diff --git a/src/librc/librc-depend.c b/src/librc/librc-depend.c
index 765f5958..13f9076e 100644
--- a/src/librc/librc-depend.c
+++ b/src/librc/librc-depend.c
@@ -114,7 +114,13 @@ get_deptype(const RC_DEPINFO *depinfo, const char *type)
 }
 
 RC_DEPTREE *
-rc_deptree_load(void)
+rc_deptree_load(void) {
+	return rc_deptree_load_file(RC_DEPTREE_CACHE);
+}
+librc_hidden_def(rc_deptree_load)
+
+RC_DEPTREE *
+rc_deptree_load_file(const char *deptree_file)
 {
 	FILE *fp;
 	RC_DEPTREE *deptree;
@@ -127,7 +133,7 @@ rc_deptree_load(void)
 	char *e;
 	int i;
 
-	if (!(fp = fopen(RC_DEPTREE_CACHE, "r")))
+	if (!(fp = fopen(deptree_file, "r")))
 		return NULL;
 
 	deptree = xmalloc(sizeof(*deptree));
@@ -175,7 +181,6 @@ rc_deptree_load(void)
 	
 	return deptree;
 }
-librc_hidden_def(rc_deptree_load)
 
 static bool
 valid_service(const char *runlevel, const char *service, const char *type)
diff --git a/src/librc/rc.h.in b/src/librc/rc.h.in
index 3d0ffb42..7ed8f226 100644
--- a/src/librc/rc.h.in
+++ b/src/librc/rc.h.in
@@ -375,6 +375,11 @@ bool rc_deptree_update_needed(time_t *, char *);
  * @return pointer to the dependency tree */
 RC_DEPTREE *rc_deptree_load(void);
 
+/*! Load a cached dependency tree from the specified file and return a pointer
+ * to it.  This pointer should be freed with rc_deptree_free when done.
+ * @return pointer to the dependency tree */
+RC_DEPTREE *rc_deptree_load_file(const char *);
+
 /*! List the depend for the type of service
  * @param deptree to search
  * @param type to use (keywords, etc)
diff --git a/src/librc/rc.map b/src/librc/rc.map
index 113f2d7d..d763bfeb 100644
--- a/src/librc/rc.map
+++ b/src/librc/rc.map
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ global:
 	rc_deptree_depends;
 	rc_deptree_free;
 	rc_deptree_load;
+	rc_deptree_load_file;
 	rc_deptree_order;
 	rc_deptree_update;
 	rc_deptree_update_needed;
diff --git a/src/test/librc.funcs.hidden.list b/src/test/librc.funcs.hidden.list
index b661850f..ffacf57f 100644
--- a/src/test/librc.funcs.hidden.list
+++ b/src/test/librc.funcs.hidden.list
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ rc_deptree_depend
 rc_deptree_depends
 rc_deptree_free
 rc_deptree_load
+rc_deptree_load_file
 rc_deptree_order
 rc_deptree_update
 rc_deptree_update_needed
diff --git a/src/test/rc.funcs.list b/src/test/rc.funcs.list
index 0aac8f9a..b01ddf60 100644
--- a/src/test/rc.funcs.list
+++ b/src/test/rc.funcs.list
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ rc_deptree_free
 rc_deptree_free@@RC_1.0
 rc_deptree_load
 rc_deptree_load@@RC_1.0
+rc_deptree_load_file
+rc_deptree_load_file@@RC_1.0
 rc_deptree_order
 rc_deptree_order@@RC_1.0
 rc_deptree_update