diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 02c39dc..b5d7bbf 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Or to build the repo:
 
 
         cv.readImage("./examples/test.jpg", function(err, im){
-          im.detectObject("./data/haarcascade_frontalface_alt.xml", {}, function(err, faces){
+          im.detectObject(cv.FACE_CASCADE, {}, function(err, faces){
             for (var i=0;i<faces.length; i++){
               var x = faces[i]
               im.ellipse(x.x + x.width/2, x.y + x.height/2, x.width/2, x.height/2);
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ detection. This can be used for face detection etc.
 
         mat.detectObject(haar_cascade_xml, opts, function(err, matches){})
 
+For convenience in face recognition, cv.FACE_CASCADE is a cascade that can be used for frontal face recognition.
 
 Also:
 
diff --git a/lib/opencv.js b/lib/opencv.js
index 0e635f6..c7a12fc 100755
--- a/lib/opencv.js
+++ b/lib/opencv.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var Stream = require('stream').Stream
   , Buffers = require('buffers')
-  , util = require('util');
+  , util = require('util')
+  , path = require('path')
 
 var bindings = require('./bindings')
 
@@ -67,3 +68,9 @@ imagestream.end = function(b){
 	});
 }
 
+
+// Provide cascade data for faces etc.
+
+cv.FACE_CASCADE = path.resolve('../data/haarcascade_frontalface_alt.xml')
+
+
diff --git a/test/unit.js b/test/unit.js
index e02f6bf..8528690 100755
--- a/test/unit.js
+++ b/test/unit.js
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ vows.describe('Smoke Tests OpenCV').addBatch({
           , cb = this.callback
 
         cv.readImage("./examples/mona.png", function(err, im){
-          im.detectObject("./data/haarcascade_frontalface_alt.xml", {}, cb)
+          im.detectObject(cv.FACE_CASCADE, {}, cb)
         })  
       }