diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index a2c36248..39681ffe 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ S3method(format,orderly_query)
 S3method(print,orderly_cleanup_status)
 S3method(print,orderly_query_explain)
 export(orderly_artefact)
-export(orderly_build_script_details)
 export(orderly_cleanup)
 export(orderly_cleanup_status)
 export(orderly_config)
@@ -31,6 +30,7 @@ export(orderly_metadata_extract)
 export(orderly_metadata_read)
 export(orderly_new)
 export(orderly_parameters)
+export(orderly_parse)
 export(orderly_plugin_add_metadata)
 export(orderly_plugin_context)
 export(orderly_plugin_register)
diff --git a/R/read.R b/R/read.R
index 25cc9885..7465ffe2 100644
--- a/R/read.R
+++ b/R/read.R
@@ -1,28 +1,30 @@
 orderly_read <- function(path, call = NULL) {
   entrypoint_filename <- find_entrypoint_filename(path)
-  orderly_read_r(file.path(path, entrypoint_filename), entrypoint_filename)
+  orderly_parse(file.path(path, entrypoint_filename), entrypoint_filename)
 }
 
 
-orderly_read_r <- function(path, entrypoint_filename) {
-  exprs <- parse(file = path)
-  orderly_build_script_details(exprs, entrypoint_filename)
-}
-
-#' Build the details of an orderly source script
+#' Parse the orderly entrypoint script
+#'
+#' For expert use only.
 #'
-#' Takes the parsed AST from an orderly script, parses details
-#' of any calls to orderly_ in-script functions into intermediate
-#' representation for downstream use. Also validates calls to
+#' Takes either a path to the orderly entrypoint script or
+#' the parsed AST from an orderly script, parses details
+#' of any calls to the orderly_ in-script functions into intermediate
+#' representation for downstream use. Also validates that any calls to
 #' orderly_ in-script functions are well-formed.
 #'
-#' @param exprs Parsed AST from orderly script
+#' @param entrypoint_script Path to script or parsed AST from orderly script
 #' @param entrypoint_filename Name of entrypoint file to include in metadata
 #'
-#' @return Details of orderly script
+#' @return Parsed orderly entrypoint script
 #' @export
-#' @keywords internal
-orderly_build_script_details <- function(exprs, entrypoint_filename) {
+orderly_parse <- function(entrypoint_script, entrypoint_filename) {
+  if (!is.expression(entrypoint_script)) {
+    exprs <- parse(file = entrypoint_script)
+  } else {
+    exprs <- entrypoint_script
+  }
 
   inputs <- list()
   artefacts <- list()
diff --git a/man/orderly_build_script_details.Rd b/man/orderly_build_script_details.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index 05adf481..00000000
--- a/man/orderly_build_script_details.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/read.R
-\name{orderly_build_script_details}
-\alias{orderly_build_script_details}
-\title{Build the details of an orderly source script}
-\usage{
-orderly_build_script_details(exprs, entrypoint_filename)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{exprs}{Parsed AST from orderly script}
-
-\item{entrypoint_filename}{Name of entrypoint file to include in metadata}
-}
-\value{
-Details of orderly script
-}
-\description{
-Takes the parsed AST from an orderly script, parses details
-of any calls to orderly_ in-script functions into intermediate
-representation for downstream use. Also validates calls to
-orderly_ in-script functions are well-formed.
-}
-\keyword{internal}
diff --git a/man/orderly_parse.Rd b/man/orderly_parse.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..00d8bee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/orderly_parse.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/read.R
+\name{orderly_parse}
+\alias{orderly_parse}
+\title{Parse the orderly entrypoint script}
+\usage{
+orderly_parse(entrypoint_script, entrypoint_filename)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{entrypoint_script}{Path to script or parsed AST from orderly script}
+
+\item{entrypoint_filename}{Name of entrypoint file to include in metadata}
+}
+\value{
+Parsed orderly entrypoint script
+}
+\description{
+For expert use only.
+}
+\details{
+Takes either a path to the orderly entrypoint script or
+the parsed AST from an orderly script, parses details
+of any calls to the orderly_ in-script functions into intermediate
+representation for downstream use. Also validates that any calls to
+orderly_ in-script functions are well-formed.
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-read.R b/tests/testthat/test-read.R
index 77f9c480..542b6c53 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-read.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-read.R
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-test_that("can read file with no helpers", {
-  expect_equal(orderly_read_r("examples/implicit/implicit.R", "implicit.R"),
+test_that("can parse file with no helpers", {
+  expect_equal(orderly_parse("examples/implicit/implicit.R", "implicit.R"),
                list(entrypoint_filename = "implicit.R",
                     strict = list(enabled = FALSE)))
 })
 
 
-test_that("can read file with helpers", {
-  dat <- orderly_read_r("examples/explicit/explicit.R", "explicit.R")
+test_that("can parse file with helpers", {
+  dat <- orderly_parse("examples/explicit/explicit.R", "explicit.R")
   expect_setequal(names(dat),
                   c("entrypoint_filename", "strict", "resources", "artefacts"))
   expect_equal(dat$strict, list(enabled = FALSE))
@@ -17,8 +17,15 @@ test_that("can read file with helpers", {
 })
 
 
+test_that("can parse file from expression", {
+  exprs <- parse(file = "examples/explicit/explicit.R")
+  dat <- orderly_parse(exprs, "explicit.R")
+  expect_equal(dat, orderly_parse("examples/explicit/explicit.R", "explicit.R"))
+})
+
+
 test_that("Skip over computed resources", {
-  dat <- orderly_read_r("examples/computed-resource/computed-resource.R",
+  dat <- orderly_parse("examples/computed-resource/computed-resource.R",
                         "computed-resource.R")
   expect_null(dat$resources)
 })