diff --git a/src/lua.rs b/src/lua.rs
index d7bcb8b..b294ec9 100644
--- a/src/lua.rs
+++ b/src/lua.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use std::fmt;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_int, c_void};
 use std::panic::{catch_unwind, resume_unwind, AssertUnwindSafe, Location};
+use std::path::Path;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::{mem, ptr, str};
 
@@ -1296,6 +1297,76 @@ impl Lua {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Loads a lua file using `luaL_loadfile`. Call the returned function in order to execute the
+    /// file.
+    ///
+    /// You can pass an optional `env` parameter to set the environment the File will run in.
+    pub fn load_file<'lua>(
+        &'lua self,
+        path: impl AsRef<Path>,
+        env: Option<Value<'lua>>,
+    ) -> Result<Function<'lua>> {
+        let path = path.as_ref();
+
+        // made in collaboration with stack overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/a/59224987
+        let mut path_cstr = Vec::new();
+
+        #[cfg(unix)]
+        {
+            use std::os::unix::ffi::OsStrExt;
+            path_cstr.extend(path.as_os_str().as_bytes());
+            path_cstr.push(0);
+        }
+
+        // fun and games for windows...
+        #[cfg(windows)]
+        {
+            use std::os::windows::ffi::OsStrExt;
+            buf.extend(path.as_os_str().encode_wide().chain(Some(0)).flat_map(|b| {
+                let b = b.to_ne_bytes();
+                b.get(0).map(|s| *s).into_iter().chain(b.get(1).map(|s| *s))
+            }));
+        }
+
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "luau"))]
+        unsafe {
+            let _sg = StackGuard::new(self.state);
+            check_stack(self.state, 1)?;
+
+            match ffi::luaL_loadfile(self.state, path_cstr.as_ptr() as _) {
+                ffi::LUA_OK => {
+                    if let Some(env) = env {
+                        self.push_value(env)?;
+                        #[cfg(any(feature = "lua54", feature = "lua53", feature = "lua52"))]
+                        ffi::lua_setupvalue(self.state, -2, 1);
+                        #[cfg(any(feature = "lua51", feature = "luajit"))]
+                        ffi::lua_setfenv(self.state, -2);
+                    }
+
+                    Ok(Function(self.pop_ref()))
+                }
+                err => Err(pop_error(self.state, err)),
+            }
+        }
+
+        #[cfg(feature = "luau")]
+        unsafe {
+            // luau has no native load file function, so we read and load the file normally
+            let source = std::fs::read(path).map_err(Error::external)?;
+            self.load_chunk(
+                &source,
+                // has to be some, otherwise luau will segfault
+                Some(&CString::from_vec_with_nul_unchecked(path_cstr)),
+                env,
+                if source[0] < b'\n' {
+                    Some(ChunkMode::Binary)
+                } else {
+                    None
+                },
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn load_chunk<'lua>(
         &'lua self,
         source: &[u8],
diff --git a/tests/loadfile.lua b/tests/loadfile.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cedbb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/loadfile.lua
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+return test
diff --git a/tests/loadfile.rs b/tests/loadfile.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbddecd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/loadfile.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+use mlua::{Lua, Value};
+
+#[test]
+fn test_loadfile() {
+    let lua = Lua::new();
+
+    let env = lua.create_table().unwrap();
+    env.set("test", 42u8).unwrap();
+
+    let file = lua
+        .load_file(file!().replace(".rs", ".lua"), Some(Value::Table(env)))
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let result = file.call::<_, u8>(()).unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(result, 42);
+}