diff --git a/include/opendht/crypto.h b/include/opendht/crypto.h
index f26a65f2a..fc74a923f 100644
--- a/include/opendht/crypto.h
+++ b/include/opendht/crypto.h
@@ -764,6 +764,7 @@ OPENDHT_PUBLIC Identity generateEcIdentity(const std::string& name, const Identi
 OPENDHT_PUBLIC Identity generateEcIdentity(const std::string& name = "dhtnode", const Identity& ca = {});
 
 OPENDHT_PUBLIC void saveIdentity(const Identity& id, const std::string& path, const std::string& privkey_password = {});
+OPENDHT_PUBLIC Identity loadIdentity(const std::string &path,const std::string &privkey_password = {});
 
 /**
  * Performs SHA512, SHA256 or SHA1, depending on hash_length.
diff --git a/src/crypto.cpp b/src/crypto.cpp
index dba347320..5e8aa18b2 100644
--- a/src/crypto.cpp
+++ b/src/crypto.cpp
@@ -1122,6 +1122,26 @@ saveIdentity(const Identity& id, const std::string& path, const std::string& pri
     }
 }
 
+Identity 
+loadIdentity(const std::string &path,const std::string &privkey_password)
+{
+    std::ifstream pkStream(path + ".pem", std::ios::in | std::ios::binary);
+    std::vector<uint8_t> pkContent((std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(pkStream)),
+                                    std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
+    auto key = std::make_shared<PrivateKey>(pkContent, privkey_password);
+    pkStream.close();
+    // Create a certificate
+    gnutls_x509_crt_t gnuCert;
+    if (gnutls_x509_crt_init(&gnuCert) != GNUTLS_E_SUCCESS)
+        throw std::runtime_error("Failed to initialize gnutls certificate struct");
+    gnutls_datum_t crtContent;
+    // Read the certificate file
+    gnutls_load_file((path + ".crt").c_str(), &crtContent);
+    gnutls_x509_crt_import(gnuCert, &crtContent, GNUTLS_X509_FMT_PEM);
+    auto cert = std::make_shared<Certificate>(gnuCert);
+    return {std::move(key), std::move(cert)};
+}
+
 void
 setValidityPeriod(gnutls_x509_crt_t cert, int64_t validity)
 {