diff --git a/lib/Viewer.js b/lib/Viewer.js
index 52b7840d..61226b35 100644
--- a/lib/Viewer.js
+++ b/lib/Viewer.js
@@ -76,16 +76,16 @@ function ensureUnit(val) {
  * @param {ModdleElement} definitions
  * @param {String} diagramId
  *
- * @return {Diagram|undefined}
+ * @return {Diagram|null}
  */
 function findDiagram(definitions, diagramId) {
   if (!diagramId) {
-    return;
+    return null;
   }
 
   return find(definitions.diagrams, function(element) {
     return element.id === diagramId;
-  });
+  }) || null;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -203,8 +203,7 @@ Viewer.prototype.importXML = function(xml, diagramId, done) {
       context: context
     }) || definitions;
 
-    var parseWarnings = context.warnings,
-        diagram;
+    var parseWarnings = context.warnings;
 
     if (err) {
       err = checkValidationError(err);
@@ -214,17 +213,9 @@ Viewer.prototype.importXML = function(xml, diagramId, done) {
       return done(err, parseWarnings);
     }
 
-    diagram = findDiagram(definitions, diagramId);
+    self._setDefinitions(definitions);
 
-    if (diagramId && !diagram) {
-      err = new Error('BPMNDiagram not found');
-
-      self._emit('import.done', { error: err, warnings: parseWarnings || [] });
-
-      return done(err);
-    }
-
-    self.importDefinitions(definitions, diagram, function(err, importWarnings) {
+    self.open(diagramId, function(err, importWarnings) {
       var allWarnings = [].concat(parseWarnings, importWarnings || []);
 
       self._emit('import.done', { error: err, warnings: allWarnings });
@@ -234,6 +225,60 @@ Viewer.prototype.importXML = function(xml, diagramId, done) {
   });
 };
 
+/**
+ * Open diagram of previously imported XML.
+ *
+ * Once finished the viewer reports back the result to the
+ * provided callback function with (err, warnings).
+ *
+ * ## Life-Cycle Events
+ *
+ * During switch the viewer will fire life-cycle events:
+ *
+ *   * import.render.start (graphical import start)
+ *   * import.render.complete (graphical import finished)
+ *
+ * You can use these events to hook into the life-cycle.
+ *
+ * @param {String|Diagram} [diagram] id or the diagram to open
+ * @param {Function} [done] invoked with (err, warnings=[])
+ */
+Viewer.prototype.open = function(diagram, done) {
+
+  if (isFunction(diagram)) {
+    done = diagram;
+    diagram = null;
+  }
+
+  var definitions = this._definitions;
+
+  // done is optional
+  done = done || function() {};
+
+  if (!definitions) {
+    return done(new Error('no XML imported'));
+  }
+
+  if (typeof diagram === 'string') {
+    diagram = findDiagram(definitions, diagram);
+
+    if (!diagram) {
+      return done(new Error('no diagram to display'));
+    }
+  }
+
+  // catch synchronous exceptions during #clear()
+  try {
+    // clear existing rendered diagram
+    this.clear();
+  } catch (error) {
+    return done(error);
+  }
+
+  // perform graphical import
+  return importBpmnDiagram(this, definitions, diagram, done);
+};
+
 /**
  * Export the currently displayed BPMN 2.0 diagram as
  * a BPMN 2.0 XML document.
@@ -385,28 +430,8 @@ Viewer.prototype.saveSVG = function(options, done) {
  */
 
 
-Viewer.prototype.importDefinitions = function(definitions, diagram, done) {
-
-  if (isFunction(diagram)) {
-    done = diagram;
-    diagram = null;
-  }
-
-  // catch synchronous exceptions during #clear()
-  try {
-    if (this._definitions) {
-      // clear existing rendered diagram
-      this.clear();
-    }
-
-    // update definitions
-    this._definitions = definitions;
-  } catch (e) {
-    return done(e);
-  }
-
-  // perform graphical import
-  return importBpmnDiagram(this, definitions, diagram, done);
+Viewer.prototype._setDefinitions = function(definitions) {
+  this._definitions = definitions;
 };
 
 Viewer.prototype.getModules = function() {
diff --git a/test/spec/ViewerSpec.js b/test/spec/ViewerSpec.js
index b39454a5..3548ac5c 100644
--- a/test/spec/ViewerSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/ViewerSpec.js
@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@ describe('Viewer', function() {
 
         // then
         expect(err).to.exist;
-        expect(err.message).to.eql('BPMNDiagram not found');
+        expect(err.message).to.eql('no diagram to display');
 
         done();
       });
@@ -744,6 +744,134 @@ describe('Viewer', function() {
   });
 
 
+  describe('#open', function() {
+
+    var diagramId1 = 'Diagram_80fecfcd-0165-4c36-90b6-3ea384265fe7',
+        diagramId2 = 'Diagram_94435ba7-4027-4df9-ad3b-df1f6e068e5e',
+        xml = require('../fixtures/bpmn/multiple-diagrams.bpmn');
+
+    it('should open another diagram', function(done) {
+
+      // when
+      createViewer(xml, diagramId1, function(err, warnings, viewer) {
+
+        // then
+        expect(err).not.to.exist;
+        expect(warnings).to.be.empty;
+
+        var definitions = viewer.getDefinitions();
+
+        expect(definitions).to.exist;
+
+        viewer.open(diagramId2, function(err, warnings) {
+
+          // then
+          expect(err).not.to.exist;
+          expect(warnings).to.be.empty;
+
+          var definitions = viewer.getDefinitions();
+
+          expect(definitions).to.exist;
+
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+
+    it('should complete with error if xml was not imported', function(done) {
+
+      // given
+      var viewer = new Viewer();
+
+      // when
+      viewer.open(function(err) {
+
+        // then
+        expect(err).to.exist;
+        expect(err.message).to.eql('no XML imported');
+
+        var definitions = viewer.getDefinitions();
+
+        expect(definitions).to.not.exist;
+
+        done();
+      });
+
+    });
+
+
+    it('should open with error if diagram does not exist', function(done) {
+
+      // when
+      createViewer(xml, diagramId1, function(err, warnings, viewer) {
+
+        // then
+        expect(err).not.to.exist;
+        expect(warnings).to.be.empty;
+
+        var definitions = viewer.getDefinitions();
+
+        expect(definitions).to.exist;
+
+        viewer.open('Diagram_IDontExist', function(err) {
+
+          // then
+          expect(err).to.exist;
+          expect(err.message).to.eql('no diagram to display');
+
+          // definitions stay the same
+          expect(viewer.getDefinitions()).to.eql(definitions);
+
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+
+    it('should emit <import.*> events', function(done) {
+
+      // given
+      var viewer = new Viewer({ container: container });
+
+      var events = [];
+
+      // when
+      viewer.importXML(xml, diagramId1, function(err) {
+
+        // when
+        viewer.on([
+          'import.parse.start',
+          'import.parse.complete',
+          'import.render.start',
+          'import.render.complete',
+          'import.done'
+        ], function(e) {
+          // log event type + event arguments
+          events.push([
+            e.type,
+            Object.keys(e).filter(function(key) {
+              return key !== 'type';
+            })
+          ]);
+        });
+
+        viewer.open(diagramId2, function(err) {
+
+          // then
+          expect(events).to.eql([
+            [ 'import.render.start', [ 'definitions' ] ],
+            [ 'import.render.complete', [ 'error', 'warnings' ] ]
+          ]);
+
+          done(err);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+  });
+
+
   describe('#saveXML', function() {
 
     it('should export XML', function(done) {