked for incompressibility when
   the `incompressible` categorizer is active.
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h
index c86512a7..a3927ea6 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ namespace detail {
 
 void binary_categorizer_factory_registrar(categorizer_registry&);
 void fits_categorizer_factory_registrar(categorizer_registry&);
+void hotness_categorizer_factory_registrar(categorizer_registry&);
 void incompressible_categorizer_factory_registrar(categorizer_registry&);
 void libmagic_categorizer_factory_registrar(categorizer_registry&);
 void pcmaudio_categorizer_factory_registrar(categorizer_registry&);
diff --git a/src/writer/categorizer.cpp b/src/writer/categorizer.cpp
index 2dc65f6b..8352bb85 100644
--- a/src/writer/categorizer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/categorizer.cpp
@@ -429,6 +429,7 @@ categorizer_registry::categorizer_registry() {
 
   // binary_categorizer_factory_registrar(*this);
   fits_categorizer_factory_registrar(*this);
+  hotness_categorizer_factory_registrar(*this);
   incompressible_categorizer_factory_registrar(*this);
   // libmagic_categorizer_factory_registrar(*this);
   pcmaudio_categorizer_factory_registrar(*this);
diff --git a/src/writer/categorizer/hotness_categorizer.cpp b/src/writer/categorizer/hotness_categorizer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d0817773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/writer/categorizer/hotness_categorizer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+/* vim:set ts=2 sw=2 sts=2 et: */
+/**
+ * \author     Marcus Holland-Moritz (github@mhxnet.de)
+ * \copyright  Copyright (c) Marcus Holland-Moritz
+ *
+ * This file is part of dwarfs.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with dwarfs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <array>
+#include <atomic>
+#include <cassert>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <numeric>
+#include <unordered_set>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <boost/program_options.hpp>
+
+#include <fmt/format.h>
+
+#include <dwarfs/error.h>
+#include <dwarfs/logger.h>
+#include <dwarfs/util.h>
+#include <dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h>
+
+namespace dwarfs::writer {
+
+namespace po = boost::program_options;
+
+namespace {
+
+constexpr std::string_view const HOTNESS_CATEGORY{"hotness"};
+
+struct hotness_categorizer_config {
+  std::string hotness_list;
+};
+
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+class hotness_categorizer_ final : public random_access_categorizer {
+ public:
+  hotness_categorizer_(logger& lgr, hotness_categorizer_config const& cfg);
+
+  std::span<std::string_view const> categories() const override;
+
+  inode_fragments
+  categorize(file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+             category_mapper const& mapper) const override;
+
+  bool
+  subcategory_less(fragment_category a, fragment_category b) const override;
+
+ private:
+  LOG_PROXY_DECL(LoggerPolicy);
+  std::unordered_set<std::string> hotness_set_;
+  std::atomic<bool> mutable warned_no_list_{false};
+  hotness_categorizer_config const cfg_;
+};
+
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+hotness_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::hotness_categorizer_(
+    logger& lgr, hotness_categorizer_config const& cfg)
+    : LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
+    , cfg_{cfg} {
+  auto const& file = cfg_.hotness_list;
+
+  if (!file.empty()) {
+    std::ifstream ifs{file};
+    if (!ifs) {
+      DWARFS_THROW(runtime_error,
+                   fmt::format("failed to open file '{}'", file));
+    }
+
+    std::string line;
+    while (std::getline(ifs, line)) {
+      auto const path = std::filesystem::path{line}.relative_path();
+      LOG_DEBUG << "hotness categorizer: adding path '" << path << "'";
+      if (!hotness_set_.emplace(path.string()).second) {
+        DWARFS_THROW(runtime_error,
+                     fmt::format("duplicate path in hotness list: '{}'", line));
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (hotness_set_.empty()) {
+      LOG_WARN << "hotness categorizer: empty hotness list";
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+std::span<std::string_view const>
+hotness_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::categories() const {
+  static constexpr std::array const s_categories{
+      HOTNESS_CATEGORY,
+  };
+  return s_categories;
+}
+
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+inode_fragments hotness_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize(
+    file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+    category_mapper const& mapper) const {
+  inode_fragments fragments;
+
+  if (!hotness_set_.empty()) {
+    auto const rel_path = path.relative_path();
+
+    LOG_DEBUG << "hotness categorizer: checking path '" << rel_path << "'";
+
+    if (auto it = hotness_set_.find(rel_path.string());
+        it != hotness_set_.end()) {
+      fragments.emplace_back(fragment_category(mapper(HOTNESS_CATEGORY)),
+                             data.size());
+    }
+  } else if (!warned_no_list_) {
+    if (cfg_.hotness_list.empty()) {
+      LOG_WARN << "hotness categorizer: no hotness list provided";
+    }
+    warned_no_list_ = true;
+  }
+
+  return fragments;
+}
+
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+bool hotness_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::subcategory_less(
+    fragment_category a, fragment_category b) const {
+  return a.subcategory() < b.subcategory();
+}
+
+class hotness_categorizer_factory : public categorizer_factory {
+ public:
+  hotness_categorizer_factory()
+      : opts_{std::make_shared<po::options_description>(
+            "Hotness categorizer options")} {
+    // clang-format off
+    opts_->add_options()
+      ("hotness-list",
+          po::value<std::string>(&cfg_.hotness_list)
+            ->value_name("file"),
+          "file with list of hot file paths")
+      ;
+    // clang-format on
+  }
+
+  std::string_view name() const override { return "hotness"; }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<po::options_description const> options() const override {
+    return opts_;
+  }
+
+  std::unique_ptr<categorizer>
+  create(logger& lgr, po::variables_map const& /*vm*/) const override {
+    return make_unique_logging_object<categorizer, hotness_categorizer_,
+                                      logger_policies>(lgr, cfg_);
+  }
+
+ private:
+  hotness_categorizer_config cfg_;
+  std::shared_ptr<po::options_description> opts_;
+};
+
+} // namespace
+
+REGISTER_CATEGORIZER_FACTORY(hotness_categorizer_factory)
+
+} // namespace dwarfs::writer