diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h b/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h
index 9554a209f9..aad8b13ac8 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h
@@ -28,9 +28,8 @@ namespace BPackageKit {
 /*
  * Keeps a list of package info elements (e.g. name, version, vendor, ...) which
  * will be converted to package attributes when creating a package. Usually,
- * these elements have been parsed from a ".PackageInfo"-file.
- * Alternatively, the package reader populates a BPackageInfo object by
- * collecting package attributes from an existing package.
+ * these elements have been parsed from a ".PackageInfo" file.
+ * Alternatively, they can be read from an existing package file.
  */
 class BPackageInfo {
 public:
@@ -52,6 +51,8 @@ public:
 			status_t			ReadFromConfigString(
 									const BString& packageInfoString,
 									ParseErrorListener* listener = NULL);
+			status_t			ReadFromPackageFile(const char* path);
+			status_t			ReadFromPackageFile(int fd);
 
 			status_t			InitCheck() const;
 
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp
index f24bd9201f..42da18ec90 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 
 #include <File.h>
 #include <Entry.h>
+#include <package/hpkg/NoErrorOutput.h>
+#include <package/hpkg/PackageReader.h>
+#include <package/PackageInfoContentHandler.h>
 
 
 namespace BPackageKit {
@@ -903,6 +906,34 @@ BPackageInfo::ReadFromConfigString(const BString& packageInfoString,
 }
 
 
+status_t
+BPackageInfo::ReadFromPackageFile(const char* path)
+{
+	BHPKG::BNoErrorOutput errorOutput;
+	BHPKG::BPackageReader packageReader(&errorOutput);
+	status_t error = packageReader.Init(path);
+	if (error != B_OK)
+		return error;
+	
+	BPackageInfoContentHandler handler(*this);
+	return packageReader.ParseContent(&handler);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+BPackageInfo::ReadFromPackageFile(int fd)
+{
+	BHPKG::BNoErrorOutput errorOutput;
+	BHPKG::BPackageReader packageReader(&errorOutput);
+	status_t error = packageReader.Init(fd, false);
+	if (error != B_OK)
+		return error;
+	
+	BPackageInfoContentHandler handler(*this);
+	return packageReader.ParseContent(&handler);
+}
+
+
 status_t
 BPackageInfo::InitCheck() const
 {