diff --git a/controller/Database.py b/controller/Database.py
index 8472e2b..0fb3a33 100644
--- a/controller/Database.py
+++ b/controller/Database.py
@@ -142,6 +142,57 @@ class Database( object ):
 
     return obj
 
+  @async
+  def reload( self, object_id, callback = None ):
+    """
+    Load and immediately save the object corresponding to the given object id or database key. This
+    is useful when the object has a __setstate__() method that performs some sort of schema
+    evolution operation.
+
+    @type object_id: unicode
+    @param object_id: id or key of the object to reload
+    @type callback: generator or NoneType
+    @param callback: generator to wakeup when the save is complete (optional)
+    """
+    self.__reload( object_id )
+    yield callback
+
+  def __reload( self, object_id, revision = None ):
+    object_id = unicode( object_id ).encode( "utf8" )
+
+    # grab the object for the given id from the database
+    buffer = StringIO()
+    unpickler = cPickle.Unpickler( buffer )
+    unpickler.persistent_load = self.__load
+
+    pickled = self.__db.get( object_id )
+    if pickled is None or pickled == "":
+      return
+
+    buffer.write( pickled )
+    buffer.flush()
+    buffer.seek( 0 )
+
+    # unpickle the object. this should trigger __setstate__() if the object has such a method
+    obj = unpickler.load()
+    if obj is None:
+      print "error unpickling %s: %s" % ( object_id, pickled )
+      return
+    self.__cache[ object_id ] = obj
+
+    # set the pickler up to save persistent ids for every object except for the obj passed in, which
+    # will be pickled normally
+    buffer = StringIO()
+    pickler = cPickle.Pickler( buffer, protocol = -1 )
+    pickler.persistent_id = lambda o: self.__persistent_id( o, skip = obj )
+
+    # pickle the object and write it to the database under its id key
+    pickler.dump( obj )
+    pickled = buffer.getvalue()
+    self.__db.put( object_id, pickled )
+
+    self.__db.sync()
+
   @staticmethod
   def generate_id():
     int_id = random.getrandbits( Database.ID_BITS )
diff --git a/controller/test/Test_database.py b/controller/test/Test_database.py
index ae7b80d..c26421d 100644
--- a/controller/test/Test_database.py
+++ b/controller/test/Test_database.py
@@ -168,6 +168,73 @@ class Test_database( object ):
     self.scheduler.add( g )
     self.scheduler.wait_for( g )
 
+  def test_reload( self ):
+    def gen():
+      basic_obj = Some_object( object_id = "5", value = 1 )
+
+      self.database.save( basic_obj, self.scheduler.thread )
+      yield Scheduler.SLEEP
+      if self.clear_cache: self.database.clear_cache()
+
+      def setstate( self, state ):
+        state[ "_Some_object__value" ] = 55
+        self.__dict__.update( state )
+
+      Some_object.__setstate__ = setstate
+
+      self.database.reload( basic_obj.object_id, self.scheduler.thread )
+      yield Scheduler.SLEEP
+      delattr( Some_object, "__setstate__" )
+      if self.clear_cache: self.database.clear_cache()
+
+      self.database.load( basic_obj.object_id, self.scheduler.thread )
+      obj = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
+
+      assert obj.object_id == basic_obj.object_id
+      assert obj.value == 55
+
+    g = gen()
+    self.scheduler.add( g )
+    self.scheduler.wait_for( g )
+
+  def test_reload_revision( self ):
+    def gen():
+      basic_obj = Some_object( object_id = "5", value = 1 )
+      original_revision = basic_obj.revision
+      original_revision_id = basic_obj.revision_id()
+
+      self.database.save( basic_obj, self.scheduler.thread )
+      yield Scheduler.SLEEP
+      if self.clear_cache: self.database.clear_cache()
+
+      basic_obj.value = 2
+
+      self.database.save( basic_obj, self.scheduler.thread )
+      yield Scheduler.SLEEP
+      if self.clear_cache: self.database.clear_cache()
+
+      def setstate( self, state ):
+        state[ "_Some_object__value" ] = 55
+        self.__dict__.update( state )
+
+      Some_object.__setstate__ = setstate
+
+      self.database.reload( original_revision_id, self.scheduler.thread )
+      yield Scheduler.SLEEP
+      delattr( Some_object, "__setstate__" )
+      if self.clear_cache: self.database.clear_cache()
+
+      self.database.load( basic_obj.object_id, self.scheduler.thread, revision = original_revision )
+      obj = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
+
+      assert obj.object_id == basic_obj.object_id
+      assert obj.revision == original_revision
+      assert obj.value == 55
+
+    g = gen()
+    self.scheduler.add( g )
+    self.scheduler.wait_for( g )
+
   def test_next_id( self ):
     def gen():
       self.database.next_id( self.scheduler.thread )