diff --git a/services/docstore/app.js b/services/docstore/app.js
index 7cb774b9f8..75154471be 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app.js
+++ b/services/docstore/app.js
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ app.get('/project/:project_id/ranges', HttpController.getAllRanges)
 app.get('/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id', HttpController.getDoc)
 app.get('/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id/deleted', HttpController.isDocDeleted)
 app.get('/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id/raw', HttpController.getRawDoc)
+app.get('/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id/peek', HttpController.peekDoc)
 // Add 64kb overhead for the JSON encoding, and double the size to allow for ranges in the json payload
 app.post(
   '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id',
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ app.use(function (error, req, res, next) {
   logger.error({ err: error, req }, 'request errored')
   if (error instanceof Errors.NotFoundError) {
     return res.sendStatus(404)
+  } else if (error instanceof Errors.DocModifiedError) {
+    return res.sendStatus(409)
   } else {
     return res.status(500).send('Oops, something went wrong')
   }
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/js/DocArchiveManager.js b/services/docstore/app/js/DocArchiveManager.js
index dcd713eb62..edd920833d 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/js/DocArchiveManager.js
+++ b/services/docstore/app/js/DocArchiveManager.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ module.exports = {
   unarchiveDoc: callbackify(unarchiveDoc),
   destroyAllDocs: callbackify(destroyAllDocs),
   destroyDoc: callbackify(destroyDoc),
+  getDoc: callbackify(getDoc),
   promises: {
     archiveAllDocs,
     archiveDocById,
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ module.exports = {
     unarchiveDoc,
     destroyAllDocs,
     destroyDoc,
+    getDoc,
   },
 }
 
@@ -125,38 +127,17 @@ async function unArchiveAllDocs(projectId) {
   }
 }
 
-async function unarchiveDoc(projectId, docId) {
-  logger.log(
-    { project_id: projectId, doc_id: docId },
-    'getting doc from persistor'
-  )
-  const originalDoc = await MongoManager.findDoc(projectId, docId, { inS3: 1 })
-  if (!originalDoc.inS3) {
-    // return if it's not actually in S3 as there's nothing to do
-    return
-  }
+// get the doc from the PersistorManager without storing it in mongo
+async function getDoc(projectId, docId) {
   const key = `${projectId}/${docId}`
-  let stream, sourceMd5
-  try {
-    sourceMd5 = await PersistorManager.getObjectMd5Hash(
-      settings.docstore.bucket,
-      key
-    )
-    stream = await PersistorManager.getObjectStream(
-      settings.docstore.bucket,
-      key
-    )
-  } catch (err) {
-    // if we get a 404, we could be in a race and something else has unarchived the doc already
-    if (err instanceof Errors.NotFoundError) {
-      const doc = await MongoManager.findDoc(projectId, docId, { inS3: 1 })
-      if (!doc.inS3) {
-        // the doc has been archived while we were looking for it, so no error
-        return
-      }
-    }
-    throw err
-  }
+  const sourceMd5 = await PersistorManager.getObjectMd5Hash(
+    settings.docstore.bucket,
+    key
+  )
+  const stream = await PersistorManager.getObjectStream(
+    settings.docstore.bucket,
+    key
+  )
   stream.resume()
   const json = await _streamToString(stream)
   const md5 = crypto.createHash('md5').update(json).digest('hex')
@@ -181,6 +162,36 @@ async function unarchiveDoc(projectId, docId) {
   } else {
     throw new Error("I don't understand the doc format in s3")
   }
+
+  return mongoDoc
+}
+
+// get the doc and unarchive it to mongo
+async function unarchiveDoc(projectId, docId) {
+  logger.log(
+    { project_id: projectId, doc_id: docId },
+    'getting doc from persistor'
+  )
+  const key = `${projectId}/${docId}`
+  const originalDoc = await MongoManager.findDoc(projectId, docId, { inS3: 1 })
+  if (!originalDoc.inS3) {
+    // return if it's not actually in S3 as there's nothing to do
+    return
+  }
+  let mongoDoc
+  try {
+    mongoDoc = await getDoc(projectId, docId)
+  } catch (err) {
+    // if we get a 404, we could be in a race and something else has unarchived the doc already
+    if (err instanceof Errors.NotFoundError) {
+      const doc = await MongoManager.findDoc(projectId, docId, { inS3: 1 })
+      if (!doc.inS3) {
+        // the doc has been archived while we were looking for it, so no error
+        return
+      }
+    }
+    throw err
+  }
   await MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection(projectId, docId, mongoDoc)
   await PersistorManager.deleteObject(settings.docstore.bucket, key)
 }
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/js/DocManager.js b/services/docstore/app/js/DocManager.js
index 51a974d5a7..51e3beaf27 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/js/DocManager.js
+++ b/services/docstore/app/js/DocManager.js
@@ -124,6 +124,70 @@ module.exports = DocManager = {
     )
   },
 
+  // returns the doc without any version information
+  _peekRawDoc(project_id, doc_id, callback) {
+    MongoManager.findDoc(
+      project_id,
+      doc_id,
+      {
+        lines: true,
+        rev: true,
+        deleted: true,
+        version: true,
+        ranges: true,
+        inS3: true,
+      },
+      (err, doc) => {
+        if (err) return callback(err)
+        if (doc == null) {
+          return callback(
+            new Errors.NotFoundError(
+              `No such doc: ${doc_id} in project ${project_id}`
+            )
+          )
+        }
+        if (doc && !doc.inS3) {
+          return callback(null, doc)
+        }
+        // skip the unarchiving to mongo when getting a doc
+        DocArchive.getDoc(project_id, doc_id, function (err, archivedDoc) {
+          if (err != null) {
+            logger.err(
+              { err, project_id, doc_id },
+              'error getting doc from archive'
+            )
+            return callback(err)
+          }
+          doc = _.extend(doc, archivedDoc)
+          callback(null, doc)
+        })
+      }
+    )
+  },
+
+  // get the doc from mongo if possible, or from the persistent store otherwise,
+  // without unarchiving it (avoids unnecessary writes to mongo)
+  peekDoc(project_id, doc_id, callback) {
+    DocManager._peekRawDoc(project_id, doc_id, (err, doc) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return callback(err)
+      }
+      MongoManager.withRevCheck(
+        doc,
+        MongoManager.getDocVersion,
+        function (error, version) {
+          // If the doc has been modified while we were retrieving it, we
+          // will get a DocModified error
+          if (error != null) {
+            return callback(error)
+          }
+          doc.version = version
+          return callback(err, doc)
+        }
+      )
+    })
+  },
+
   getDocLines(project_id, doc_id, callback) {
     if (callback == null) {
       callback = function (err, doc) {}
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/js/Errors.js b/services/docstore/app/js/Errors.js
index 4eaa5481d3..3cf5ad74a4 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/js/Errors.js
+++ b/services/docstore/app/js/Errors.js
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ const { Errors } = require('@overleaf/object-persistor')
 
 class Md5MismatchError extends OError {}
 
+class DocModifiedError extends OError {}
+
 module.exports = {
   Md5MismatchError,
+  DocModifiedError,
   ...Errors,
 }
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/js/HttpController.js b/services/docstore/app/js/HttpController.js
index f53c9068bc..7e901c4357 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/js/HttpController.js
+++ b/services/docstore/app/js/HttpController.js
@@ -44,6 +44,23 @@ module.exports = HttpController = {
     })
   },
 
+  peekDoc(req, res, next) {
+    const { project_id } = req.params
+    const { doc_id } = req.params
+    logger.log({ project_id, doc_id }, 'peeking doc')
+    DocManager.peekDoc(project_id, doc_id, function (error, doc) {
+      if (error) {
+        return next(error)
+      }
+      if (doc == null) {
+        return res.sendStatus(404)
+      } else {
+        res.setHeader('x-doc-status', doc.inS3 ? 'archived' : 'active')
+        return res.json(HttpController._buildDocView(doc))
+      }
+    })
+  },
+
   isDocDeleted(req, res, next) {
     const { doc_id: docId, project_id: projectId } = req.params
     DocManager.isDocDeleted(projectId, docId, function (error, deleted) {
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/js/MongoManager.js b/services/docstore/app/js/MongoManager.js
index 5434db581d..263a162516 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/js/MongoManager.js
+++ b/services/docstore/app/js/MongoManager.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const { db, ObjectId } = require('./mongodb')
 const logger = require('logger-sharelatex')
 const metrics = require('@overleaf/metrics')
 const Settings = require('@overleaf/settings')
+const Errors = require('./Errors')
 const { promisify } = require('util')
 
 module.exports = MongoManager = {
@@ -178,6 +179,45 @@ module.exports = MongoManager = {
     )
   },
 
+  getDocRev(doc_id, callback) {
+    db.docs.findOne(
+      {
+        _id: ObjectId(doc_id.toString()),
+      },
+      {
+        projection: { rev: 1 },
+      },
+      function (err, doc) {
+        if (err != null) {
+          return callback(err)
+        }
+        callback(null, doc && doc.rev)
+      }
+    )
+  },
+
+  // Helper method  to support optimistic locking. Call the provided method for
+  // an existing doc and return the result if the rev in mongo is unchanged when
+  // checked afterwards. If the rev has changed, return a DocModifiedError.
+  withRevCheck(doc, method, callback) {
+    method(doc._id, function (err, result) {
+      if (err) return callback(err)
+      MongoManager.getDocRev(doc._id, function (err, currentRev) {
+        if (err) return callback(err)
+        if (doc.rev !== currentRev) {
+          return callback(
+            new Errors.DocModifiedError('doc rev has changed', {
+              doc_id: doc._id,
+              rev: doc.rev,
+              currentRev,
+            })
+          )
+        }
+        return callback(null, result)
+      })
+    })
+  },
+
   destroyDoc(doc_id, callback) {
     db.docs.deleteOne(
       {
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/ArchiveDocsTests.js b/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/ArchiveDocsTests.js
index 2dc02152d9..381e90fabd 100644
--- a/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/ArchiveDocsTests.js
+++ b/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/ArchiveDocsTests.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * DS207: Consider shorter variations of null checks
  * Full docs: https://github.com/decaffeinate/decaffeinate/blob/master/docs/suggestions.md
  */
-process.env.BACKEND = 'gcs'
+
 const Settings = require('@overleaf/settings')
 const { expect } = require('chai')
 const { db, ObjectId } = require('../../../app/js/mongodb')
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/GettingDocsFromArchiveTest.js b/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/GettingDocsFromArchiveTest.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4dddbb862d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/GettingDocsFromArchiveTest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+const Settings = require('@overleaf/settings')
+const { ObjectId } = require('../../../app/js/mongodb')
+const DocstoreApp = require('./helpers/DocstoreApp')
+const DocstoreClient = require('./helpers/DocstoreClient')
+const { Storage } = require('@google-cloud/storage')
+
+describe('Getting A Doc from Archive', function () {
+  before(function (done) {
+    return DocstoreApp.ensureRunning(done)
+  })
+
+  before(async function () {
+    const storage = new Storage(Settings.docstore.gcs.endpoint)
+    await storage.createBucket(Settings.docstore.bucket)
+    await storage.createBucket(`${Settings.docstore.bucket}-deleted`)
+  })
+
+  describe('for an archived doc', function () {
+    before(function (done) {
+      this.project_id = ObjectId()
+      this.timeout(1000 * 30)
+      this.doc = {
+        _id: ObjectId(),
+        lines: ['foo', 'bar'],
+        ranges: {},
+        version: 2,
+      }
+      DocstoreClient.createDoc(
+        this.project_id,
+        this.doc._id,
+        this.doc.lines,
+        this.doc.version,
+        this.doc.ranges,
+        error => {
+          if (error) {
+            return done(error)
+          }
+          DocstoreClient.archiveDocById(
+            this.project_id,
+            this.doc._id,
+            (error, res) => {
+              this.res = res
+              if (error) {
+                return done(error)
+              }
+              done()
+            }
+          )
+        }
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should successully archive the doc', function (done) {
+      this.res.statusCode.should.equal(204)
+      done()
+    })
+
+    it('should return the doc lines and version from persistent storage', function (done) {
+      return DocstoreClient.peekDoc(
+        this.project_id,
+        this.doc._id,
+        {},
+        (error, res, doc) => {
+          res.statusCode.should.equal(200)
+          res.headers['x-doc-status'].should.equal('archived')
+          doc.lines.should.deep.equal(this.doc.lines)
+          doc.version.should.equal(this.doc.version)
+          doc.ranges.should.deep.equal(this.doc.ranges)
+          return done()
+        }
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should return the doc lines and version from persistent storage on subsequent requests', function (done) {
+      return DocstoreClient.peekDoc(
+        this.project_id,
+        this.doc._id,
+        {},
+        (error, res, doc) => {
+          res.statusCode.should.equal(200)
+          res.headers['x-doc-status'].should.equal('archived')
+          doc.lines.should.deep.equal(this.doc.lines)
+          doc.version.should.equal(this.doc.version)
+          doc.ranges.should.deep.equal(this.doc.ranges)
+          return done()
+        }
+      )
+    })
+
+    describe('for an non-archived doc', function () {
+      before(function (done) {
+        this.project_id = ObjectId()
+        this.timeout(1000 * 30)
+        this.doc = {
+          _id: ObjectId(),
+          lines: ['foo', 'bar'],
+          ranges: {},
+          version: 2,
+        }
+        DocstoreClient.createDoc(
+          this.project_id,
+          this.doc._id,
+          this.doc.lines,
+          this.doc.version,
+          this.doc.ranges,
+          done
+        )
+      })
+
+      it('should return the doc lines and version from mongo', function (done) {
+        return DocstoreClient.peekDoc(
+          this.project_id,
+          this.doc._id,
+          {},
+          (error, res, doc) => {
+            res.statusCode.should.equal(200)
+            res.headers['x-doc-status'].should.equal('active')
+            doc.lines.should.deep.equal(this.doc.lines)
+            doc.version.should.equal(this.doc.version)
+            doc.ranges.should.deep.equal(this.doc.ranges)
+            return done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/helpers/DocstoreClient.js b/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/helpers/DocstoreClient.js
index 1164540bd3..1af9f10ce7 100644
--- a/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/helpers/DocstoreClient.js
+++ b/services/docstore/test/acceptance/js/helpers/DocstoreClient.js
@@ -60,6 +60,17 @@ module.exports = DocstoreClient = {
     )
   },
 
+  peekDoc(project_id, doc_id, qs, callback) {
+    request.get(
+      {
+        url: `http://localhost:${settings.internal.docstore.port}/project/${project_id}/doc/${doc_id}/peek`,
+        json: true,
+        qs,
+      },
+      callback
+    )
+  },
+
   isDocDeleted(project_id, doc_id, callback) {
     request.get(
       {
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/setup.js b/services/docstore/test/setup.js
index fbf29a495b..e45df5834f 100644
--- a/services/docstore/test/setup.js
+++ b/services/docstore/test/setup.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ const sinonChai = require('sinon-chai')
 const chaiAsPromised = require('chai-as-promised')
 const SandboxedModule = require('sandboxed-module')
 
+process.env.BACKEND = 'gcs'
+
 // Chai configuration
 chai.should()
 chai.use(sinonChai)
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/unit/js/MongoManagerTests.js b/services/docstore/test/unit/js/MongoManagerTests.js
index 50cc8268c3..5bfcb3c179 100644
--- a/services/docstore/test/unit/js/MongoManagerTests.js
+++ b/services/docstore/test/unit/js/MongoManagerTests.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const modulePath = require('path').join(
 )
 const { ObjectId } = require('mongodb')
 const { assert } = require('chai')
+const Errors = require('../../../app/js/Errors')
 
 describe('MongoManager', function () {
   beforeEach(function () {
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ describe('MongoManager', function () {
         },
         '@overleaf/metrics': { timeAsyncMethod: sinon.stub() },
         '@overleaf/settings': { max_deleted_docs: 42 },
+        './Errors': Errors,
       },
     })
     this.project_id = ObjectId().toString()
@@ -305,7 +307,7 @@ describe('MongoManager', function () {
     })
   })
 
-  return describe('setDocVersion', function () {
+  describe('setDocVersion', function () {
     beforeEach(function () {
       this.version = 42
       this.db.docOps.updateOne = sinon.stub().callsArg(3)
@@ -338,4 +340,36 @@ describe('MongoManager', function () {
       return this.callback.called.should.equal(true)
     })
   })
+
+  describe('withRevCheck', function () {
+    this.beforeEach(function () {
+      this.doc = { _id: ObjectId(), name: 'mock-doc', rev: 1 }
+      this.testFunction = sinon.stub().yields(null, 'foo')
+    })
+
+    it('should call the callback when the rev has not changed', function (done) {
+      this.db.docs.findOne = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, { rev: 1 })
+      this.MongoManager.withRevCheck(
+        this.doc,
+        this.testFunction,
+        (err, result) => {
+          result.should.equal('foo')
+          assert.isNull(err)
+          done()
+        }
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should return an error when the rev has changed', function (done) {
+      this.db.docs.findOne = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, { rev: 2 })
+      this.MongoManager.withRevCheck(
+        this.doc,
+        this.testFunction,
+        (err, result) => {
+          err.should.be.instanceof(Errors.DocModifiedError)
+          done()
+        }
+      )
+    })
+  })
 })