diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 210d00bc7..85426c9ba 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ and this project adheres to
   `503` instead of denying access like a permission failure, so clients retry
   instead of giving up. The built-in endpoints can also answer JSON on
   `Accept: application/json`
+- ✨(collaboration) add a get-ydoc endpoint on yhub
 - ✨(backend) call YHubService to seed initial document content
 - ✨(backend) reset the yhub connections of a document and its descendants
   when an access or the link configuration changes
diff --git a/src/backend/core/services/yhub_services.py b/src/backend/core/services/yhub_services.py
index ebab7cad3..c0f74c208 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/services/yhub_services.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/services/yhub_services.py
@@ -190,6 +190,19 @@ class YHubService:
 
         return response
 
+    def get_ydoc(self, document):
+        """
+        Return the current Yjs state of a document, None when it has none.
+
+        The raw update is what `create_ydoc` takes, so the state of a document
+        can be copied into another one. The built-in `ydoc` endpoint is not
+        used, it answers the lib0 encoding of an envelope rather than the
+        update itself.
+        """
+        response = self.request("get", self.build_url("get-ydoc", document))
+
+        return response.content or None
+
     def create_ydoc(self, document, update):
         """
         Seed the initial Yjs state of a document.
diff --git a/src/backend/core/tests/test_services_yhub_services.py b/src/backend/core/tests/test_services_yhub_services.py
index e1b966a57..a9dfaf7c4 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/tests/test_services_yhub_services.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/tests/test_services_yhub_services.py
@@ -222,3 +222,29 @@ def test_reset_connections_of_a_single_user(mock_request):
 
     _args, kwargs = mock_request.call_args
     assert kwargs["headers"]["X-User-Id"] == str(user.pk)
+
+
+@patch("requests.request")
+def test_get_ydoc(mock_request):
+    """Should return the raw update the collaboration server holds."""
+    mock_request.return_value.ok = True
+    mock_request.return_value.content = b"\x01\x02raw yjs update"
+
+    update = YHubService().get_ydoc(DOCUMENT)
+
+    assert update == b"\x01\x02raw yjs update"
+    args, _kwargs = mock_request.call_args
+    assert args == (
+        "get",
+        f"http://yhub:3002/collaboration/get-ydoc/v1/docs/{DOCUMENT.id!s}",
+    )
+
+
+@patch("requests.request")
+def test_get_ydoc_without_content(mock_request):
+    """A document the collaboration server holds no content for should return None."""
+    mock_request.return_value.ok = True
+    # yhub answers 204 No Content, hence an empty body
+    mock_request.return_value.content = b""
+
+    assert YHubService().get_ydoc(DOCUMENT) is None
diff --git a/src/yhub-server/server.js b/src/yhub-server/server.js
index 029c9cb1c..f2d3e293a 100644
--- a/src/yhub-server/server.js
+++ b/src/yhub-server/server.js
@@ -340,6 +340,37 @@ const api = [
       },
     },
   }),
+  // GET /collaboration/get-ydoc/v1/{org}/{docid} — the current state of a
+  // document as a RAW binary update (`Y.encodeStateAsUpdate` output), the read
+  // counterpart of create-ydoc: yhub's built-in `GET ydoc` answers a lib0-any
+  // encoded `{ doc, awareness }` envelope Django cannot decode. Answers 204
+  // when the room holds no content. Default access purpose: guarded like the
+  // built-in ydoc routes (read access on the doc — the admin JWT, or a user
+  // session able to retrieve it).
+  createApiEndpoint('get-ydoc', {
+    get: {
+      handler: async (req) => {
+        if (req.org !== ORG) {
+          return jsonResponse(400, { error: 'Unknown org' });
+        }
+        if (!UUID4.test(req.docid)) {
+          return jsonResponse(400, { error: 'Room name is invalid' });
+        }
+        const { gcDoc } = await req.yhub.getDoc(
+          req.room,
+          { gc: true, nongc: false },
+          { gcOnMerge: false },
+        );
+        // <= 3 bytes is yhub's "no effective content" convention (an empty
+        // update encodes to 2 bytes) — nothing to copy. `null` answers 204.
+        if (gcDoc == null || gcDoc.byteLength <= 3) {
+          return null;
+        }
+        // a Uint8Array is served as application/octet-stream, untouched
+        return gcDoc;
+      },
+    },
+  }),
   // POST /collaboration/create-ydoc/v1/{org}/{docid} — create a document's
   // initial Yjs state from a RAW binary update (`Y.encodeStateAsUpdate` /
   // pycrdt `get_update()` output) posted as application/octet-stream. Unlike