diff --git a/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt b/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt
index 23b4a5af3..4a5c06cd6 100644
--- a/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt
@@ -517,6 +517,7 @@ hb_glyph_extents_t
 hb_ft_face_create
 hb_ft_face_create_cached
 hb_ft_face_create_referenced
+hb_ft_face_create_from_file_or_fail
 hb_ft_font_create
 hb_ft_font_create_referenced
 hb_ft_font_changed
diff --git a/src/hb-coretext-shape.cc b/src/hb-coretext-shape.cc
index b0b86c5b5..e417f288e 100644
--- a/src/hb-coretext-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-coretext-shape.cc
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ hb_coretext_face_create (CGFontRef cg_font)
  * Return value: (transfer full): The new face object, or `NULL` if
  * no face is found at the specified index or the file cannot be read.
  *
- * Since: 0.9.10
+ * XSince: REPLACEME
  */
 hb_face_t *
 hb_coretext_face_create_from_file_or_fail (const char   *file_name,
diff --git a/src/hb-ft.cc b/src/hb-ft.cc
index f6d8bf413..c84946595 100644
--- a/src/hb-ft.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ft.cc
@@ -1469,6 +1469,43 @@ get_ft_library ()
   return static_ft_library.get_unconst ();
 }
 
+/**
+ * hb_ft_face_create_from_file_or_fail:
+ * @file_name: A font filename
+ * @index: The index of the face within the file
+ *
+ * Creates an #hb_face_t face object from the specified
+ * font file and face index.
+ *
+ * This is similar in functionality to hb_face_create_for_from_file_or_fail(),
+ * but uses the FreeType library for loading the font file.
+ *
+ * Return value: (transfer full): The new face object, or `NULL` if
+ * no face is found at the specified index or the file cannot be read.
+ *
+ * XSince: REPLACEME
+ */
+hb_face_t *
+hb_ft_face_create_from_file_or_fail (const char   *file_name,
+				     unsigned int  index)
+{
+  FT_Face ft_face;
+  FT_Error error = FT_New_Face (get_ft_library (),
+				file_name,
+				index,
+				&ft_face);
+  if (error)
+    return nullptr;
+
+  hb_face_t *face = hb_ft_face_create_referenced (ft_face);
+  FT_Done_Face (ft_face);
+
+  if (hb_face_is_immutable (face))
+    return nullptr;
+
+  return face;
+}
+
 static void
 _release_blob (void *arg)
 {
diff --git a/src/hb-ft.h b/src/hb-ft.h
index 6a8a7abe8..8cf14dc39 100644
--- a/src/hb-ft.h
+++ b/src/hb-ft.h
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ hb_ft_face_create_cached (FT_Face ft_face);
 HB_EXTERN hb_face_t *
 hb_ft_face_create_referenced (FT_Face ft_face);
 
+HB_EXTERN hb_face_t *
+hb_ft_face_create_from_file_or_fail (const char   *file_name,
+				     unsigned int  index);
 
 /*
  * hb-font from ft-face.