diff --git a/include/QF/quakefs.h b/include/QF/quakefs.h
index 2579d78e0..dad69fc23 100644
--- a/include/QF/quakefs.h
+++ b/include/QF/quakefs.h
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ typedef struct gamedir_s {
 	} dir;
 } gamedir_t;
 
+typedef struct vpath_s vpath_t;
+
+typedef struct findfile_s {
+	const vpath_t *vpath;		///< vpath in which file was found
+	qboolean    in_pak;			///< if true, path refers to a pak file rather
+								///< than a directory
+	const char *realname;		///< the name of the file as found (may have
+								///< .gz appended, or .ogg substituded for
+								///< .wav) does not include the path
+} findfile_t;
+
 /**	Cached information about the current game directory. \see \ref dirconf.
 */
 extern gamedir_t *qfs_gamedir;
@@ -121,6 +132,30 @@ void QFS_Init (const char *game);
 */
 void QFS_Gamedir (const char *gamedir);
 
+/** Search for a file in the quake file-system.
+
+	The search will begin in the \a start vpath and end in the \a end vpath.
+	If \a start is null, the search will begin in the vpath specified by
+	qfs_vpaths (ie, the first directory in the \c Path attribute
+	(\ref dirconf). If \a end is null, the search will continue to the end
+	of the list of vpaths. If \a start and \a end are the same (and non-null),
+	then only the one vpath will be searched.
+
+	\note	All search paths in a vpath will be searched. This keeps \QF's
+			directory system transparent.
+
+	\note	It is a fatal error for \a end to be non-null but not in the list
+			of vpaths.
+
+	\param fname	The name of the file to be searched for.
+	\param start	The first vpath (gamedir) to search.
+	\param start	The last vpath (gamedir) to search.
+	\return			Pointer to the findfile_t record indicating the location
+					of the file, or null if the file was not found.
+*/
+findfile_t *QFS_FindFile (const char *fname, const vpath_t *start,
+						  const vpath_t *end);
+
 /** Open a file from within the user directory.
 
 	If \a path attempts to leave the user directory, this function sets
diff --git a/libs/util/quakefs.c b/libs/util/quakefs.c
index a3f956195..6168abf4c 100644
--- a/libs/util/quakefs.c
+++ b/libs/util/quakefs.c
@@ -146,12 +146,20 @@ typedef struct searchpath_s {
 	The purpose is to enable searches to be limited to a single gamedir or to
 	not search past a certain gamedir.
 */
-typedef struct vpath_s {
+struct vpath_s {			// typedef to vpath_t is in quakefs.h
 	char       *name;		// usually the gamedir name
 	searchpath_t *user;
 	searchpath_t *share;
 	struct vpath_s *next;
-} vpath_t;
+};
+
+typedef struct int_findfile_s {
+	findfile_t ff;
+	struct pack_s *pack;
+	dpackfile_t *packfile;
+	const char *path;
+	int         fname_index;
+} int_findfile_t;
 
 static searchpath_t *free_searchpaths;
 static vpath_t *free_vpaths;
@@ -792,6 +800,129 @@ QFS_WriteFile (const char *filename, const void *data, int len)
 	Qclose (f);
 }
 
+static int_findfile_t *
+qfs_findfile_search (const vpath_t *vpath, const searchpath_t *sp,
+					 const char **fnames)
+{
+	static int_findfile_t found;
+	const char **fn;
+
+	found.ff.vpath = 0;
+	found.ff.in_pak = false;
+	found.pack = 0;
+	found.packfile = 0;
+	found.fname_index = 0;
+	if (found.ff.realname) {
+		free ((char *) found.ff.realname);
+		found.ff.realname = 0;
+	}
+	if (found.path) {
+		free ((char *) found.path);
+		found.path = 0;
+	}
+	// is the element a pak file?
+	if (sp->pack) {
+		dpackfile_t *packfile;
+
+		for (fn = fnames; *fn; fn++) {
+			packfile = pack_find_file (sp->pack, *fn);
+			if (packfile) {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (packfile) {
+			Sys_MaskPrintf (SYS_FS_F, "PackFile: %s : %s\n",
+							sp->pack->filename, packfile->name);
+			found.ff.vpath = vpath;
+			found.ff.in_pak = true;
+			found.ff.realname = strdup (*fn);
+			found.pack = sp->pack;
+			found.packfile = packfile;
+			found.fname_index = fn - fnames;
+			found.path = strdup (sp->pack->filename);
+			return &found;
+		}
+	} else {
+		// check a file in the directory tree
+		dstring_t  *path = dstring_new ();
+
+		for (fn = fnames; *fn; fn++) {
+			if (qfs_expand_path (path, sp->filename, *fn, 1) == 0) {
+				if (Sys_FileTime (path->str) == -1) {
+					dstring_delete (path);
+					return 0;
+				}
+
+				Sys_MaskPrintf (SYS_FS_F, "FindFile: %s\n", path->str);
+
+				found.ff.vpath = vpath;
+				found.ff.in_pak = false;
+				found.ff.realname = strdup (*fn);
+				found.path = strdup (path->str);
+				found.fname_index = fn - fnames;
+				return &found;
+			}
+		}
+		dstring_delete (path);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int_findfile_t *
+qfs_findfile (const char **fnames, const vpath_t *start, const vpath_t *end)
+{
+	const vpath_t *vp;
+	searchpath_t *sp;
+	int_findfile_t *found;
+
+	if (!start) {
+		start = qfs_vpaths;
+	}
+	if (end) {
+		for (vp = start; vp; vp = vp->next) {
+			if (vp == end) {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!vp) {
+			Sys_Error ("QFS_FindFile: end vpath not in search list");
+		}
+		end = end->next;
+	}
+	for (vp = start; vp && vp != end; vp = vp->next) {
+		for (sp = vp->user; sp; sp = sp->next) {
+			found = qfs_findfile_search (vp, sp, fnames);
+			if (found) {
+				return found;
+			}
+		}
+		for (sp = vp->share; sp; sp = sp->next) {
+			found = qfs_findfile_search (vp, sp, fnames);
+			if (found) {
+				return found;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	// file not found
+	return 0;
+}
+
+VISIBLE findfile_t *
+QFS_FindFile (const char *fname, const vpath_t *start, const vpath_t *end)
+{
+	int_findfile_t *found;
+	const char *fname_list[2];
+
+	fname_list[0] = fname;
+	fname_list[1] = 0;
+
+	found = qfs_findfile (fname_list, start, end);
+	if (found) {
+		return &found->ff;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static QFile *
 qfs_openread (const char *path, int offs, int len, int zip)
 {