diff --git a/docs/reference/gio/gio-sections.txt b/docs/reference/gio/gio-sections.txt
index 3b7cc28e7..f7efd2bf4 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gio/gio-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/gio/gio-sections.txt
@@ -1621,6 +1621,7 @@ g_desktop_app_info_set_desktop_env
 g_desktop_app_info_get_string
 g_desktop_app_info_get_locale_string
 g_desktop_app_info_get_boolean
+g_desktop_app_info_get_string_list
 g_desktop_app_info_has_key
 GDesktopAppLaunchCallback
 g_desktop_app_info_launch_uris_as_manager
diff --git a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c
index d0ffbace3..c55a0abe2 100644
--- a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c
+++ b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c
@@ -4534,6 +4534,33 @@ g_desktop_app_info_get_boolean (GDesktopAppInfo *info,
                                  G_KEY_FILE_DESKTOP_GROUP, key, NULL);
 }
 
+/**
+ * g_desktop_app_info_get_string_list:
+ * @info: a #GDesktopAppInfo
+ * @key: the key to look up
+ * @length: (out) (optional): return location for the number of returned strings, or %NULL
+ *
+ * Looks up a string list value in the keyfile backing @info.
+ *
+ * The @key is looked up in the "Desktop Entry" group.
+ *
+ * Returns: (array zero-terminated=1 length=length) (element-type utf8) (transfer full):
+ *  a %NULL-terminated string array or %NULL if the specified
+ *  key cannot be found. The array should be freed with g_strfreev().
+ *
+ * Since: 2.59.0
+ */
+gchar **
+g_desktop_app_info_get_string_list (GDesktopAppInfo *info,
+                                    const char      *key,
+                                    gsize           *length)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_DESKTOP_APP_INFO (info), NULL);
+
+  return g_key_file_get_string_list (info->keyfile,
+                                     G_KEY_FILE_DESKTOP_GROUP, key, length, NULL);
+}
+
 /**
  * g_desktop_app_info_has_key:
  * @info: a #GDesktopAppInfo
diff --git a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h
index 86a3caa30..1254038a4 100644
--- a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h
+++ b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_36
 gboolean         g_desktop_app_info_get_boolean       (GDesktopAppInfo *info,
                                                        const char      *key);
 
+GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_60
+gchar **         g_desktop_app_info_get_string_list (GDesktopAppInfo *info,
+                                                     const char      *key,
+                                                     gsize           *length);
+
 GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_38
 const gchar * const *   g_desktop_app_info_list_actions                 (GDesktopAppInfo   *info);
 
diff --git a/gio/tests/appinfo.c b/gio/tests/appinfo.c
index a52bc7094..e75c4abe7 100644
--- a/gio/tests/appinfo.c
+++ b/gio/tests/appinfo.c
@@ -512,6 +512,8 @@ test_from_keyfile (void)
   GKeyFile *kf;
   GError *error = NULL;
   const gchar *categories;
+  gchar **categories_list;
+  gsize categories_count;
   gchar **keywords;
   const gchar *file;
   const gchar *name;
@@ -522,7 +524,7 @@ test_from_keyfile (void)
   g_key_file_load_from_file (kf, path, G_KEY_FILE_NONE, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
   info = g_desktop_app_info_new_from_keyfile (kf);
-  g_key_file_free (kf);
+  g_key_file_unref (kf);
   g_assert (info != NULL);
 
   g_object_get (info, "filename", &file, NULL);
@@ -532,6 +534,11 @@ test_from_keyfile (void)
   g_assert (file == NULL);
   categories = g_desktop_app_info_get_categories (info);
   g_assert_cmpstr (categories, ==, "GNOME;GTK;");
+  categories_list = g_desktop_app_info_get_string_list (info, "Categories", &categories_count);
+  g_assert_cmpint (categories_count, ==, 2);
+  g_assert_cmpint (g_strv_length (categories_list), ==, 2);
+  g_assert_cmpstr (categories_list[0], ==, "GNOME");
+  g_assert_cmpstr (categories_list[1], ==, "GTK");
   keywords = (gchar **)g_desktop_app_info_get_keywords (info);
   g_assert_cmpint (g_strv_length (keywords), ==, 2);
   g_assert_cmpstr (keywords[0], ==, "keyword1");
@@ -540,6 +547,7 @@ test_from_keyfile (void)
   g_assert_cmpstr (name, ==, "generic-appinfo-test");
   g_assert (!g_desktop_app_info_get_nodisplay (info));
 
+  g_strfreev (categories_list);
   g_object_unref (info);
 }