diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_mesh.h b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_mesh.h
index c87c22953f1..ee6f1c326ed 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_mesh.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_mesh.h
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ int  BKE_mesh_mselect_active_get(struct Mesh *me, int type);
 void BKE_mesh_mselect_active_set(struct Mesh *me, int index, int type);
 
 void BKE_mesh_apply_vert_coords(struct Mesh *mesh, float (*vertCoords)[3]);
+void BKE_mesh_apply_vert_normals(struct Mesh *mesh, short (*vertNormals)[3]);
 
 
 /* *** mesh_evaluate.c *** */
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/mesh.c b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/mesh.c
index b13f45499f1..5c9736c2620 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/mesh.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/mesh.c
@@ -1511,6 +1511,21 @@ void BKE_mesh_apply_vert_coords(Mesh *mesh, float (*vertCoords)[3])
 	mesh->runtime.cd_dirty_vert |= CD_MASK_NORMAL;
 }
 
+void BKE_mesh_apply_vert_normals(Mesh *mesh, short (*vertNormals)[3])
+{
+	MVert *vert;
+	int i;
+
+	/* this will just return the pointer if it wasn't a referenced layer */
+	vert = CustomData_duplicate_referenced_layer(&mesh->vdata, CD_MVERT, mesh->totvert);
+	mesh->mvert = vert;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < mesh->totvert; ++i, ++vert)
+		copy_v3_v3_short(vert->no, vertNormals[i]);
+
+	mesh->runtime.cd_dirty_vert &= ~CD_MASK_NORMAL;
+}
+
 /**
  * Compute 'split' (aka loop, or per face corner's) normals.
  *