diff --git a/cwltool/job.py b/cwltool/job.py
index e617fcd96..210c79bd3 100644
--- a/cwltool/job.py
+++ b/cwltool/job.py
@@ -693,6 +693,9 @@ def add_volumes(
         any_path_okay: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         """Append volume mappings to the runtime option list."""
+        stage_source_dir = os.environ.get(
+            "STAGE_SRC_DIR", os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "cwl-stg-src-dir")
+        )
         container_outdir = self.builder.outdir
         for key, vol in (itm for itm in pathmapper.items() if itm[1].staged):
             host_outdir_tgt = None  # type: Optional[str]
@@ -706,6 +709,8 @@ def add_volumes(
                     "the designated output directory, also know as "
                     "$(runtime.outdir): {}".format(vol)
                 )
+            if stage_source_dir and vol.resolved.startswith(stage_source_dir):
+                continue  # path is already staged; only mount the host directory (at the end of this function)
             if vol.type in ("File", "Directory"):
                 self.add_file_or_directory_volume(runtime, vol, host_outdir_tgt)
             elif vol.type == "WritableFile":
@@ -721,6 +726,11 @@ def add_volumes(
                     runtime, vol, host_outdir_tgt, secret_store, tmpdir_prefix
                 )
                 pathmapper.update(key, new_path, vol.target, vol.type, vol.staged)
+        if stage_source_dir and pathmapper.stagedir != container_outdir:
+            # mount a single host directory for all staged input files
+            self.append_volume(
+                runtime, stage_source_dir, pathmapper.stagedir, writable=True
+            )
 
     def run(
         self,
diff --git a/cwltool/pathmapper.py b/cwltool/pathmapper.py
index c89fac5f4..faa8aa517 100644
--- a/cwltool/pathmapper.py
+++ b/cwltool/pathmapper.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import collections
 import logging
 import os
+import tempfile
+import shutil
 import stat
 import urllib
 import uuid
@@ -93,7 +95,10 @@ def visit(
         basedir: str,
         copy: bool = False,
         staged: bool = False,
+        stage_source_dir: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> None:
+        if stage_source_dir:
+            os.makedirs(stage_source_dir, exist_ok=True)
         stagedir = cast(Optional[str], obj.get("dirname")) or stagedir
         tgt = os.path.join(
             stagedir,
@@ -150,7 +155,15 @@ def visit(
                                 else os.path.join(os.path.dirname(deref), rl)
                             )
                             st = os.lstat(deref)
-
+                    if stage_source_dir:
+                        staged_source_file = os.path.join(
+                            stage_source_dir, os.path.basename(deref)
+                        )
+                        try:
+                            os.link(deref, staged_source_file)
+                        except OSError:
+                            shutil.copyfile(deref, staged_source_file)
+                        deref = staged_source_file
                     self._pathmap[path] = MapperEnt(
                         deref, tgt, "WritableFile" if copy else "File", staged
                     )
@@ -163,19 +176,31 @@ def visit(
             )
 
     def setup(self, referenced_files: List[CWLObjectType], basedir: str) -> None:
-
         # Go through each file and set the target to its own directory along
         # with any secondary files.
         stagedir = self.stagedir
+        stage_source_dir = os.environ.get(
+            "STAGE_SRC_DIR", os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "cwl-stg-src-dir")
+        )
         for fob in referenced_files:
+            staging_uuid = str(uuid.uuid4())
             if self.separateDirs:
-                stagedir = os.path.join(self.stagedir, "stg%s" % uuid.uuid4())
+                # this is what the path will be inside of the container environment
+                stagedir = os.path.join(self.stagedir, "stg%s" % staging_uuid)
+            # if STAGE_SRC_DIR is set, this is where input paths will be linked/staged at
+            unique_stage_source_dir = None
+            if stage_source_dir:
+                unique_stage_source_dir = os.path.join(
+                    stage_source_dir, "stg%s" % staging_uuid
+                )
+                os.makedirs(stage_source_dir, exist_ok=True)
             self.visit(
                 fob,
                 stagedir,
                 basedir,
                 copy=cast(bool, fob.get("writable", False)),
                 staged=True,
+                stage_source_dir=unique_stage_source_dir,
             )
 
     def mapper(self, src: str) -> MapperEnt: