diff --git a/c_src/config.c b/c_src/config.c
index 974d669..1118e5a 100644
--- a/c_src/config.c
+++ b/c_src/config.c
@@ -8,6 +8,34 @@ void geef_config_free(ErlNifEnv *env, void *cd)
 	git_config_free(cfg->config);
 }
 
+ERL_NIF_TERM
+geef_config_open(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
+{
+	geef_config *cfg;
+	ErlNifBinary bin;
+	ERL_NIF_TERM term_cfg;
+	int error;
+
+	if (!enif_inspect_iolist_as_binary(env, argv[0], &bin))
+		return enif_make_badarg(env);
+
+	if (!geef_terminate_binary(&bin))
+		return geef_oom(env);
+
+	cfg = enif_alloc_resource(geef_config_type, sizeof(geef_config));
+	error = git_config_open_ondisk(&cfg->config, (char *) bin.data);
+	enif_release_binary(&bin);
+
+	if (error < 0)
+		return geef_error(env);
+
+	term_cfg = enif_make_resource(env, cfg);
+	enif_release_resource(cfg);
+
+	return enif_make_tuple2(env, atoms.ok, term_cfg);
+
+}
+
 static ERL_NIF_TERM extract(geef_config **cfg, ErlNifBinary *bin, ErlNifEnv *env, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
 {
 	if (!enif_get_resource(env, argv[0], geef_config_type, (void **) cfg))
diff --git a/c_src/config.h b/c_src/config.h
index c91a2a9..215f1da 100644
--- a/c_src/config.h
+++ b/c_src/config.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 void geef_config_free(ErlNifEnv *env, void *cd);
 ERL_NIF_TERM geef_config_set_bool(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
 ERL_NIF_TERM geef_config_get_bool(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
+ERL_NIF_TERM geef_config_open(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
 
 extern ErlNifResourceType *geef_config_type;
 
diff --git a/c_src/geef.c b/c_src/geef.c
index dbd708b..3758d79 100644
--- a/c_src/geef.c
+++ b/c_src/geef.c
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ static ErlNifFunc geef_funcs[] =
 	{"revparse_single", 2, geef_revparse_single},
 	{"config_set_bool", 3, geef_config_set_bool},
 	{"config_get_bool", 2, geef_config_get_bool},
+	{"config_open",     1, geef_config_open},
 };
 
 ERL_NIF_INIT(geef_nif, geef_funcs, load, NULL, upgrade, unload)
diff --git a/src/geef_config.erl b/src/geef_config.erl
index 6b86e2e..8f3bb7f 100644
--- a/src/geef_config.erl
+++ b/src/geef_config.erl
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@
 start_link(Handle) ->
     gen_server:start_link(?MODULE, Handle, []).
 
+%% @doc Open a configuration file
+-spec open(iolist()) -> {ok, pid()} | {error, term()}.
+open(Path) ->
+    case geef_nif:config_open(Path) of
+	{ok, Handle} ->
+	    start_link(Handle);
+	Error ->
+	    Error
+    end.
+
 %% @doc Set a value in the configuration
 set(Pid, Name, Val) when is_boolean(Val) ->
     gen_server:call(Pid, {set_bool, Name, Val}).
diff --git a/src/geef_nif.erl b/src/geef_nif.erl
index bcbc7eb..ae15834 100644
--- a/src/geef_nif.erl
+++ b/src/geef_nif.erl
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ config_set_bool(_Handle, _Name, _Val) ->
 config_get_bool(_Handle, _Name) ->
     ?NIF_FN.
 
+-spec config_open(iolist()) -> {ok, term()} | {error, term()}.
+config_open(_Path) ->
+    ?NIF_FN.
+
 nif_error(Line) ->
     erlang:nif_error({nif_not_loaded,module,?MODULE,line,Line}).
 
diff --git a/test/config_test.erl b/test/config_test.erl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21851c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config_test.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+-module(config_test).
+-compile([export_all]).
+-include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
+-include("src/geef_records.hrl").
+
+config_test() ->
+    {foreach, fun start/0, fun stop/1, [fun bool_test/1]}.
+
+start() ->
+    {A, B, C} = now(),
+    N = node(),
+    TmpFile = io_lib:format("/tmp/geef-~p~p~p~p.gitconfig", [N, A, B, C]),
+    {ok, Config} = geef_config:open(TmpFile),
+    {Config, TmpFile}.
+
+bool_test({Config, _}) ->
+    Var = "core.logallrefupdates",
+    ok = geef_config:set(Config, Var, true),
+    [?_assertEqual({ok, true}, geef_config:get_bool(Config, Var))].
+
+stop({_, Path}) ->
+    ok = file:delete(Path).