diff --git a/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/ConfigFactory.java b/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/ConfigFactory.java
index 08e8f4b5..3eaca956 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/ConfigFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/ConfigFactory.java
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ public final class ConfigFactory {
                 .toConfig();
     }
 
+    public static Config parseString(String s, ConfigParseOptions options) {
+        return Parseable.newString(s, options).parse().toConfig();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Parses classpath resources corresponding to this path expression.
      * Essentially if the path is "foo.bar" then the resources are
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/TestUtils.scala b/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/TestUtils.scala
index 281596e0..8bdc138f 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/TestUtils.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/TestUtils.scala
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ abstract trait TestUtils {
         val options = ConfigParseOptions.defaults().
             setOriginDescription("test string").
             setSyntax(ConfigSyntax.CONF);
-        ConfigFactory.parseReader(new StringReader(s), options).asInstanceOf[SimpleConfig]
+        ConfigFactory.parseString(s, options).asInstanceOf[SimpleConfig]
     }
 
     protected def subst(ref: String) = {