diff --git a/src/espeak-ng.c b/src/espeak-ng.c
index 812397fe..10b8a887 100644
--- a/src/espeak-ng.c
+++ b/src/espeak-ng.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include <espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h>
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ static const char *help_text =
     "--voices=<language>\n"
     "\t   List the available voices for the specified language.\n"
     "\t   If <language> is omitted, then list all voices.\n"
+    "--load     Load voice from a file in current directory by name.\n"
     "-h, --help Show this help.\n";
 
 int samplerate;
@@ -321,6 +323,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		{ "compile-mbrola", optional_argument, 0, 0x10e },
 		{ "compile-intonations", no_argument, 0, 0x10f },
 		{ "compile-phonemes", optional_argument, 0, 0x110 },
+		{ "load",    no_argument,       0, 0x111 },
 		{ 0, 0, 0, 0 }
 	};
 
@@ -336,6 +339,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int value;
 	int flag_stdin = 0;
 	int flag_compile = 0;
+	int flag_load = 0;
 	int filesize = 0;
 	int synth_flags = espeakCHARS_AUTO | espeakPHONEMES | espeakENDPAUSE;
 
@@ -349,7 +353,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int phoneme_options = 0;
 	int option_linelength = 0;
 	int option_waveout = 0;
-
+	
 	espeak_VOICE voice_select;
 	char filename[200];
 	char voicename[40];
@@ -562,6 +566,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			}
 			return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 		}
+		case 0x111: // --load
+			flag_load = 1;
+			break;
 		default:
 			exit(0);
 		}
@@ -605,7 +612,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (voicename[0] == 0)
 		strcpy(voicename, ESPEAKNG_DEFAULT_VOICE);
 
-	result = espeak_ng_SetVoiceByName(voicename);
+	if(flag_load)
+		result = espeak_ng_SetVoiceByFile(voicename);
+	else
+		result = espeak_ng_SetVoiceByName(voicename);
 	if (result != ENS_OK) {
 		memset(&voice_select, 0, sizeof(voice_select));
 		voice_select.languages = voicename;
diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
index 36d2682b..b9804fce 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ espeak_ng_SetPunctuationList(const wchar_t *punctlist);
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_SetVoiceByName(const char *name);
 
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
+espeak_ng_SetVoiceByFile(const char *filename);
+
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_SetVoiceByProperties(espeak_VOICE *voice_selector);
 
diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/speak_lib.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/speak_lib.h
index 5cce6164..cc1e35e7 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/speak_lib.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/speak_lib.h
@@ -606,6 +606,19 @@ ESPEAK_API const espeak_VOICE **espeak_ListVoices(espeak_VOICE *voice_spec);
    are listed, and they are listed in preference order.
 */
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_SetVoiceByFile(const char *filename);
+/* Loads a voice given the file path.  Language is not considered.
+   "filename" is a UTF8 string.
+
+   Return: EE_OK: operation achieved
+           EE_BUFFER_FULL: the command can not be buffered;
+             you may try after a while to call the function again.
+	   EE_INTERNAL_ERROR.
+*/
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
 #endif
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
index 0a5f6fd7..73d9417b 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_SetVoiceByName(const char *name)
 	return status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_SetVoiceByName(name));
 }
 
+ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_SetVoiceByFile(const char *filename)
+{
+	return status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_SetVoiceByFile(filename));
+}
+
 ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_SetVoiceByProperties(espeak_VOICE *voice_selector)
 {
 	return status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_SetVoiceByProperties(voice_selector));
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
index 73a48fc4..3eca48f7 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
@@ -1466,6 +1466,45 @@ static void GetVoices(const char *path, int len_path_voices, int is_language_fil
 
 #pragma GCC visibility push(default)
 
+
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_SetVoiceByFile(const char *filename)
+{
+	espeak_VOICE *v;
+	int ix;
+	espeak_VOICE voice_selector;
+	char *variant_name;
+	static char buf[60];
+
+	strncpy0(buf, filename, sizeof(buf));
+
+	variant_name = ExtractVoiceVariantName(buf, 0, 1);
+
+	for (ix = 0;; ix++) {
+		// convert voice name to lower case  (ascii)
+		if ((buf[ix] = tolower(buf[ix])) == 0)
+			break;
+	}
+
+	memset(&voice_selector, 0, sizeof(voice_selector));
+	voice_selector.name = (char *)filename; // include variant name in voice stack ??
+
+	// first check for a voice with this filename
+	// This may avoid the need to call espeak_ListVoices().
+
+	if (LoadVoice(buf, 0x10) != NULL) {
+		if (variant_name[0] != 0)
+			LoadVoice(variant_name, 2);
+
+		DoVoiceChange(voice);
+		voice_selector.languages = voice->language_name;
+		SetVoiceStack(&voice_selector, variant_name);
+		return ENS_OK;
+	}
+
+	return ENS_VOICE_NOT_FOUND;
+}
+
+
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_SetVoiceByName(const char *name)
 {
 	espeak_VOICE *v;