diff --git a/lib/src/support/Rehydratable.ts b/lib/src/support/Rehydratable.ts
index de51028..e2214c8 100644
--- a/lib/src/support/Rehydratable.ts
+++ b/lib/src/support/Rehydratable.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-export type JSONState = { [key: string]: string | boolean | number | JSONState | Array<string | boolean | number | JSONState> }
+export type JSONState = { [key: string]: string | boolean | number | undefined | JSONState | Array<string | boolean | number | undefined | JSONState> }
 
 export function isJSONState(what: any): what is JSONState {
     try {
diff --git a/orm/src/model/Model.ts b/orm/src/model/Model.ts
index b521d86..91bccf6 100644
--- a/orm/src/model/Model.ts
+++ b/orm/src/model/Model.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ import {JSONState, Rehydratable} from '../../../lib/src/support/Rehydratable.ts'
 // TODO separate read/write connections
 // TODO manual dirty flags
 
+export type ModelJSONState = {
+    key_name: string,
+    key?: string | number,
+    fields?: string[],
+    ephemeral_values?: string,
+}
+
 /**
  * Base class for database models.
  * @extends Builder
@@ -310,6 +317,21 @@ export abstract class Model<T extends Model<T>> extends Builder<T> implements Re
         return this
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Given a model object, load the values into this model.
+     * @param object
+     * @return Model
+     */
+    public assume(object: { [key: string]: any }) {
+        get_fields_meta(this).each(field_def => {
+            // TODO special type casting
+            if ( field_def.model_key in object )
+                // @ts-ignore
+                this[field_def.model_key] = object[field_def.model_key]
+        })
+        return this
+    }
+
     /**
      * If applicable get an object of normalized timestamps.
      * @return { updated_at?: Date, created_at?: Date }
@@ -839,18 +861,55 @@ export abstract class Model<T extends Model<T>> extends Builder<T> implements Re
         return `${this.table_name()}.${this.key}`
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Like to_object, but only the fields that have changed.
+     * @return object
+     */
+    public collect_dirty(): { [key: string]: any } {
+        const fields = this.dirty_fields()
+        const values: any = {}
+        for ( const field of fields ) {
+            // @ts-ignore
+            values[field] = this[field]
+        }
+        return values
+    }
+
     /**
      * Dehydrate the model. Implements Rehydratable interface.
      */
-    public async dehydrate(): Promise<JSONState> {
-        return this.to_object()
+    public async dehydrate(): Promise<ModelJSONState> {
+        const constructor = this.constructor as typeof Model
+        return {
+            key_name: constructor.qualified_key_name(),
+            ...(this.exists() ? {
+                key: this.key(),
+                fields: this._loaded_database_fields(),
+                ephemeral_values: JSON.stringify(this.collect_dirty()),
+            } : {
+                ephemeral_values: JSON.stringify(this.to_object()),
+            })
+        }
     }
 
     /**
      * Rehydrate the model. Implements Rehydratable interface.
      * @param state
      */
-    public async rehydrate(state: JSONState) {
-        this.assume_from_source(state)
+    public async rehydrate(state: ModelJSONState) {
+        if ( state.key && state.fields ) {
+            const results = await this.select(state.fields)
+                .where(state.key_name, '=', state.key)
+                .limit(1)
+                .target_operator(make(ObjectResultOperator))
+                .results()
+
+            const result = results.first()
+            if ( result ) this.assume_from_source(result)
+        }
+
+        if ( state.ephemeral_values ) {
+            this.assume(JSON.parse(state.ephemeral_values))
+        }
     }
 }