diff --git a/include/topology.h b/include/topology.h
index c9ef554a..c9f4ffea 100644
--- a/include/topology.h
+++ b/include/topology.h
@@ -783,6 +783,15 @@ snd_tplg_t *snd_tplg_new(void);
  */
 void snd_tplg_free(snd_tplg_t *tplg);
 
+/**
+ * \brief Load topology from the text buffer.
+ * \param tplg Topology instance.
+ * \param buf Text buffer.
+ * \param size Text buffer size in bytes.
+ * \return Zero on success, otherwise a negative error code
+ */
+int snd_tplg_load(snd_tplg_t *tplg, const char *buf, size_t size);
+
 /**
  * \brief Parse and build topology text file into binary file.
  * \param tplg Topology instance.
@@ -793,17 +802,6 @@ void snd_tplg_free(snd_tplg_t *tplg);
 int snd_tplg_build_file(snd_tplg_t *tplg, const char *infile,
 			const char *outfile);
 
-/**
- * \brief Parse and build topology text file into binary file.
- * \param tplg Topology instance.
- * \param infile Topology text input file to be parsed
- * \param bin Binary topology output buffer (malloc).
- * \param size Binary topology output buffer size in bytes.
- * \return Zero on success, otherwise a negative error code
- */
-int snd_tplg_build_bin_file(snd_tplg_t *tplg, const char *infile,
-			    void **bin, size_t *size);
-
 /**
  * \brief Enable verbose reporting of binary file output
  * \param tplg Topology Instance
diff --git a/src/topology/parser.c b/src/topology/parser.c
index 82af7cc5..ed864d32 100644
--- a/src/topology/parser.c
+++ b/src/topology/parser.c
@@ -259,52 +259,30 @@ static int tplg_parse_config(snd_tplg_t *tplg, snd_config_t *cfg)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int tplg_load_config(const char *file, snd_config_t **cfg)
+static int tplg_load_config(snd_tplg_t *tplg, snd_input_t *in)
 {
-	FILE *fp;
-	snd_input_t *in;
 	snd_config_t *top;
 	int ret;
 
-	fp = fopen(file, "r");
-	if (fp == NULL) {
-		SNDERR("error: could not open configuration file %s",
-			file);
-		return -errno;
-	}
-
-	ret = snd_input_stdio_attach(&in, fp, 1);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		fclose(fp);
-		SNDERR("error: could not attach stdio %s", file);
-		return ret;
-	}
 	ret = snd_config_top(&top);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto err;
+		return ret;
 
 	ret = snd_config_load(top, in);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		SNDERR("error: could not load configuration file %s",
-			file);
-		goto err_load;
+		SNDERR("error: could not load configuration");
+		snd_config_delete(top);
+		return ret;
 	}
 
-	ret = snd_input_close(in);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		in = NULL;
-		goto err_load;
-	}
-
-	*cfg = top;
-	return 0;
-
-err_load:
+	ret = tplg_parse_config(tplg, top);
 	snd_config_delete(top);
-err:
-	if (in)
-		snd_input_close(in);
-	return ret;
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		SNDERR("error: failed to parse topology");
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int tplg_build_integ(snd_tplg_t *tplg)
@@ -350,26 +328,20 @@ static int tplg_build_integ(snd_tplg_t *tplg)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static int tplg_load(snd_tplg_t *tplg, const char *infile)
+int snd_tplg_load(snd_tplg_t *tplg, const char *buf, size_t size)
 {
-	snd_config_t *cfg = NULL;
-	int err = 0;
+	snd_input_t *in;
+	int err;
 
-	err = tplg_load_config(infile, &cfg);
+	err = snd_input_buffer_open(&in, buf, size);
 	if (err < 0) {
-		SNDERR("error: failed to load topology file %s\n",
-			infile);
+		SNDERR("error: could not create input buffer");
 		return err;
 	}
 
-	err = tplg_parse_config(tplg, cfg);
-	if (err < 0) {
-		SNDERR("error: failed to parse topology\n");
-		return err;
-	}
-
-	snd_config_delete(cfg);
-	return 0;
+	err = tplg_load_config(tplg, in);
+	snd_input_close(in);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static int tplg_build(snd_tplg_t *tplg)
@@ -394,28 +366,32 @@ int snd_tplg_build_file(snd_tplg_t *tplg,
 			const char *infile,
 			const char *outfile)
 {
+	FILE *fp;
+	snd_input_t *in;
 	int err;
 
-	err = tplg_load(tplg, infile);
+	fp = fopen(infile, "r");
+	if (fp == NULL) {
+		SNDERR("error: could not open configuration file %s",
+		       infile);
+		return -errno;
+	}
+
+	err = snd_input_stdio_attach(&in, fp, 1);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		fclose(fp);
+		SNDERR("error: could not attach stdio %s", infile);
+		return err;
+	}
+
+	err = tplg_load_config(tplg, in);
+	snd_input_close(in);
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
 	return snd_tplg_build(tplg, outfile);
 }
 
-int snd_tplg_build_bin_file(snd_tplg_t *tplg,
-			    const char *infile,
-			    void **bin, size_t *size)
-{
-	int err;
-
-	err = tplg_load(tplg, infile);
-	if (err < 0)
-		return err;
-
-	return snd_tplg_build_bin(tplg, bin, size);
-}
-
 int snd_tplg_add_object(snd_tplg_t *tplg, snd_tplg_obj_template_t *t)
 {
 	switch (t->type) {
@@ -476,10 +452,6 @@ int snd_tplg_build_bin(snd_tplg_t *tplg,
 {
 	int err;
 
-	err = tplg_build(tplg);
-	if (err < 0)
-		return err;
-
 	err = tplg_build(tplg);
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;