diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.h b/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.h
index 8b2137514aa..a121f45f006 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.h
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class IFC_PARSE_API IfcFile {
 	/// attributes as a flat list. NB: includes the root instance specified
 	/// in the first function argument.
 	IfcEntityList::ptr traverse(IfcUtil::IfcBaseClass* instance, int max_level=-1);
-
+	
 #ifdef USE_MMAP
 	bool Init(const std::string& fn, bool mmap=false);
 #else
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ class IFC_PARSE_API IfcFile {
 	bool Init(std::istream& fn, int len);
 	bool Init(void* data, int len);
 	bool Init(IfcParse::IfcSpfStream* f);
+	
+    bool Init(const std::string& data, unsigned int unused);
 
 	IfcEntityList::ptr getInverse(int instance_id, IfcSchema::Type::Enum type, int attribute_index);
 
@@ -174,4 +176,4 @@ class IFC_PARSE_API IfcFile {
 
 }
 
-#endif
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
index 1d46a4ab8fb..591b7ffe45c 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,19 @@ void init_locale() {
 
 #endif
 
+IfcSpfStream::IfcSpfStream()
+	: stream(0)
+	, buffer(0)
+	, valid(false)
+	, eof(false)
+{
+    ptr   = 0;
+    len   = 0;
+    valid = false;
+    eof   = false;
+    size  = 0;
+}
+
 // 
 // Opens the file and gets the filesize
 //
@@ -208,6 +221,18 @@ IfcSpfStream::IfcSpfStream(void* data, int l)
 	len = l;
 }
 
+IfcSpfStream::IfcSpfStream(const std::string& data, unsigned int x)
+	: stream(0)
+	, buffer(0)
+{
+	eof = false;
+	size = (unsigned int) data.length();
+	buffer = data.c_str();
+	valid = true;
+	ptr = 0;
+	len = (unsigned int) data.length();
+}
+
 IfcSpfStream::~IfcSpfStream()
 {
 	Close();
@@ -1227,16 +1252,17 @@ void IfcEntityInstanceData::setArgument(unsigned int i, Argument* a, IfcUtil::Ar
 // Parses the IFC file in fn
 // Creates the maps
 //
+
 #ifdef USE_MMAP
 bool IfcFile::Init(const std::string& fn, bool mmap) {
 	return IfcFile::Init(new IfcSpfStream(fn, mmap));
 }
 #else
 bool IfcFile::Init(const std::string& fn) {
+    //return IfcFile::Init(new IfcSpfStream(fn, (unsigned int) 0));
 	return IfcFile::Init(new IfcSpfStream(fn));
 }
 #endif
-
 bool IfcFile::Init(std::istream& f, int len) {
 	return IfcFile::Init(new IfcSpfStream(f,len));
 }
@@ -1244,6 +1270,10 @@ bool IfcFile::Init(std::istream& f, int len) {
 bool IfcFile::Init(void* data, int len) {
 	return IfcFile::Init(new IfcSpfStream(data,len));
 }
+bool IfcFile::Init(const std::string& data, unsigned int unused) {
+    return IfcFile::Init(new IfcSpfStream(data, (unsigned int) 0));
+}
+
 
 bool IfcFile::Init(IfcParse::IfcSpfStream* s) {
 	// Initialize a "C" locale for locale-independent
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcSpfStream.h b/src/ifcparse/IfcSpfStream.h
index 820b69d275a..5ca3fa53038 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcSpfStream.h
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcSpfStream.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ namespace IfcParse {
 		bool valid;
 		bool eof;
 		unsigned int size;
+		IfcSpfStream();
 #ifdef USE_MMAP
 		IfcSpfStream(const std::string& fn, bool mmap=false);
 #else
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ namespace IfcParse {
 		IfcSpfStream(std::istream& f, int len);
 		IfcSpfStream(void* data, int len);
 		~IfcSpfStream();
+		IfcSpfStream(const std::string& data, unsigned int x);
 		/// Returns the character at the cursor 
 		char Peek();
 		/// Returns the character at specified offset
diff --git a/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i b/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i
index b554b67e563..2119d5d29f1 100644
--- a/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i
+++ b/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i
@@ -412,14 +412,21 @@ private:
 
 // The IfcFile* returned by open() is to be freed by SWIG/Python
 %newobject open;
+%newobject read;
 
 %inline %{
-	IfcParse::IfcFile* open(const std::string& s) {
+	IfcParse::IfcFile* open(const std::string& fn) {
 		IfcParse::IfcFile* f = new IfcParse::IfcFile();
-		f->Init(s);
+		f->Init(fn);
+		return f;
+	}
+    IfcParse::IfcFile* read(const std::string& data) {
+		char* copiedData = new char[data.length()];
+		memcpy(copiedData, data.c_str(), data.length());
+		IfcParse::IfcFile* f = new IfcParse::IfcFile();
+		f->Init((void *)copiedData, data.length());
 		return f;
 	}
-
 	const char* schema_identifier() {
 		return IfcSchema::Identifier;
 	}
@@ -459,4 +466,5 @@ private:
 		ifcopenshell_log_stream.str("");
 		return log;
 	}
-%}
\ No newline at end of file
+%}
+