diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5c66682..03f7fc2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -324,10 +324,11 @@ instead:
          (projectile-find-file)))
 ```
 
-As long as a virtualenv is found in the `projectile-project-root` and
-whose name is in the list `venv-dirlookup-names` it will be
-automatically activated. By default, it's value is `'(".venv", "venv")'`,
-but you can set if however you like to match your naming conventions:
+As long as a virtualenv or a text file with the name of the virtualenv is
+found in the `projectile-project-root` and whose name is in the list
+`venv-dirlookup-names` it will be automatically activated. By default, it's
+value is `'(".venv", "venv")'`, but you can set if however you like to match
+your naming conventions:
 
 ```lisp
 (setq venv-dirlookup-names '(".venv" "pyenv" ".virtual"))
diff --git a/virtualenvwrapper.el b/virtualenvwrapper.el
index fac8fd7..01a7746 100644
--- a/virtualenvwrapper.el
+++ b/virtualenvwrapper.el
@@ -94,12 +94,19 @@ to activate when one of them is found."
   "If a venv in the projetile root exists, activates it.
 Set your common venvs names in `venv-dirlookup-names'"
   (let ((path (--first
-                (file-exists-p it)
-                (--map (concat (projectile-project-root) it)
-                        venv-dirlookup-names))))
+               (file-exists-p it)
+               (--map (concat (projectile-project-root) it)
+                      venv-dirlookup-names))))
     (when path
-      (setq venv-current-name path) ;; there's really nothing that feels good to do here ;_;
-      (venv--activate-dir path))))
+      ;; If the PATH is a regular and readable file, read the first
+      ;; string in this file and use it to active the virtualenv.
+      (if (and path (file-regular-p path) (file-readable-p path))
+          (with-temp-buffer
+            (insert-file-contents path)
+            (venv-workon (car (split-string (buffer-string) "\n" t))))
+        ;; PATH is not a file, assume it's a virtualenv directory and activate it
+        (setq venv-current-name path) ;; there's really nothing that feels good to do here ;_;
+        (venv--activate-dir path)))))
 
 
 ;; internal utility functions