diff --git a/builtin/game/falling.lua b/builtin/game/falling.lua
index 5ef5289be..764909361 100644
--- a/builtin/game/falling.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/falling.lua
@@ -118,6 +118,20 @@ local function spawn_falling_node(p, node)
 	end
 end
 
+function core.spawn_falling_node(pos)
+	local node = core.get_node(pos)
+	if node.name == "air" or node.name == "ignore" then
+		return false
+	end
+	local obj = core.add_entity(pos, "__builtin:falling_node")
+	if obj then
+		obj:get_luaentity():set_node(node)
+		core.remove_node(pos)
+		return true
+	end
+	return false
+end
+
 local function drop_attached_node(p)
 	local nn = core.get_node(p).name
 	core.remove_node(p)
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index 7b956dc74..23aac90d9 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -2219,6 +2219,9 @@ and `minetest.auth_reload` call the authetification handler.
     * Returns `true` if successful, `false` on failure (e.g. protected location)
 * `minetest.punch_node(pos)`
     * Punch node with the same effects that a player would cause
+* `minetest.spawn_falling_node(pos)`
+    * Change node into falling node
+    * Returns `true` if successful, `false` on failure
 
 * `minetest.find_nodes_with_meta(pos1, pos2)`
     * Get a table of positions of nodes that have metadata within a region {pos1, pos2}