diff --git a/python/sunbeam/__init__.py b/python/sunbeam/__init__.py
index 7c00eea4e..29fc9729b 100644
--- a/python/sunbeam/__init__.py
+++ b/python/sunbeam/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from .sunbeam import parse
+from .libsunbeam import action
 
 __version__     = '0.0.1'
 __license__     = 'GNU General Public License version 3'
diff --git a/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.cpp b/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.cpp
index a8c29c21f..0fe2f0f5d 100644
--- a/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.cpp
+++ b/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ py::class_< EclipseState >( "EclipseState", py::no_init )
     .add_property( "title", &EclipseState::getTitle )
     ;
 
+void (ParseContext::*ctx_update)(const std::string&, InputError::Action) = &ParseContext::update;
 py::class_< ParseContext >( "ParseContext" )
+    .def( "update", ctx_update )
+    ;
+
+py::enum_< InputError::Action >( "action" )
+    .value( "throw",  InputError::Action::THROW_EXCEPTION )
+    .value( "warn",   InputError::Action::WARN )
+    .value( "ignore", InputError::Action::IGNORE )
     ;
 }
diff --git a/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.py b/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.py
index c41a4177f..20e5b86db 100644
--- a/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.py
+++ b/python/sunbeam/sunbeam.py
@@ -3,5 +3,27 @@ import libsunbeam as lib
 class EclipseState(lib.EclipseState):
     pass
 
-def parse(path):
-    return lib.parse(path, lib.ParseContext())
+def _parse_context(actions):
+    ctx = lib.ParseContext()
+
+    if actions is None:
+        return ctx
+
+    # this might be a single tuple, in which case we unpack it and repack it
+    # into a list. If it's not a tuple we assume it's an iterable and just
+    # carry on
+    try:
+        key, action = actions
+    except ValueError:
+        pass
+    else:
+        actions = [(key, action)]
+
+    for key, action in actions:
+        ctx.update(key, action)
+
+    return ctx
+
+
+def parse(path, actions = None):
+    return lib.parse(path, _parse_context(actions))
diff --git a/tests/parse.py b/tests/parse.py
index fa471f47d..951fca57e 100644
--- a/tests/parse.py
+++ b/tests/parse.py
@@ -12,3 +12,25 @@ class TestParse(unittest.TestCase):
     def testParse(self):
         spe3 = sunbeam.parse(self.spe3)
         self.assertEqual('SPE 3 - CASE 1', spe3.title)
+
+    def testParseWithAction(self):
+        action = ("PARSE_RANDOM_SLASH", sunbeam.action.ignore)
+        spe3 = sunbeam.parse(self.spe3, action)
+        self.assertEqual('SPE 3 - CASE 1', spe3.title)
+
+    def testParseWithMultipleActions(self):
+        actions = [ ("PARSE_RANDOM_SLASH", sunbeam.action.ignore),
+                    ("FOO", sunbeam.action.warn),
+                    ("PARSE_RANDOM_TEXT", sunbeam.action.throw) ]
+
+        spe3 = sunbeam.parse(self.spe3, actions)
+        self.assertEqual('SPE 3 - CASE 1', spe3.title)
+
+    def testThrowOnInvalidAction(self):
+        actions = [ ("PARSE_RANDOM_SLASH", 3.14 ) ]
+
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            sunbeam.parse(self.spe3, actions)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            sunbeam.parse(self.spe3, "PARSE_RANDOM_SLASH")