diff --git a/core/file.c b/core/file.c
index 82e9007b..9c8d546c 100644
--- a/core/file.c
+++ b/core/file.c
@@ -227,9 +227,26 @@ int data_file_writef(struct file *data, const char *fmt, ...)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int cache_file_write(struct file *cache, const void *data, size_t len)
+gchar *file_read(struct file *file)
 {
-	if (fwrite(data, len, 1, cache->f_file) == 1)
+	int fd = fileno(file->f_file);
+	struct stat st;
+	gchar *buf;
+
+	if (fstat(fd, &st) < 0)
+		return NULL;
+
+	buf = g_malloc0(st.st_size + 1);
+	if (fread(buf, st.st_size, 1, file->f_file) == 1)
+		return buf;
+
+	g_free(buf);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+int file_write(struct file *file, const void *data, size_t len)
+{
+	if (fwrite(data, len, 1, file->f_file) == 1)
 		return len;
 	return -1;
 }
@@ -244,7 +261,7 @@ bool cache_file_import(struct file *cache, const gchar *srcpath)
 	if (!g_file_get_contents(srcpath, &contents, &length, NULL))
 		return false;
 
-	cache_file_write(cache, contents, length);
+	file_write(cache, contents, length);
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/core/tags/album.c b/core/tags/album.c
index e9dda5ff..e548e03a 100644
--- a/core/tags/album.c
+++ b/core/tags/album.c
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ static bool __album_fetch_cover(struct album *album, gchar *releaseid)
 
 	file = __album_alloc_file(album);
 	if (file_open(&file->ac_file, OPEN_WRITE_BINARY)) {
-		cache_file_write(&file->ac_file, caa_imagedata_data(image),
-						 caa_imagedata_size(image));
+		file_write(&file->ac_file, caa_imagedata_data(image),
+					   caa_imagedata_size(image));
 		file_close(&file->ac_file);
 	}
 	__album_free_file(file);
diff --git a/include/core/file.h b/include/core/file.h
index 295c57c9..af60eacf 100644
--- a/include/core/file.h
+++ b/include/core/file.h
@@ -129,10 +129,16 @@ int data_file_readf(struct file *, const char *, ...);
 int data_file_writef(struct file *, const char *, ...);
 
 /*
- * Write binary data to a cache file similar to fwrite(3).
+ * Reads the contents of a file as binary data.
+ * NOTE: This function returns a new string which MUST be freed with g_free().
+ */
+gchar *file_read(struct file *);
+
+/*
+ * Write binary data a cache file, similar to fwrite(3).
  * Returns the number of bytes successfully written.
  */
-int cache_file_write(struct file *, const void *, size_t);
+int file_write(struct file *, const void *, size_t);
 
 /* Import a file into the cache. */
 bool cache_file_import(struct file *, const gchar *);
diff --git a/tests/core/file.c b/tests/core/file.c
index 6dd7faa7..bbf98bc1 100644
--- a/tests/core/file.c
+++ b/tests/core/file.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static void test_cache()
 	g_assert_false(file_open(&file, OPEN_WRITE_BINARY));
 
 	g_assert_false(file_exists(&file));
-	g_assert_cmpuint(cache_file_write(&file, "abcde", 5), ==, 5);
+	g_assert_cmpuint(file_write(&file, "abcde", 5), ==, 5);
 	file_close(&file);
 	g_assert_null(file.f_file);
 	g_assert_cmpuint(file.f_mode, ==, CLOSED);
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ static void test_cache()
 	g_assert_cmpuint(file.f_mode,    ==, OPEN_READ_BINARY);
 	g_assert_cmpuint(file.f_version, ==, OCARINA_MINOR_VERSION);
 	g_assert_cmpuint(file.f_prev,    ==, 0);
+	g_assert_cmpstr_free(file_read(&file), ==, "abcde");
 	file_close(&file);
 
 	/* Test importing a file into the cache. */