diff --git a/lib/db/services.php b/lib/db/services.php
index 43b640a4fa8..36465faf2fc 100644
--- a/lib/db/services.php
+++ b/lib/db/services.php
@@ -1105,6 +1105,7 @@ $services = array(
             'core_user_view_user_list',
             'core_message_mark_message_read',
             'core_notes_view_notes',
+            'mod_forum_view_forum_discussion',
             ),
         'enabled' => 0,
         'restrictedusers' => 0,
diff --git a/mod/forum/db/services.php b/mod/forum/db/services.php
index 66b5a76ea06..09b4cb081a2 100644
--- a/mod/forum/db/services.php
+++ b/mod/forum/db/services.php
@@ -71,4 +71,13 @@ $functions = array(
         'type' => 'write',
         'capabilities' => 'mod/forum:viewdiscussion'
     ),
+
+    'mod_forum_view_forum_discussion' => array(
+        'classname' => 'mod_forum_external',
+        'methodname' => 'view_forum_discussion',
+        'classpath' => 'mod/forum/externallib.php',
+        'description' => 'Simulate the forum/discuss.php web interface page: trigger events, completion, etc...',
+        'type' => 'write',
+        'capabilities' => 'mod/forum:viewdiscussion'
+    ),
 );
diff --git a/mod/forum/discuss.php b/mod/forum/discuss.php
index 6fe3bbf3447..a99fae57236 100644
--- a/mod/forum/discuss.php
+++ b/mod/forum/discuss.php
@@ -172,14 +172,8 @@ if ($move > 0 and confirm_sesskey()) {
     redirect($return.'&moved=-1&sesskey='.sesskey());
 }
 
-$params = array(
-    'context' => $modcontext,
-    'objectid' => $discussion->id,
-);
-$event = \mod_forum\event\discussion_viewed::create($params);
-$event->add_record_snapshot('forum_discussions', $discussion);
-$event->add_record_snapshot('forum', $forum);
-$event->trigger();
+// Trigger discussion viewed event.
+forum_discussion_view($modcontext, $forum, $discussion);
 
 unset($SESSION->fromdiscussion);
 
diff --git a/mod/forum/externallib.php b/mod/forum/externallib.php
index b275d027c7c..6f2823a346f 100644
--- a/mod/forum/externallib.php
+++ b/mod/forum/externallib.php
@@ -872,4 +872,68 @@ class mod_forum_external extends external_api {
         );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns description of method parameters
+     *
+     * @return external_function_parameters
+     * @since Moodle 2.9
+     */
+    public static function view_forum_discussion_parameters() {
+        return new external_function_parameters(
+            array(
+                'discussionid' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'discussion id')
+            )
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Simulate the forum/discuss.php web interface page: trigger events
+     *
+     * @param int $discussionid the discussion id
+     * @return array of warnings and status result
+     * @since Moodle 2.9
+     * @throws moodle_exception
+     */
+    public static function view_forum_discussion($discussionid) {
+        global $DB, $CFG;
+        require_once($CFG->dirroot . "/mod/forum/lib.php");
+
+        $params = self::validate_parameters(self::view_forum_discussion_parameters(),
+                                            array(
+                                                'discussionid' => $discussionid
+                                            ));
+        $warnings = array();
+
+        $discussion = $DB->get_record('forum_discussions', array('id' => $params['discussionid']), '*', MUST_EXIST);
+        $forum = $DB->get_record('forum', array('id' => $discussion->forum), '*', MUST_EXIST);
+        list($course, $cm) = get_course_and_cm_from_instance($forum, 'forum');
+
+        // Validate the module context. It checks everything that affects the module visibility (including groupings, etc..).
+        $modcontext = context_module::instance($cm->id);
+        self::validate_context($modcontext);
+
+        // Call the forum/lib API.
+        forum_discussion_view($modcontext, $forum, $discussion);
+
+        $result = array();
+        $result['status'] = true;
+        $result['warnings'] = $warnings;
+        return $result;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns description of method result value
+     *
+     * @return external_description
+     * @since Moodle 2.9
+     */
+    public static function view_forum_discussion_returns() {
+        return new external_single_structure(
+            array(
+                'status' => new external_value(PARAM_BOOL, 'status: true if success'),
+                'warnings' => new external_warnings()
+            )
+        );
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/mod/forum/lib.php b/mod/forum/lib.php
index 65d11cb1d9e..824665a03b3 100644
--- a/mod/forum/lib.php
+++ b/mod/forum/lib.php
@@ -7791,5 +7791,25 @@ function forum_view($forum, $course, $cm, $context) {
     $event->add_record_snapshot('course', $course);
     $event->add_record_snapshot('forum', $forum);
     $event->trigger();
+}
 
+/**
+ * Trigger the discussion viewed event
+ *
+ * @param  stdClass $modcontext module context object
+ * @param  stdClass $forum      forum object
+ * @param  stdClass $discussion discussion object
+ * @since Moodle 2.9
+ */
+function forum_discussion_view($modcontext, $forum, $discussion) {
+
+    $params = array(
+        'context' => $modcontext,
+        'objectid' => $discussion->id,
+    );
+
+    $event = \mod_forum\event\discussion_viewed::create($params);
+    $event->add_record_snapshot('forum_discussions', $discussion);
+    $event->add_record_snapshot('forum', $forum);
+    $event->trigger();
 }
diff --git a/mod/forum/tests/lib_test.php b/mod/forum/tests/lib_test.php
index 27d23627dcf..19419b79377 100644
--- a/mod/forum/tests/lib_test.php
+++ b/mod/forum/tests/lib_test.php
@@ -1295,6 +1295,44 @@ class mod_forum_lib_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
 
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test forum_discussion_view.
+     */
+    public function test_forum_discussion_view() {
+        global $CFG, $USER;
+
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        // Setup test data.
+        $course = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_course();
+        $forum = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_module('forum', array('course' => $course->id));
+        $discussion = $this->create_single_discussion_with_replies($forum, $USER, 2);
+
+        $context = context_module::instance($forum->cmid);
+        $cm = get_coursemodule_from_instance('forum', $forum->id);
+
+        // Trigger and capture the event.
+        $sink = $this->redirectEvents();
+
+        $this->setAdminUser();
+        forum_discussion_view($context, $forum, $discussion);
+
+        $events = $sink->get_events();
+        $this->assertCount(1, $events);
+        $event = array_pop($events);
+
+        // Checking that the event contains the expected values.
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\mod_forum\event\discussion_viewed', $event);
+        $this->assertEquals($context, $event->get_context());
+        $expected = array($course->id, 'forum', 'view discussion', "discuss.php?d={$discussion->id}",
+            $discussion->id, $forum->cmid);
+        $this->assertEventLegacyLogData($expected, $event);
+        $this->assertEventContextNotUsed($event);
+
+        $this->assertNotEmpty($event->get_name());
+
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create a new course, forum, and user with a number of discussions and replies.
      *
diff --git a/version.php b/version.php
index 9b1ee5c35ca..22dacff490f 100644
--- a/version.php
+++ b/version.php
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
-$version  = 2015040700.02;              // YYYYMMDD      = weekly release date of this DEV branch.
+$version  = 2015040700.03;              // YYYYMMDD      = weekly release date of this DEV branch.
                                         //         RR    = release increments - 00 in DEV branches.
                                         //           .XX = incremental changes.