diff --git a/src/luamm.cc b/src/luamm.cc
index bcc24652..ffc68b03 100644
--- a/src/luamm.cc
+++ b/src/luamm.cc
@@ -351,6 +351,23 @@ namespace lua {
 		return safe_compare(&safe_compare_trampoline<&lua_lessthan>, index1, index2);
 	}
 
+	void state::loadfile(const char *filename)
+						throw(lua::syntax_error, lua::file_error, std::bad_alloc)
+	{
+		switch(luaL_loadfile(cobj.get(), filename)) {
+			case 0:
+				return;
+			case LUA_ERRSYNTAX:
+				throw lua::syntax_error(this);
+			case LUA_ERRFILE:
+				throw lua::file_error(this);
+			case LUA_ERRMEM:
+				throw std::bad_alloc();
+			default:
+				assert(0);
+		}
+	}
+
 	void state::loadstring(const char *s) throw(lua::syntax_error, std::bad_alloc)
 	{
 		switch(luaL_loadstring(cobj.get(), s)) {
diff --git a/src/luamm.hh b/src/luamm.hh
index 907fafef..3466f274 100644
--- a/src/luamm.hh
+++ b/src/luamm.hh
@@ -124,6 +124,21 @@ namespace lua {
 		{}
 	};
 
+	// loadfile() encountered an error while opening/reading the file
+	class file_error: public lua::exception {
+		file_error(const file_error &) = delete;
+		const file_error& operator=(const file_error &) = delete;
+
+	public:
+		file_error(state *L)
+			: lua::exception(L)
+		{}
+
+		file_error(file_error &&other)
+			: lua::exception(std::move(other))
+		{}
+	};
+
 	// double fault, lua encountered an error while running the error handler function
 	class errfunc_error: public lua::exception {
 		errfunc_error(const errfunc_error &) = delete;
@@ -259,6 +274,7 @@ namespace lua {
 		void gettable(int index);
 		void getglobal(const char *name) { getfield(GLOBALSINDEX, name); }
 		bool lessthan(int index1, int index2);
+		void loadfile(const char *filename) throw(lua::syntax_error, lua::file_error, std::bad_alloc);
 		void loadstring(const char *s) throw(lua::syntax_error, std::bad_alloc);
 		bool next(int index);
 		// register is a reserved word :/