diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index 203a9439a5..0dfe47e93e 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -1464,6 +1464,7 @@ idls = ['idl/gossip_digest.idl.hh',
         'idl/frozen_mutation.idl.hh',
         'idl/reconcilable_result.idl.hh',
         'idl/streaming.idl.hh',
+        'idl/sstables_loader.idl.hh',
         'idl/paging_state.idl.hh',
         'idl/frozen_schema.idl.hh',
         'idl/repair.idl.hh',
diff --git a/idl/CMakeLists.txt b/idl/CMakeLists.txt
index 518ec32835..b64fc00f3e 100644
--- a/idl/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/idl/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ set(idl_headers
   group0.idl.hh
   hinted_handoff.idl.hh
   sstables.idl.hh
+  sstables_loader.idl.hh
   storage_proxy.idl.hh
   storage_service.idl.hh
   strong_consistency/state_machine.idl.hh
diff --git a/idl/sstables_loader.idl.hh b/idl/sstables_loader.idl.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..83cd353487
--- /dev/null
+++ b/idl/sstables_loader.idl.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2026-present ScyllaDB
+ */
+
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-ScyllaDB-Source-Available-1.1
+ */
+
+class restore_result {
+};
+
+verb [[]] restore_tablet (raft::server_id dst_id, locator::global_tablet_id gid) -> restore_result;
diff --git a/message/messaging_service.cc b/message/messaging_service.cc
index 20ccb921a9..947c8d5df1 100644
--- a/message/messaging_service.cc
+++ b/message/messaging_service.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "service/storage_service.hh"
 #include "service/qos/service_level_controller.hh"
 #include "streaming/prepare_message.hh"
+#include "sstables_loader.hh"
 #include "gms/gossip_digest_syn.hh"
 #include "gms/gossip_digest_ack.hh"
 #include "gms/gossip_digest_ack2.hh"
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@
 #include "idl/tasks.dist.impl.hh"
 #include "idl/forward_cql.dist.impl.hh"
 #include "gms/feature_service.hh"
+#include "idl/sstables_loader.dist.impl.hh"
 
 namespace netw {
 
@@ -734,6 +736,7 @@ static constexpr unsigned do_get_rpc_client_idx(messaging_verb verb) {
     case messaging_verb::TABLE_LOAD_STATS:
     case messaging_verb::WORK_ON_VIEW_BUILDING_TASKS:
     case messaging_verb::SNAPSHOT_WITH_TABLETS:
+    case messaging_verb::RESTORE_TABLET:
         return 1;
     case messaging_verb::CLIENT_ID:
     case messaging_verb::MUTATION:
diff --git a/message/messaging_service.hh b/message/messaging_service.hh
index 658d7b74e3..2c19947d03 100644
--- a/message/messaging_service.hh
+++ b/message/messaging_service.hh
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ enum class messaging_verb : int32_t {
     RAFT_READ_BARRIER = 85,
     FORWARD_CQL_EXECUTE = 86,
     FORWARD_CQL_PREPARE = 87,
-    LAST = 88,
+    RESTORE_TABLET = 88,
+    LAST = 89,
 };
 
 } // namespace netw
diff --git a/sstables_loader.cc b/sstables_loader.cc
index f0ec901acf..8e4d727724 100644
--- a/sstables_loader.cc
+++ b/sstables_loader.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "service/storage_service.hh"
 #include "sstables_loader_helpers.hh"
 #include "db/system_distributed_keyspace.hh"
+#include "idl/sstables_loader.dist.hh"
 
 #include "sstables/object_storage_client.hh"
 #include "utils/rjson.hh"
@@ -868,9 +869,20 @@ sstables_loader::sstables_loader(sharded<replica::database>& db,
     , _sched_group(std::move(sg))
 {
     tm.register_module("sstables_loader", _task_manager_module);
+    ser::sstables_loader_rpc_verbs::register_restore_tablet(&_messaging, [this] (raft::server_id dst_id, locator::global_tablet_id gid) -> future<restore_result> {
+        return _ss.local().handle_raft_rpc(dst_id, [&sl = container(), gid] (auto& ss) {
+            return ss.do_tablet_operation(gid, "Restore", [&sl, gid] (locator::tablet_metadata_guard& guard) -> future<service::tablet_operation_result> {
+                co_await sl.local().download_tablet_sstables(gid, guard);
+                co_return service::tablet_operation_empty_result{};
+            }).then([] (auto res) {
+                return make_ready_future<restore_result>();
+            });
+        });
+    });
 }
 
 future<> sstables_loader::stop() {
+    co_await ser::sstables_loader_rpc_verbs::unregister(&_messaging),
     co_await _task_manager_module->stop();
 }
 
diff --git a/sstables_loader.hh b/sstables_loader.hh
index 6d5dee382e..31cb089528 100644
--- a/sstables_loader.hh
+++ b/sstables_loader.hh
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ class database;
 }
 
 struct minimal_sst_info;
+struct restore_result {
+};
 
 namespace sstables { class storage_manager; }