diff --git a/patch-db/src/lib.rs b/patch-db/src/lib.rs
index 95dbfee..006973d 100644
--- a/patch-db/src/lib.rs
+++ b/patch-db/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use json_ptr::JsonPointer;
 use thiserror::Error;
 
-// note: inserting into an array (before another element) without proper locking can result in unexpected behaviour
-
 mod model;
 mod patch;
 mod store;
@@ -15,15 +13,14 @@ mod subscriber;
 mod test;
 
 pub use imbl_value::Value;
-pub use model::{DestructureMut, HasModel, Model, ModelExt};
+pub use model::{DestructureMut, HasModel, Model, ModelExt, Pointer};
 pub use patch::{DiffPatch, Dump, Revision};
 pub use patch_db_macro::HasModel;
 pub use store::{MutateResult, PatchDb, Store, TypedPatchDb};
+pub use subscriber::{DbWatch, Subscriber, TypedDbWatch};
 use tokio::sync::TryLockError;
 pub use {imbl_value as value, json_patch, json_ptr};
 
-pub type Subscriber = tokio::sync::mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Revision>;
-
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 pub enum Error {
     #[error("IO Error: {0}")]
diff --git a/patch-db/src/model.rs b/patch-db/src/model.rs
index 3444aee..2a9dd30 100644
--- a/patch-db/src/model.rs
+++ b/patch-db/src/model.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,31 @@
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
+
 use imbl_value::{InternedString, Value};
+use json_ptr::JsonPointer;
+
+pub struct Pointer<T> {
+    ptr: JsonPointer,
+    phantom: PhantomData<T>,
+}
+impl<T> Default for Pointer<T> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            ptr: JsonPointer::default(),
+            phantom: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+impl<T> Pointer<T> {
+    pub fn unwrap(self) -> JsonPointer {
+        self.ptr
+    }
+}
+impl<T> std::ops::Deref for Pointer<T> {
+    type Target = JsonPointer;
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.ptr
+    }
+}
 
 pub trait HasModel: Sized {
     type Model: Model<Self>;
diff --git a/patch-db/src/store.rs b/patch-db/src/store.rs
index 201bf56..cb569da 100644
--- a/patch-db/src/store.rs
+++ b/patch-db/src/store.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use tokio::sync::{Mutex, OwnedMutexGuard, RwLock};
 
 use crate::patch::{diff, DiffPatch, Dump, Revision};
 use crate::subscriber::Broadcast;
-use crate::{Error, HasModel, Subscriber};
+use crate::{DbWatch, Error, HasModel, Subscriber};
 
 lazy_static! {
     static ref OPEN_STORES: Mutex<HashMap<PathBuf, Arc<Mutex<()>>>> = Mutex::new(HashMap::new());
@@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ impl PatchDb {
         let mut store = self.store.write().await;
         (store.dump(&ptr), store.broadcast.subscribe(ptr))
     }
+    pub async fn watch(&self, ptr: JsonPointer) -> DbWatch {
+        let (dump, sub) = self.dump_and_sub(ptr).await;
+        DbWatch::new(dump, sub)
+    }
     pub async fn subscribe(&self, ptr: JsonPointer) -> Subscriber {
         self.store.write().await.subscribe(ptr)
     }
diff --git a/patch-db/src/subscriber.rs b/patch-db/src/subscriber.rs
index f9aa9c2..c26e1f8 100644
--- a/patch-db/src/subscriber.rs
+++ b/patch-db/src/subscriber.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
+use std::task::{ready, Poll};
+
+use futures::Stream;
+use imbl_value::Value;
+use json_patch::patch;
 use json_ptr::JsonPointer;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
-use crate::Revision;
+use crate::{Dump, Error, HasModel, ModelExt, Revision};
+
+pub type Subscriber = mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Revision>;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 struct ScopedSender(JsonPointer, mpsc::UnboundedSender<Revision>);
@@ -42,9 +50,129 @@ impl Broadcast {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn subscribe(&mut self, ptr: JsonPointer) -> mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Revision> {
+    pub fn subscribe(&mut self, ptr: JsonPointer) -> Subscriber {
         let (send, recv) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
         self.listeners.push(ScopedSender(ptr, send));
         recv
     }
 }
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct DbWatch {
+    state: Value,
+    subscriber: Subscriber,
+    seen: bool,
+}
+impl DbWatch {
+    pub fn new(dump: Dump, sub: Subscriber) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            state: dump.value,
+            subscriber: sub,
+            seen: false,
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn typed<T>(self) -> TypedDbWatch<T> {
+        TypedDbWatch {
+            watch: self,
+            _phantom: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn sync(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        while let Ok(rev) = self.subscriber.try_recv() {
+            patch(&mut self.state, &rev.patch.0)?;
+            self.seen = false;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    pub fn peek(&mut self) -> Result<Value, Error> {
+        self.sync()?;
+        Ok(self.state.clone())
+    }
+    pub fn peek_and_mark_seen(&mut self) -> Result<Value, Error> {
+        self.sync()?;
+        self.seen = true;
+        Ok(self.state.clone())
+    }
+    pub fn poll_changed(&mut self, cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>) -> Poll<Result<(), Error>> {
+        if !self.seen {
+            self.seen = true;
+            return Poll::Ready(Ok(()));
+        }
+        let rev =
+            ready!(self.subscriber.poll_recv(cx)).ok_or(mpsc::error::TryRecvError::Disconnected)?;
+        patch(&mut self.state, &rev.patch.0)?;
+        Poll::Ready(Ok(()))
+    }
+    pub async fn changed(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        futures::future::poll_fn(|cx| self.poll_changed(cx)).await
+    }
+}
+impl Unpin for DbWatch {}
+impl Stream for DbWatch {
+    type Item = Result<Value, Error>;
+    fn poll_next(
+        self: std::pin::Pin<&mut Self>,
+        cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>,
+    ) -> std::task::Poll<Option<Self::Item>> {
+        let this = self.get_mut();
+        if let Err(e) = ready!(this.poll_changed(cx)) {
+            return Poll::Ready(Some(Err(e)));
+        }
+        Poll::Ready(Some(Ok(this.state.clone())))
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct TypedDbWatch<T> {
+    watch: DbWatch,
+    _phantom: PhantomData<T>,
+}
+impl<T> AsRef<DbWatch> for TypedDbWatch<T> {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &DbWatch {
+        &self.watch
+    }
+}
+impl<T> AsMut<DbWatch> for TypedDbWatch<T> {
+    fn as_mut(&mut self) -> &mut DbWatch {
+        &mut self.watch
+    }
+}
+impl<T> TypedDbWatch<T> {
+    pub fn untyped(self) -> DbWatch {
+        self.watch
+    }
+    pub fn sync(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        self.as_mut().sync()
+    }
+    pub fn poll_changed(&mut self, cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>) -> Poll<Result<(), Error>> {
+        self.as_mut().poll_changed(cx)
+    }
+    pub async fn changed(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        self.as_mut().changed().await
+    }
+}
+impl<T: HasModel> TypedDbWatch<T> {
+    pub fn peek(&mut self) -> Result<T::Model, Error> {
+        let peek = self.as_mut().peek()?;
+        Ok(<T::Model as ModelExt<T>>::from_value(peek))
+    }
+    pub fn peek_and_mark_seen(&mut self) -> Result<T::Model, Error> {
+        let peek = self.as_mut().peek_and_mark_seen()?;
+        Ok(<T::Model as ModelExt<T>>::from_value(peek))
+    }
+}
+impl<T> Unpin for TypedDbWatch<T> {}
+impl<T: HasModel> Stream for TypedDbWatch<T> {
+    type Item = Result<T::Model, Error>;
+    fn poll_next(
+        self: std::pin::Pin<&mut Self>,
+        cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>,
+    ) -> std::task::Poll<Option<Self::Item>> {
+        let this = self.get_mut();
+        if let Err(e) = ready!(this.poll_changed(cx)) {
+            return Poll::Ready(Some(Err(e)));
+        }
+        Poll::Ready(Some(Ok(<T::Model as ModelExt<T>>::from_value(
+            this.watch.state.clone(),
+        ))))
+    }
+}