diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 455256c..1039214 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
   <groupId>com.cognite.units</groupId>
   <artifactId>units-catalog</artifactId>
-  <version>0.1.8</version>
+  <version>0.1.9</version>
 
   <name>${project.groupId}:${project.artifactId}</name>
   <description>A comprehensive unit catalog for Cognite Data Fusion (CDF) with a focus on standardization, comprehensiveness, and consistency.</description>
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/cognite/units/UnitService.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/cognite/units/UnitService.kt
index a433335..d6ec8eb 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/cognite/units/UnitService.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/cognite/units/UnitService.kt
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ import kotlin.math.log10
 import kotlin.math.pow
 import kotlin.math.roundToLong
 
-class UnitService(unitsPath: URL, systemPath: URL) {
+class UnitService(units: String, systems: String) {
+
+    constructor(unitsPath: URL, systemPath: URL) : this(unitsPath.readText(), systemPath.readText())
+
     companion object {
         val service: UnitService by lazy {
             UnitService(
@@ -42,8 +45,8 @@ class UnitService(unitsPath: URL, systemPath: URL) {
     private val defaultUnitByQuantityAndSystem = mutableMapOf<String, MutableMap<String, TypedUnit>>()
 
     init {
-        loadUnits(unitsPath)
-        loadSystem(systemPath)
+        loadUnits(units)
+        loadSystem(systems)
     }
 
     private fun sanitizeIdentifier(identifier: String): String {
@@ -102,8 +105,7 @@ class UnitService(unitsPath: URL, systemPath: URL) {
         }
     }
 
-    private fun loadUnits(unitsPath: URL) {
-        val units = unitsPath.readText()
+    private fun loadUnits(units: String) {
         val mapper: ObjectMapper = jacksonObjectMapper()
 
         // 1. Syntax Check: Every unit item in `units.json` must have the specified keys
@@ -144,8 +146,7 @@ class UnitService(unitsPath: URL, systemPath: URL) {
         }
     }
 
-    private fun loadSystem(systemPath: URL) {
-        val systems = systemPath.readText()
+    private fun loadSystem(systems: String) {
         val mapper: ObjectMapper = jacksonObjectMapper()
         val listOfSystems: List<UnitSystem> = mapper.readValue<List<UnitSystem>>(systems)
 
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/UnitTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/UnitTest.kt
index 2a17bed..1a3409b 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/UnitTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/UnitTest.kt
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ class UnitTest {
         UnitService.service
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun useStringConstructor() {
+        val units = UnitService::class.java.getResource("/units.json")!!.readText()
+        val systems = UnitService::class.java.getResource("/unitSystems.json")!!.readText()
+        val unitService = UnitService(units, systems)
+        unitService.getUnitByExternalId("temperature:deg_c")
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun convertBetweenUnits() {
         val unitService = UnitService.service