diff --git a/radicle/src/cob/change.rs b/radicle/src/cob/change.rs
index 61a51847..58920fdf 100644
--- a/radicle/src/cob/change.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/cob/change.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,25 @@
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use thiserror::Error;
+
+use radicle_cob::history::EntryWithClock;
 use radicle_crdt::clock;
 use radicle_crdt::clock::Lamport;
 use radicle_crypto::{PublicKey, Signer};
-use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 /// Identifies a change.
 pub type ChangeId = (Lamport, ActorId);
 /// The author of a change.
 pub type ActorId = PublicKey;
 
+/// Error decoding a change from an entry.
+#[derive(Error, Debug)]
+pub enum ChangeDecodeError {
+    #[error("deserialization from json failed: {0}")]
+    Deserialize(#[from] serde_json::Error),
+}
+
 /// The `Change` is the unit of replication.
 /// Everything that can be done in the system is represented by a `Change` object.
 /// Changes are applied to an accumulator to yield a final state.
@@ -25,6 +35,21 @@ pub struct Change<A> {
     pub timestamp: clock::Physical,
 }
 
+impl<'a: 'de, 'de, A: serde::Deserialize<'de>> TryFrom<&'a EntryWithClock> for Change<A> {
+    type Error = ChangeDecodeError;
+
+    fn try_from(entry: &'a EntryWithClock) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        let action = serde_json::from_slice(entry.contents())?;
+
+        Ok(Change {
+            action,
+            author: *entry.actor(),
+            clock: entry.clock().into(),
+            timestamp: entry.timestamp().into(),
+        })
+    }
+}
+
 impl<A> Change<A> {
     /// Get the change id.
     pub fn id(&self) -> ChangeId {
diff --git a/radicle/src/cob/issue.rs b/radicle/src/cob/issue.rs
index 71a8e82a..bfa90691 100644
--- a/radicle/src/cob/issue.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/cob/issue.rs
@@ -111,13 +111,8 @@ impl store::FromHistory for Issue {
         history: &radicle_cob::History,
     ) -> Result<(Self, clock::Lamport), store::Error> {
         let obj = history.traverse(Self::default(), |mut acc, entry| {
-            if let Ok(action) = Action::decode(entry.contents()) {
-                if let Err(err) = acc.apply(Change {
-                    action,
-                    author: *entry.actor(),
-                    clock: entry.clock().into(),
-                    timestamp: entry.timestamp().into(),
-                }) {
+            if let Ok(change) = Change::try_from(entry) {
+                if let Err(err) = acc.apply(change) {
                     log::warn!("Error applying change to issue state: {err}");
                     return ControlFlow::Break(acc);
                 }
@@ -394,12 +389,6 @@ pub enum Action {
     Thread { action: thread::Action },
 }
 
-impl Action {
-    pub fn decode(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, serde_json::Error> {
-        serde_json::from_slice(bytes)
-    }
-}
-
 impl From<thread::Action> for Action {
     fn from(action: thread::Action) -> Self {
         Self::Thread { action }
diff --git a/radicle/src/cob/patch.rs b/radicle/src/cob/patch.rs
index c21e7214..875f79b7 100644
--- a/radicle/src/cob/patch.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/cob/patch.rs
@@ -99,12 +99,6 @@ pub enum Action {
     },
 }
 
-impl Action {
-    pub fn decode(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, serde_json::Error> {
-        serde_json::from_slice(bytes)
-    }
-}
-
 /// Where a patch is intended to be merged.
 #[derive(Default, Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
@@ -332,13 +326,8 @@ impl store::FromHistory for Patch {
         history: &radicle_cob::History,
     ) -> Result<(Self, clock::Lamport), store::Error> {
         let obj = history.traverse(Self::default(), |mut acc, entry| {
-            if let Ok(action) = Action::decode(entry.contents()) {
-                if let Err(err) = acc.apply([Change {
-                    action,
-                    author: *entry.actor(),
-                    clock: entry.clock().into(),
-                    timestamp: entry.timestamp().into(),
-                }]) {
+            if let Ok(change) = Change::try_from(entry) {
+                if let Err(err) = acc.apply([change]) {
                     log::warn!("Error applying change to patch state: {err}");
                     return ControlFlow::Break(acc);
                 }
diff --git a/radicle/src/cob/thread.rs b/radicle/src/cob/thread.rs
index b833fde2..78e771bd 100644
--- a/radicle/src/cob/thread.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/cob/thread.rs
@@ -78,13 +78,6 @@ pub enum Action {
     },
 }
 
-impl Action {
-    /// Deserialize an action from a byte string.
-    pub fn decode(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, serde_json::Error> {
-        serde_json::from_slice(bytes)
-    }
-}
-
 /// A discussion thread.
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Thread {
@@ -103,13 +96,8 @@ impl store::FromHistory for Thread {
 
     fn from_history(history: &History) -> Result<(Self, Lamport), store::Error> {
         let obj = history.traverse(Thread::default(), |mut acc, entry| {
-            if let Ok(action) = Action::decode(entry.contents()) {
-                acc.apply([Change {
-                    action,
-                    author: *entry.actor(),
-                    clock: entry.clock().into(),
-                    timestamp: entry.timestamp().into(),
-                }]);
+            if let Ok(change) = Change::try_from(entry) {
+                acc.apply([change]);
                 ControlFlow::Continue(acc)
             } else {
                 ControlFlow::Break(acc)