diff --git a/src/aeso_aci.erl b/src/aeso_aci.erl
index eced0b4..29f9ea6 100644
--- a/src/aeso_aci.erl
+++ b/src/aeso_aci.erl
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@
 
 -module(aeso_aci).
 
--export([ contract_interface/2
+-export([ file/2
+        , file/3
+        , contract_interface/2
         , contract_interface/3
 
         , render_aci_json/1
@@ -22,6 +24,18 @@
 -type json_text() :: binary().
 
 %% External API
+-spec file(aci_type(), string()) -> {ok, json() | string()} | {error, term()}.
+file(Type, File) ->
+    file(Type, File, []).
+
+file(Type, File, Options0) ->
+    Options = aeso_compiler:add_include_path(File, Options0),
+    case file:read_file(File) of
+        {ok, BinCode} ->
+            do_contract_interface(Type, binary_to_list(BinCode), Options);
+        {error, _} = Err -> Err
+    end.
+
 -spec contract_interface(aci_type(), string()) ->
     {ok, json() | string()} | {error, term()}.
 contract_interface(Type, ContractString) ->
diff --git a/src/aeso_compiler.erl b/src/aeso_compiler.erl
index 8f7ec6e..cd8a9d7 100644
--- a/src/aeso_compiler.erl
+++ b/src/aeso_compiler.erl
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
         , decode_calldata/3  %% deprecated
         , decode_calldata/4
         , parse/2
+        , add_include_path/2
         ]).
 
 -include_lib("aebytecode/include/aeb_opcodes.hrl").
@@ -65,12 +66,11 @@ version() ->
 
 -spec file(string()) -> {ok, map()} | {error, binary()}.
 file(Filename) ->
-    Dir = filename:dirname(Filename),
-    {ok, Cwd} = file:get_cwd(),
-    file(Filename, [{include, {file_system, [Cwd, Dir]}}]).
+    file(Filename, []).
 
 -spec file(string(), options()) -> {ok, map()} | {error, binary()}.
-file(File, Options) ->
+file(File, Options0) ->
+    Options = add_include_path(File, Options0),
     case read_contract(File) of
         {ok, Bin} -> from_string(Bin, [{src_file, File} | Options]);
         {error, Error} ->
@@ -78,6 +78,15 @@ file(File, Options) ->
 	    {error, join_errors("File errors", [ErrorString], fun(E) -> E end)}
     end.
 
+add_include_path(File, Options) ->
+    case lists:keymember(include, 1, Options) of
+        true  -> Options;
+        false ->
+            Dir = filename:dirname(File),
+            {ok, Cwd} = file:get_cwd(),
+            [{include, {file_system, [Cwd, Dir]}} | Options]
+    end.
+
 -spec from_string(binary() | string(), options()) -> {ok, map()} | {error, binary()}.
 from_string(Contract, Options) ->
     from_string(proplists:get_value(backend, Options, aevm), Contract, Options).