diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
index 740ae4cc8c..2ff3839b3d 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
@@ -812,6 +812,11 @@ IfcEntities Ifc::EntitiesByType(Ifc2x3::Type::Enum t) {
 	MapEntitiesByType::const_iterator it = bytype.find(t);
 	return (it == bytype.end()) ? IfcEntities() : it->second;
 }
+IfcEntities Ifc::EntitiesByType(const std::string& t) {
+	std::string ty = t;
+	for (std::string::iterator p = ty.begin(); p != ty.end(); ++p ) *p = toupper(*p);
+	return EntitiesByType(Ifc2x3::Type::FromString(ty));
+}
 IfcEntities Ifc::EntitiesByReference(int t) {
 	MapEntitiesByRef::const_iterator it = byref.find(t);
 	return (it == byref.end()) ? IfcEntities() : it->second;
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.h b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.h
index d2e45ccf31..6f288e1760 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.h
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.h
@@ -257,6 +257,10 @@ public:
 	/// NOTE: This also returns subtypes of the requested type, for example:
 	/// IfcWall will also return IfcWallStandardCase entities
 	static IfcEntities EntitiesByType(Ifc2x3::Type::Enum t);
+	/// Returns all entities in the file that match the positional argument.
+	/// NOTE: This also returns subtypes of the requested type, for example:
+	/// IfcWall will also return IfcWallStandardCase entities
+	static IfcEntities EntitiesByType(const std::string& t);
 	/// Returns all entities in the file that reference the id
 	static IfcEntities EntitiesByReference(int id);
 	/// Returns the entity with the specified id