diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs
index a638445..c829320 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs
@@ -54,6 +54,28 @@ public async Task CanGetWordForASpecificCommit()
         thirdWord.Text.Should().Be("third");
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CanGetWordBeforeASpecificCommit()
+    {
+        var entityId = Guid.NewGuid();
+        var firstCommit = await WriteNextChange(SetWord(entityId, "first"));
+        var secondCommit = await WriteNextChange(SetWord(entityId, "second"));
+        var thirdCommit = await WriteNextChange(SetWord(entityId, "third"));
+        await ClearNonRootSnapshots();
+
+        //there's no state before the first commit created the entity
+        var beforeFirst = await DataModel.GetBeforeCommit<Word>(firstCommit.Id, entityId);
+        beforeFirst.Should().BeNull();
+
+        var beforeSecond = await DataModel.GetBeforeCommit<Word>(secondCommit.Id, entityId);
+        beforeSecond.Should().NotBeNull();
+        beforeSecond!.Text.Should().Be("first");
+
+        var beforeThird = await DataModel.GetBeforeCommit<Word>(thirdCommit.Id, entityId);
+        beforeThird.Should().NotBeNull();
+        beforeThird!.Text.Should().Be("second");
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task CanGetWordForASpecificTime()
     {
diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs
index 8707fcb..69455bb 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs
@@ -321,16 +321,52 @@ public async Task<T> GetAtTime<T>(DateTimeOffset time, Guid entityId)
     public async Task<T> GetAtCommit<T>(Guid commitId, Guid entityId)
     {
         await using var repo = await _crdtRepositoryFactory.CreateRepository();
-        return await GetAtCommit<T>(await repo.CurrentCommits().SingleAsync(c => c.Id == commitId),
-            entityId);
+        var commit = await repo.CurrentCommits().SingleAsync(c => c.Id == commitId);
+        return await GetAtCommit<T>(commit, entityId, repo);
     }
 
     public async Task<T> GetAtCommit<T>(Commit commit, Guid entityId)
     {
         await using var repo = await _crdtRepositoryFactory.CreateRepository();
+        return await GetAtCommit<T>(commit, entityId, repo);
+    }
+
+    private async Task<T> GetAtCommit<T>(Commit commit, Guid entityId, CrdtRepository repo)
+    {
+        var snapshot = await GetSnapshotAtCommit(commit, entityId, repo);
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(snapshot);
+        return (T)snapshot.Entity.DbObject;
+    }
+
+    public async Task<T?> GetBeforeCommit<T>(Guid commitId, Guid entityId)
+    {
+        await using var repo = await _crdtRepositoryFactory.CreateRepository();
+        var commit = await repo.CurrentCommits().SingleAsync(c => c.Id == commitId);
+        return await GetBeforeCommit<T>(commit, entityId, repo);
+    }
+
+    public async Task<T?> GetBeforeCommit<T>(Commit commit, Guid entityId)
+    {
+        await using var repo = await _crdtRepositoryFactory.CreateRepository();
+        return await GetBeforeCommit<T>(commit, entityId, repo);
+    }
+
+    private async Task<T?> GetBeforeCommit<T>(Commit commit, Guid entityId, CrdtRepository repo)
+    {
+        var previousCommit = await repo.FindPreviousCommit(commit);
+        //there's no state before the first commit
+        if (previousCommit is null) return default;
+        var snapshot = await GetSnapshotAtCommit(previousCommit, entityId, repo);
+        //the entity did not exist before the given commit
+        if (snapshot is null) return default;
+        return (T)snapshot.Entity.DbObject;
+    }
+
+    private async Task<ObjectSnapshot?> GetSnapshotAtCommit(Commit commit, Guid entityId, CrdtRepository repo)
+    {
         var repository = repo.GetScopedRepository(commit);
         var snapshot = await repository.GetCurrentSnapshotByObjectId(entityId, false);
-        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(snapshot);
+        if (snapshot is null) return null;
         var newCommits = await repository.CurrentCommits()
             .Include(c => c.ChangeEntities)
             .WhereAfter(snapshot.Commit)
@@ -347,7 +383,7 @@ public async Task<T> GetAtCommit<T>(Commit commit, Guid entityId)
             snapshot = snapshots[snapshot.EntityId];
         }
 
-        return (T)snapshot.Entity.DbObject;
+        return snapshot;
     }
 
     public async Task<SyncState> GetSyncState()