diff --git a/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.cpp b/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.cpp
index 264c6c4351f..0fea53720f3 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.cpp
@@ -288,6 +288,19 @@ TextFileFormat::ReadResult TextFileFormat::readFileUTF8(const FilePath &filePath
     return TextFileFormat::ReadSuccess;
 }
 
+tl::expected<QString, std::pair<TextFileFormat::ReadResult, QString>>
+TextFileFormat::readFile(const FilePath &filePath, const QTextCodec *defaultCodec)
+{
+    QString plainText;
+    TextFileFormat format;
+    QString errorString;
+    const TextFileFormat::ReadResult result =
+        readTextFile(filePath, defaultCodec, &plainText, &format, &errorString, nullptr);
+    if (result != TextFileFormat::ReadSuccess)
+        return tl::unexpected(std::make_pair(result, errorString));
+    return plainText;
+}
+
 /*!
     Writes out a text file to \a filePath into a string, \a plainText.
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.h b/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.h
index f500fed50e6..4cd67abec8e 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/textfileformat.h
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include "expected.h"
 #include "utils_global.h"
 
 #include <QStringList>
+#include <utility>
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 class QTextCodec;
@@ -53,6 +55,8 @@ public:
                                QByteArray *decodingErrorSample = nullptr);
     static ReadResult readFileUTF8(const FilePath &filePath, const QTextCodec *defaultCodec,
                                    QByteArray *plainText, QString *errorString);
+    static tl::expected<QString, std::pair<ReadResult, QString>>
+    readFile(const FilePath &filePath, const QTextCodec *defaultCodec);
 
     bool writeFile(const FilePath &filePath, QString plainText, QString *errorString) const;