diff --git a/panda/src/doc/howto.use_config.txt b/panda/src/doc/howto.use_config.txt
index e56ad0607d..0e92ce527d 100644
--- a/panda/src/doc/howto.use_config.txt
+++ b/panda/src/doc/howto.use_config.txt
@@ -353,6 +353,13 @@ on the standard prc file search path (e.g. $PRC_DIR), as well as on
 the model-path.  It may be a physical file on disk, or a subfile of a
 multifile (and mounted via Panda's virtual file system).
 
+If your prc file is stored as an in-memory string instead of as a disk
+file (for instance, maybe you just built it up), you can use the
+load_prc_file_data() method to load the prc file from the string data.
+The first parameter is an arbitrary name to assign to your in-memory
+prc file; supply a filename if you have one, or use some other name
+that is meaningful to you.
+
 You can see the complete list of prc files that have been loaded into
 the config system at any given time, including files loaded explicitly
 via load_prc_file(), as well as files found in the standard prc file
diff --git a/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.cxx b/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.cxx
index 51f55bbd0d..0fc6580ba3 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.cxx
@@ -76,6 +76,38 @@ load_prc_file(const string &filename) {
   }
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: load_prc_file_data
+//  Description: Another convenience function to load a prc file from
+//               an explicit string, which represents the contents of
+//               the prc file.
+//
+//               The first parameter is an arbitrary name to assign to
+//               this in-memory prc file.  Supply a filename if the
+//               data was read from a file, or use any other name that
+//               is meaningful to you.  The name is only used when the
+//               set of loaded prc files is listed.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+EXPCL_PANDA ConfigPage *
+load_prc_file_data(const string &name, const string &data) {
+  istringstream strm(data);
+
+  ConfigPageManager *cp_mgr = ConfigPageManager::get_global_ptr();
+
+  ConfigPage *page = cp_mgr->make_explicit_page(name);
+  bool read_ok = page->read_prc(strm);
+  
+  if (read_ok) {
+    return page;
+    
+  } else {
+    util_cat.info()
+      << "Unable to read explicit prc data " << name << "\n";
+    cp_mgr->delete_explicit_page(page);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: unload_prc_file
 //  Description: Unloads (and deletes) a ConfigPage that represents a
diff --git a/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.h b/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.h
index 45320f1403..a492c0bbb1 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.h
+++ b/panda/src/putil/load_prc_file.h
@@ -45,6 +45,21 @@ BEGIN_PUBLISH
 EXPCL_PANDA ConfigPage *
 load_prc_file(const string &filename);
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: load_prc_file_data
+//  Description: Another convenience function to load a prc file from
+//               an explicit string, which represents the contents of
+//               the prc file.
+//
+//               The first parameter is an arbitrary name to assign to
+//               this in-memory prc file.  Supply a filename if the
+//               data was read from a file, or use any other name that
+//               is meaningful to you.  The name is only used when the
+//               set of loaded prc files is listed.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+EXPCL_PANDA ConfigPage *
+load_prc_file_data(const string &name, const string &data);
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: unload_prc_file
 //  Description: Unloads (and deletes) a ConfigPage that represents a