diff --git a/tensorflow/python/platform/default/_gfile.py b/tensorflow/python/platform/default/_gfile.py
index ac05f5cf545..74c99b651ce 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/platform/default/_gfile.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/platform/default/_gfile.py
@@ -438,3 +438,16 @@ def Copy(oldpath, newpath, overwrite=False):
   if not overwrite and Exists(newpath):
     raise OSError(errno.EEXIST, os.strerror(errno.EEXIST), newpath)
   shutil.copy(oldpath, newpath)
+
+
+def Open(name, mode='r'):
+  """Exact API match to the standard open.
+
+  Args:
+    name:  a file name, either local or a gfile compatible.
+    mode:  for example "w" to open the file for writing.
+
+  Returns:
+    A threadsafe gfile.GFile object.
+  """
+  return GFile(name, mode=mode)
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/platform/default/gfile_test.py b/tensorflow/python/platform/default/gfile_test.py
index 71c72907692..cb6ed42429c 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/platform/default/gfile_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/platform/default/gfile_test.py
@@ -220,6 +220,12 @@ class FunctionTests(_BaseTest, googletest.TestCase):
                       lambda: gfile.Rename(self.tmp + "dir1/file1",
                                            self.tmp + "newdir/file1"))
 
+  def testOpen(self):
+    with gfile.Open(self.tmp + "test_open", "wb") as f:
+      f.write("foo")
+    with gfile.Open(self.tmp + "test_open") as f:
+      result = f.readlines()
+    self.assertEqual([b"foo"], result)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   googletest.main()