diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3474028..1085a3d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ print(serpent.block(a)) -- multi-line indented, no self-ref section
 local fun, err = loadstring(serpent.dump(a))
 if err then error(err) end
 local copy = fun()
+
+-- or using serpent.load:
+local ok, copy = serpent.load(serpent.dump(a))
+print(ok and copy[3] == a[3])
 ```
 
 ## Functions
@@ -51,6 +55,12 @@ internal function, but set different options by default:
 Note that `line` and `block` functions return pretty-printed data structures and if you want to deserialize them, you need to add `return` before running them through `loadstring`.
 For example: `loadstring('return '..require('mobdebug').line("foo"))() == "foo"`.
 
+While you can use `loadstring` or `load` functions to load serialized fragments, Serpent also provides `load` function that adds safety checks and reports an error if there is any executable code in the fragment.
+
+* `ok, res = load(str[, {safe = true}])` -- loads serialized fragment; you need to pass `{safe = false}` as the second value if you want to turn safety checks off.
+
+Similar to `pcall` and `loadstring` calls, `load` returns status as the first value and the result or the error message as the second value.
+
 ## Options
 
 * indent (string) -- indentation; triggers long multi-line output
@@ -167,6 +177,10 @@ See LICENSE file.
 
 ## History
 
+### v0.26 (Nov 05 2013)
+  - Added `load` function that (safely) loads serialized/pretty-printed values.
+  - Updated documentation.
+
 ### v0.25 (Sep 29 2013)
   - Added `maxnum` option to limit the number of elements in tables.
   - Optimized processing of tables with numeric indexes.
diff --git a/misc/serpent-0.26-1.rockspec b/misc/serpent-0.26-1.rockspec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a4f0ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/serpent-0.26-1.rockspec
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package = "serpent"
+version = "0.26-1"
+source = {
+  url = "git://github.com/pkulchenko/serpent.git",
+  tag = "0.26"
+}
+
+description = {
+  summary = "Lua serializer and pretty printer",
+  homepage = "https://github.com/pkulchenko/serpent",
+  maintainer = "Paul Kulchenko <paul@kulchenko.com>",
+  license = "MIT",
+}
+
+dependencies = {
+  "lua >= 5.1, < 5.3",
+}
+
+build = {
+  type = "builtin",
+  modules = {
+    ["serpent"] = "src/serpent.lua",
+  },
+  copy_directories = { "t" },
+}
diff --git a/src/serpent.lua b/src/serpent.lua
index f4f08de..885d7cf 100644
--- a/src/serpent.lua
+++ b/src/serpent.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-local n, v = "serpent", 0.25 -- (C) 2012-13 Paul Kulchenko; MIT License
+local n, v = "serpent", 0.26 -- (C) 2012-13 Paul Kulchenko; MIT License
 local c, d = "Paul Kulchenko", "Lua serializer and pretty printer"
 local snum = {[tostring(1/0)]='1/0 --[[math.huge]]',[tostring(-1/0)]='-1/0 --[[-math.huge]]',[tostring(0/0)]='0/0'}
 local badtype = {thread = true, userdata = true, cdata = true}
@@ -103,8 +103,26 @@ local function s(t, opts)
   return not name and body..warn or "do local "..body..sepr..tail.."return "..name..sepr.."end"
 end
 
+local function deserialize(data, opts)
+  local f, res = (loadstring or load)('return '..data)
+  if not f then f, res = (loadstring or load)(data) end
+  if not f then return f, res end
+  if opts and opts.safe == false then return pcall(f) end
+
+  local count, thread = 0, coroutine.running()
+  local h, m, c = debug.gethook(thread)
+  debug.sethook(function (e, l) count = count + 1
+    if count >= 3 then error("cannot call functions") end
+  end, "c")
+  local res = {pcall(f)}
+  count = 0 -- set again, otherwise it's tripped on the next sethook
+  debug.sethook(thread, h, m, c)
+  return (table.unpack or unpack)(res)
+end
+
 local function merge(a, b) if b then for k,v in pairs(b) do a[k] = v end end; return a; end
 return { _NAME = n, _COPYRIGHT = c, _DESCRIPTION = d, _VERSION = v, serialize = s,
+  load = deserialize,
   dump = function(a, opts) return s(a, merge({name = '_', compact = true, sparse = true}, opts)) end,
   line = function(a, opts) return s(a, merge({sortkeys = true, comment = true}, opts)) end,
   block = function(a, opts) return s(a, merge({indent = '  ', sortkeys = true, comment = true}, opts)) end }
diff --git a/t/test.lua b/t/test.lua
index 83d96e6..8c602bd 100644
--- a/t/test.lua
+++ b/t/test.lua
@@ -261,8 +261,35 @@ do
   assert(called == false, "sorting is not called on numeric-only tables with maxnum: failed")
 end
 
--- test serializing large numeric-only tables
 do
+  local ok, res = serpent.load(serpent.line(10))
+  assert(ok and res == 10, "deserialization of simple number values: failed")
+
+  local ok, res = serpent.load(serpent.line(true))
+  assert(ok and res == true, "deserialization of simple boolean values: failed")
+
+  local ok, res = serpent.load(serpent.line({3,4}))
+  assert(ok and #res == 2 and res[1] == 3 and res[2] == 4,
+    "deserialization of pretty-printed tables: failed")
+
+  local ok, res = serpent.load(serpent.dump({3,4}))
+  assert(ok and #res == 2 and res[1] == 3 and res[2] == 4,
+    "deserialization of serialized tables: failed")
+
+  local ok, res = serpent.load('{a = math.random()}')
+  assert(not ok and res:find("cannot call functions"),
+    "deserialization of unsafe values: failed")
+
+  local ok, res = serpent.load('{a = math.random()}', {safe = false})
+  assert(ok and res and res.a > 0,
+    "deserialization of unsafe values disabled: failed")
+end
+
+print("All tests passed.")
+
+do
+  print("\nSerializing large numeric-only tables:")
+
   local a, str = {}
   for i = 1, 100000 do a[i] = i end
 
@@ -278,5 +305,3 @@ do
   str = serpent.dump(a, {sparse = false})
   print("dump/sparse=false: "..(os.clock() - start), #str)
 end
-
-print("All tests passed.")