diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/DefinitionTests.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/DefinitionTests.cs
index 5281548..e21e9c9 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/DefinitionTests.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/DefinitionTests.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public async Task CanAddADefinitionToAWord()
         await WriteNextChange(NewDefinition(wordId, "a greeting", "verb"));
         var snapshot = await DataModel.GetProjectSnapshot();
         var definitionSnapshot = snapshot.Snapshots.Values.Single(s => s.IsType<Definition>());
-        var definition = (Definition)await DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(definitionSnapshot.Id);
+        var definition = await DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Definition>(definitionSnapshot.Id);
         definition.Text.Should().Be("a greeting");
         definition.WordId.Should().Be(wordId);
     }
diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ExampleSentenceTests.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ExampleSentenceTests.cs
index fa6128c..aba4a6c 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ExampleSentenceTests.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ExampleSentenceTests.cs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public async Task CanAddAnExampleSentenceToAWord()
         await WriteNextChange(NewExampleSentence(definitionId, "Hello, world!"));
         var snapshot = await DataModel.GetProjectSnapshot();
         var exampleSentenceSnapshot = snapshot.Snapshots.Values.Single(s => s.IsType<Example>());
-        var exampleSentence = (Example)await DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(exampleSentenceSnapshot.Id);
+        var exampleSentence = await DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Example>(exampleSentenceSnapshot.Id);
         exampleSentence.Text.Should().Be("Hello, world!");
         exampleSentence.DefinitionId.Should().Be(definitionId);
     }
diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs
index 8700460..90bed26 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/ModelSnapshotTests.cs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public async Task ModelSnapshotShowsMultipleChanges()
         var secondChange = await WriteNextChange(SetWord(entityId, "second"));
         var snapshot = await DataModel.GetProjectSnapshot();
         var simpleSnapshot = snapshot.Snapshots.Values.First();
-        var entry = (Word) await DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(simpleSnapshot.Id);
+        var entry = await DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Word>(simpleSnapshot.Id);
         entry.Text.Should().Be("second");
         snapshot.LastChange.Should().Be(secondChange.DateTime);
     }
diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/SyncTests.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/SyncTests.cs
index 221f04f..4e3f0c0 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/SyncTests.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony.Tests/SyncTests.cs
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ public async Task CanSyncSimpleChange()
         var client1Snapshot = await _client1.DataModel.GetProjectSnapshot();
         var client2Snapshot = await _client2.DataModel.GetProjectSnapshot();
         client1Snapshot.LastCommitHash.Should().Be(client2Snapshot.LastCommitHash);
-        var client2Entity1 = (Word) await _client2.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(client2Snapshot.Snapshots[entity1Id].Id);
+        var client2Entity1 = await _client2.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Word>(client2Snapshot.Snapshots[entity1Id].Id);
         client2Entity1.Text.Should().Be("entity1");
-        var client1Entity2 = (Word) await _client1.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(client1Snapshot.Snapshots[entity2Id].Id);
+        var client1Entity2 = await _client1.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Word>(client1Snapshot.Snapshots[entity2Id].Id);
         client1Entity2.Text.Should().Be("entity2");
     }
 
@@ -93,12 +93,12 @@ public async Task SyncMultipleClientChanges(int clientCount)
         serverSnapshot.Snapshots.Should().HaveCount(clientCount + 1);
         foreach (var entitySnapshot in serverSnapshot.Snapshots.Values)
         {
-            var serverEntity = (Word) await _client1.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(entitySnapshot.Id);
+            var serverEntity = await _client1.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Word>(entitySnapshot.Id);
             foreach (var client in clients)
             {
                 var clientSnapshot = await client.DataModel.GetProjectSnapshot();
                 var simpleSnapshot = clientSnapshot.Snapshots.Should().ContainKey(entitySnapshot.EntityId).WhoseValue;
-                var entity = (Word) await client.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId(simpleSnapshot.Id);
+                var entity = await client.DataModel.GetBySnapshotId<Word>(simpleSnapshot.Id);
                 entity.Should().BeEquivalentTo(serverEntity);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs
index 176bb7a..a0e0292 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony/DataModel.cs
@@ -219,9 +219,9 @@ public IQueryable<T> GetLatestObjects<T>() where T : class
         return q;
     }
 
-    public async Task<object> GetBySnapshotId(Guid snapshotId)
+    public async Task<T> GetBySnapshotId<T>(Guid snapshotId)
     {
-        return await _crdtRepository.GetObjectBySnapshotId(snapshotId);
+        return await _crdtRepository.GetObjectBySnapshotId<T>(snapshotId);
     }
 
     public async Task<Dictionary<Guid, ObjectSnapshot>> GetSnapshotsAt(DateTimeOffset dateTime)
diff --git a/src/SIL.Harmony/Db/CrdtRepository.cs b/src/SIL.Harmony/Db/CrdtRepository.cs
index 2a4ea39..bb94e70 100644
--- a/src/SIL.Harmony/Db/CrdtRepository.cs
+++ b/src/SIL.Harmony/Db/CrdtRepository.cs
@@ -158,14 +158,14 @@ public async Task<Commit[]> GetCommitsAfter(Commit? commit)
             .LastOrDefaultAsync(s => s.EntityId == objectId && (ignoreChangesAfter == null || s.Commit.DateTime <= ignoreChangesAfter));
     }
 
-    public async Task<object> GetObjectBySnapshotId(Guid snapshotId)
+    public async Task<T> GetObjectBySnapshotId<T>(Guid snapshotId)
     {
         var entity = await Snapshots
                          .Where(s => s.Id == snapshotId)
                          .Select(s => s.Entity)
                          .SingleOrDefaultAsync()
                      ?? throw new ArgumentException($"unable to find snapshot with id {snapshotId}");
-        return entity;
+        return (T) entity;
     }
 
     public async Task<T?> GetCurrent<T>(Guid objectId) where T: class