diff --git a/python-package/xgboost/core.py b/python-package/xgboost/core.py
index f134c0399..3a5e6af80 100644
--- a/python-package/xgboost/core.py
+++ b/python-package/xgboost/core.py
@@ -1052,7 +1052,7 @@ class Booster(object):
             _check_call(
                 _LIB.XGBoosterUnserializeFromBuffer(self.handle, ptr, length))
             self.__dict__.update(state)
-        elif isinstance(model_file, (STRING_TYPES, os_PathLike)):
+        elif isinstance(model_file, (STRING_TYPES, os_PathLike, bytearray)):
             self.load_model(model_file)
         elif model_file is None:
             pass
@@ -1512,7 +1512,8 @@ class Booster(object):
         return ctypes2buffer(cptr, length.value)
 
     def load_model(self, fname):
-        """Load the model from a file, local or as URI.
+        """Load the model from a file or bytearray. Path to file can be local
+        or as an URI.
 
         The model is loaded from an XGBoost format which is universal among the
         various XGBoost interfaces. Auxiliary attributes of the Python Booster
@@ -1530,6 +1531,12 @@ class Booster(object):
             # from URL.
             _check_call(_LIB.XGBoosterLoadModel(
                 self.handle, c_str(os_fspath(fname))))
+        elif isinstance(fname, bytearray):
+            buf = fname
+            length = c_bst_ulong(len(buf))
+            ptr = (ctypes.c_char * len(buf)).from_buffer(buf)
+            _check_call(_LIB.XGBoosterLoadModelFromBuffer(self.handle, ptr,
+                                                          length))
         else:
             raise TypeError('Unknown file type: ', fname)
 
diff --git a/tests/python/test_basic_models.py b/tests/python/test_basic_models.py
index 9d947f1f4..c94012b2a 100644
--- a/tests/python/test_basic_models.py
+++ b/tests/python/test_basic_models.py
@@ -300,6 +300,13 @@ class TestModels(unittest.TestCase):
         assert float(config['learner']['objective'][
             'reg_loss_param']['scale_pos_weight']) == 0.5
 
+        buf = bst.save_raw()
+        from_raw = xgb.Booster()
+        from_raw.load_model(buf)
+
+        buf_from_raw = from_raw.save_raw()
+        assert buf == buf_from_raw
+
     def test_model_json_io(self):
         loc = locale.getpreferredencoding(False)
         model_path = 'test_model_json_io.json'