diff --git a/Source/Makefile.in b/Source/Makefile.in
index 2d07b7340..2d543ea3f 100644
--- a/Source/Makefile.in
+++ b/Source/Makefile.in
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ Time.m \
 UdpPort.m \
 behavior.m \
 lex.pl.m \
+lex.sf.m \
 ostream.m \
 o_array.m \
 o_array_bas.m \
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ o_map_bas.m \
 o_map_cbs.m \
 preface.m \
 proplist.tab.m \
+stringsfile.tab.m \
 mframe.m \
 objc-gnu2next.m
 
@@ -212,6 +214,9 @@ md5.h \
 proplist.l \
 proplist.tab.h \
 proplist.y \
+stringsfile.l \
+stringsfile.tab.h \
+stringsfile.y \
 win32-entry.c \
 win32-def.top
 
@@ -588,6 +593,13 @@ proplist.tab.m proplist.tab.h: proplist.y
 lex.pl.m: proplist.l proplist.tab.h
 	$(LEX) -t -B -Ppl proplist.l > $@
 
+stringsfile.tab.m stringsfile.tab.h: stringsfile.y
+	rm -f stringsfile.tab.m.h
+	$(YACC) -d -p sf stringsfile.y -o stringsfile.tab.m
+	mv stringsfile.tab.m.h stringsfile.tab.h
+lex.sf.m: stringsfile.l stringsfile.tab.h
+	$(LEX) -t -B -Psf stringsfile.l > $@
+
 objc-load${OEXT}: dynamic-load.h
 
 dynamic-load.h: ../config.status
diff --git a/Source/NSString.m b/Source/NSString.m
index 327332587..a2d48f491 100644
--- a/Source/NSString.m
+++ b/Source/NSString.m
@@ -48,12 +48,19 @@
 #include <Foundation/NSCharacterSet.h>
 #include <Foundation/NSException.h>
 #include <Foundation/NSValue.h>
+#include <Foundation/NSDictionary.h>
 #include <gnustep/base/IndexedCollection.h>
 #include <gnustep/base/IndexedCollectionPrivate.h>
 #include <gnustep/base/String.h>
 #include <gnustep/base/behavior.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <string.h>		// for strstr()
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
 
 @implementation NSString
 
@@ -289,8 +296,21 @@ handle_printf_atsign (FILE *stream,
 
 - (id) initWithContentsOfFile: (NSString*)path
 {
-  [self notImplemented:_cmd];
-  return self;
+   struct stat buf;
+   int fd;
+   char *s;
+
+   stat([path cString], &buf);
+
+   OBJC_MALLOC(s,char,buf.st_size + 1);
+   fd = open([path cString], O_RDONLY);
+   if ( fd < 0 )
+      [NSException raise: NSGenericException format: @"Could not open file %s", [path cString]];
+
+   read(fd,(void *)s,buf.st_size);
+   s[buf.st_size] = (char)0;
+
+   return [self initWithCStringNoCopy:s length: buf.st_size freeWhenDone:YES];
 }
 
 - (id) initWithData: (NSData*)data
@@ -1038,8 +1058,14 @@ handle_printf_atsign (FILE *stream,
 
 - (NSDictionary*) propertyListFromStringsFileFormat
 {
-  [self notImplemented:_cmd];
-  return nil;
+   id dict = [[[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init] autorelease];
+   void *bufstate;
+
+   bufstate = (void *)sf_scan_string([self cString]);
+   sfSetDict(dict);
+   sfparse(dict);
+   sf_delete_buffer(bufstate);
+   return dict;
 }