diff --git a/sys/include/shell.h b/sys/include/shell.h
index b0ef48e6016a6..17e6337154050 100644
--- a/sys/include/shell.h
+++ b/sys/include/shell.h
@@ -237,6 +237,20 @@ static inline void shell_run(const shell_command_t *commands,
  */
 int shell_handle_input_line(const shell_command_t *commands, char *line);
 
+/**
+ * @brief           Read shell commands from a file and run them.
+ *
+ * @note            This requires the `vfs` module.
+ *
+ * @param[in]       commands    ptr to array of command structs
+ * @param[in]       filename    file to read shell commands from
+ *
+ * @returns         0 if all commands were executed successful
+ *                  error return of failed command otherwise
+ */
+int shell_parse_file(const shell_command_t *commands,
+                     const char *filename);
+
 #ifndef __cplusplus
 /**
  * @brief   Define shell command
diff --git a/sys/shell/shell.c b/sys/shell/shell.c
index fa0b03113bac9..b8e1405a2cbb5 100644
--- a/sys/shell/shell.c
+++ b/sys/shell/shell.c
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@
 #include "shell.h"
 #include "shell_lock.h"
 
+#ifdef MODULE_VFS
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include "vfs.h"
+#endif
+
 /* define shell command cross file array */
 XFA_INIT_CONST(shell_command_xfa_t*, shell_commands_xfa);
 
@@ -529,3 +534,33 @@ void shell_run_once(const shell_command_t *shell_commands,
         print_prompt();
     }
 }
+
+#ifdef MODULE_VFS
+int shell_parse_file(const shell_command_t *shell_commands,
+                     const char *filename)
+{
+    char buffer[SHELL_DEFAULT_BUFSIZE];
+
+    int fd = vfs_open(filename, O_RDONLY, 0);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        printf("Can't open %s\n", filename);
+        return fd;
+    }
+
+    int res = 0;
+    while (vfs_readline(fd, buffer, sizeof(buffer)) > 0) {
+        /* skip comment lines */
+        if (buffer[0] == '#') {
+            continue;
+        }
+        res = shell_handle_input_line(shell_commands, buffer);
+        if (res) {
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    vfs_close(fd);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif