diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 3f2244a83..0182adc5f 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ indicates the contributor was also the author of the fix; Thanks!
 
 ****  Fix rounding in trace $timescale, bug946. [Frederic Requin]
 
+****  Fix $fopen with SV string, bug947. [Sven Stucki]
+
 
 * Verilator 3.874 2015-06-06
 
diff --git a/include/verilated.cpp b/include/verilated.cpp
index 7c44c6a90..11e098c92 100644
--- a/include/verilated.cpp
+++ b/include/verilated.cpp
@@ -750,6 +750,11 @@ IData VL_FGETS_IXI(int obits, void* destp, IData fpi) {
     return got;
 }
 
+IData VL_FOPEN_NI(const string& filename, IData mode) {
+    char modez[5];
+    _VL_VINT_TO_STRING(VL_WORDSIZE, modez, &mode);
+    return VL_FOPEN_S(filename.c_str(), modez);
+}
 IData VL_FOPEN_QI(QData filename, IData mode) {
     IData fnw[2];  VL_SET_WQ(fnw, filename);
     return VL_FOPEN_WI(2, fnw, mode);
diff --git a/include/verilated.h b/include/verilated.h
index e8504a3f2..705651dc6 100644
--- a/include/verilated.h
+++ b/include/verilated.h
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ extern IData VL_FOPEN_WI(int fnwords, WDataInP ofilename, IData mode);
 extern IData VL_FOPEN_QI(QData ofilename, IData mode);
 inline IData VL_FOPEN_II(IData ofilename, IData mode) { return VL_FOPEN_QI(ofilename,mode); }
 
+
 extern void VL_FCLOSE_I(IData fdi);
 
 extern void VL_READMEM_W(bool hex, int width, int depth, int array_lsb, int fnwords,
diff --git a/include/verilated_heavy.h b/include/verilated_heavy.h
index 79558fc8a..f1136a3a9 100644
--- a/include/verilated_heavy.h
+++ b/include/verilated_heavy.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ inline string VL_REPLICATEN_NNI(int obits,int lbits,int rbits, const string& lhs
     return VL_REPLICATEN_NNQ(obits,lbits,rbits,lhs,rep);
 }
 
+extern IData VL_FOPEN_NI(const string& filename, IData mode);
 extern IData VL_SSCANF_INX(int lbits, const string& ld, const char* formatp, ...);
 extern void VL_SFORMAT_X(int obits_ignored, string &output, const char* formatp, ...);
 extern string VL_SFORMATF_NX(const char* formatp, ...);
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_sys_file_basic.v b/test_regress/t/t_sys_file_basic.v
index f3631f4b6..182e8fa27 100644
--- a/test_regress/t/t_sys_file_basic.v
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_sys_file_basic.v
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ module t;
 	 $fclose(file);
       end
 
+      begin
+	 // Check read functions w/string
+	 s = "t/t_sys_file_basic_input.dat";
+	 file = $fopen(s,"r");
+	 if ($feof(file)) $stop;
+	 $fclose(file);
+      end
+
       begin
 	 // Check read functions
 	 file = $fopen("t/t_sys_file_basic_input.dat","r");