diff --git a/PIL/ImageFont.py b/PIL/ImageFont.py
index d5816813a..32177f1d8 100644
--- a/PIL/ImageFont.py
+++ b/PIL/ImageFont.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 
 from PIL import Image
 import os, sys
+import warnings
 
 class _imagingft_not_installed:
     # module placeholder
@@ -129,9 +130,19 @@ class ImageFont:
 class FreeTypeFont:
     "FreeType font wrapper (requires _imagingft service)"
 
-    def __init__(self, file=None, size=10, index=0, encoding="", file_like=None):
+    def __init__(self, font=None, size=10, index=0, encoding="", file=None):
         # FIXME: use service provider instead
-        self.font = core.getfont(file, size, index, encoding, file_like)
+        if file:
+            warnings.warn('`file` parameter deprecated, please use `font` instead.', DeprecationWarning)
+            font = file
+
+        if isinstance(font, basestring):
+            self.font = core.getfont(font, size, index, encoding)
+        else:
+            bytes = font.read()
+            font.seek(0, 2)
+            size = font.tell()
+            self.font = core.getfont("", size, index, encoding, bytes, size)
 
     def getname(self):
         return self.font.family, self.font.style
@@ -212,10 +223,15 @@ def load(filename):
 # @return A font object.
 # @exception IOError If the file could not be read.
 
-def truetype(filename=None, size=10, index=0, encoding="", file_like=None):
+def truetype(font=None, size=10, index=0, encoding="", filename=None):
     "Load a truetype font file."
+
+    if filename:
+        warnings.warn('`file` parameter deprecated, please use `font` instead.', DeprecationWarning)
+        font = filename
+
     try:
-        return FreeTypeFont(filename, size, index, encoding, file_like)
+        return FreeTypeFont(font, size, index, encoding)
     except IOError:
         if sys.platform == "win32":
             # check the windows font repository
@@ -223,8 +239,8 @@ def truetype(filename=None, size=10, index=0, encoding="", file_like=None):
             # 1.5.2's os.environ.get()
             windir = os.environ.get("WINDIR")
             if windir:
-                filename = os.path.join(windir, "fonts", filename)
-                return FreeTypeFont(filename, size, index, encoding, file_like)
+                filename = os.path.join(windir, "fonts", font)
+                return FreeTypeFont(font, size, index, encoding)
         raise
 
 ##
diff --git a/Tests/fonts/FreeMono.ttf b/Tests/fonts/FreeMono.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f88bcef9c
Binary files /dev/null and b/Tests/fonts/FreeMono.ttf differ
diff --git a/Tests/test_imagefont.py b/Tests/test_imagefont.py
index 3c4e1f1b8..27af95cd3 100644
--- a/Tests/test_imagefont.py
+++ b/Tests/test_imagefont.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from tester import *
 
 from PIL import Image
+import StringIO
 try:
     from PIL import ImageFont
     ImageFont.core.getfont # check if freetype is available
@@ -8,5 +9,21 @@ except ImportError:
     skip()
 
 def test_sanity():
-
     assert_match(ImageFont.core.freetype2_version, "\d+\.\d+\.\d+$")
+
+def test_font_with_name():
+    font_name = "Tests/fonts/FreeMono.ttf"
+    font_size = 10
+    assert_no_exception(lambda: ImageFont.truetype(font_name, font_size))
+
+def test_font_with_filelike():
+    font_name = "Tests/fonts/FreeMono.ttf"
+    font_filelike = StringIO.StringIO(open(font_name, 'rb').read())
+    font_size = 10
+    assert_no_exception(lambda: ImageFont.truetype(font_filelike, font_size))
+
+def test_font_old_parameters():
+    font_name = "Tests/fonts/FreeMono.ttf"
+    font_size = 10
+    assert_warning(DeprecationWarning, lambda: ImageFont.truetype(filename=font_name, size=font_size))
+
diff --git a/_imagingft.c b/_imagingft.c
index e3e5bf638..910e4bfde 100644
--- a/_imagingft.c
+++ b/_imagingft.c
@@ -102,15 +102,17 @@ getfont(PyObject* self_, PyObject* args, PyObject* kw)
     char* filename = NULL;
     int size;
     int index = 0;
-    unsigned char* encoding = NULL;
-    Py_buffer file_like;
+    unsigned char* encoding;
+    unsigned char** file_like;
+    int file_like_size = 0;
     static char* kwlist[] = {
-        "filename", "size", "index", "encoding", "file_like", NULL
+        "filename", "size", "index", "encoding", "file_like", "file_like_size", NULL
     };
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kw, "eti|isz*", kwlist,
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kw, "eti|isz*i", kwlist,
                                      Py_FileSystemDefaultEncoding, &filename,
-                                     &size, &index, &encoding, &file_like))
+                                     &size, &index, &encoding, file_like,
+                                     &file_like_size))
         return NULL;
 
     if (!library) {
@@ -125,10 +127,10 @@ getfont(PyObject* self_, PyObject* args, PyObject* kw)
     if (!self)
         return NULL;
 
-    if (filename && file_like.len<0) {
+    if (filename && file_like_size <= 0) {
         error = FT_New_Face(library, filename, index, &self->face);
     } else {
-        error = FT_New_Memory_Face(library, (FT_Byte*)file_like.buf, file_like.len, index, &self->face);
+        error = FT_New_Memory_Face(library, (FT_Byte*)file_like, file_like_size, index, &self->face);
     }
  
     if (!error)
@@ -142,13 +144,12 @@ getfont(PyObject* self_, PyObject* args, PyObject* kw)
     }
 
     if (error) {
-        if(file_like.len < 0) {
-            PyBuffer_Release(&file_like);
-        }
         PyObject_Del(self);
         return geterror(error);
     }
 
+    fprintf(stderr, "> %d %d %s\n", error, file_like_size, self);
+
     return (PyObject*) self;
 }