diff --git a/psiflow/__init__.py b/psiflow/__init__.py
index bd179fc..5ad963d 100644
--- a/psiflow/__init__.py
+++ b/psiflow/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import parsl
 
-from .execution import ExecutionContextLoader
+from .execution import ExecutionContextLoader, load_from_yaml  # noqa: F401
 
 load = ExecutionContextLoader.load
 parse_config = ExecutionContextLoader.parse_config
diff --git a/psiflow/execution.py b/psiflow/execution.py
index 5b04f34..053eab0 100644
--- a/psiflow/execution.py
+++ b/psiflow/execution.py
@@ -377,3 +377,11 @@ def context(cls):
         if cls._context is None:
             raise RuntimeError("No ExecutionContext is currently loaded")
         return cls._context
+
+
+def load_from_yaml(path: Union[str, Path]) -> ExecutionContext:
+    assert ExecutionContextLoader._context is None  # no previously loaded context
+    with open(path, "r") as f:
+        config_dict = yaml.safe_load(f)
+    psiflow_config, definitions = ExecutionContextLoader.parse_config(config_dict)
+    return ExecutionContextLoader.load(psiflow_config, definitions)