diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 3997d09d..5a8987e7 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -427,6 +427,22 @@ int uv__socket(int domain, int type, int protocol) {
   return sockfd;
 }
 
+/* get a file pointer to a file in read-only and close-on-exec mode */
+FILE* uv__open_file(const char* path) {
+  int fd;
+  FILE* fp;
+
+  fd = uv__open_cloexec(path, O_RDONLY);
+  if (fd == -1)
+    return NULL;
+
+   fp = fdopen(fd, "r");
+   if (fp == NULL)
+     uv__close(fd);
+
+   return fp;
+}
+
 
 int uv__accept(int sockfd) {
   int peerfd;
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index bc5ea4dd..79dab40e 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h> /* abort */
 #include <string.h> /* strrchr */
 #include <fcntl.h>  /* O_CLOEXEC, may be */
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 #if defined(__STRICT_ANSI__)
 # define inline __inline
@@ -246,6 +247,8 @@ void uv__timer_close(uv_timer_t* handle);
 void uv__udp_close(uv_udp_t* handle);
 void uv__udp_finish_close(uv_udp_t* handle);
 uv_handle_type uv__handle_type(int fd);
+FILE* uv__open_file(const char* path);
+
 
 #if defined(__APPLE__)
 int uv___stream_fd(const uv_stream_t* handle);