diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp
index a9b88f8eed..693f4441b0 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp
@@ -2662,6 +2662,18 @@ size_t TRI_DocumentIteratorDocumentCollection (triagens::arango::Transaction* tr
   return nrUsed;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief create an index, based on a VelocyPack description
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+int TRI_FromVelocyPackIndexDocumentCollection (triagens::arango::Transaction* trx,
+                                               TRI_document_collection_t* document,
+                                               VPackSlice const& slice,
+                                               triagens::arango::Index** idx) {
+  std::unique_ptr<TRI_json_t> json(triagens::basics::VelocyPackHelper::velocyPackToJson(slice));
+  return TRI_FromJsonIndexDocumentCollection(trx, document, json.get(), idx);
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief create an index, based on a JSON description
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h
index f0178cdfb6..8e1c51a7de 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h
@@ -790,6 +790,15 @@ void TRI_UpdateRevisionDocumentCollection (TRI_document_collection_t*,
 
 bool TRI_IsFullyCollectedDocumentCollection (TRI_document_collection_t*);
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief create an index, based on a VelocyPack description
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+int TRI_FromVelocyPackIndexDocumentCollection (triagens::arango::Transaction*,
+                                               TRI_document_collection_t*,
+                                               VPackSlice const&,
+                                               triagens::arango::Index**);
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief create an index, based on a JSON description
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////