diff --git a/src/datatype/get-if-exists.js b/src/datatype/get-if-exists.js
index b8cd7130..4f5f4f98 100644
--- a/src/datatype/get-if-exists.js
+++ b/src/datatype/get-if-exists.js
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@ import { NotFoundError } from '../errors.js'
 /** @import { MapeoDocMap, MapeoValueMap } from '../types.js' */
 /** @import { DataType, MapeoDocTables } from './index.js' */
 
+/**
+ * @template T
+ * @param {() => PromiseLike<T>} fn
+ * @returns {Promise<null | T>}
+ */
+async function nullIfNotFound(fn) {
+  try {
+    return await fn()
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof NotFoundError) return null
+    throw err
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * @template {MapeoDocTables} TTable
  * @template {TTable['_']['name']} TSchemaName
@@ -12,11 +26,17 @@ import { NotFoundError } from '../errors.js'
  * @param {string} docId
  * @returns {Promise<null | TDoc & { forks: string[] }>}
  */
-export async function getByDocIdIfExists(dataType, docId) {
-  try {
-    return await dataType.getByDocId(docId)
-  } catch (err) {
-    if (err instanceof NotFoundError) return null
-    throw err
-  }
-}
+export const getByDocIdIfExists = (dataType, docId) =>
+  nullIfNotFound(() => dataType.getByDocId(docId))
+
+/**
+ * @template {MapeoDocTables} TTable
+ * @template {TTable['_']['name']} TSchemaName
+ * @template {MapeoDocMap[TSchemaName]} TDoc
+ * @template {MapeoValueMap[TSchemaName]} TValue
+ * @param {DataType<DataStore, TTable, TSchemaName, TDoc, TValue>} dataType
+ * @param {string} versionId
+ * @returns {Promise<null | TDoc>}
+ */
+export const getByVersionIdIfExists = (dataType, versionId) =>
+  nullIfNotFound(() => dataType.getByVersionId(versionId))
diff --git a/src/roles.js b/src/roles.js
index 974b56eb..8df89781 100644
--- a/src/roles.js
+++ b/src/roles.js
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ import { currentSchemaVersions, parseVersionId } from '@comapeo/schema'
 import mapObject from 'map-obj'
 import { kCreateWithDocId, kDataStore } from './datatype/index.js'
 import { assert, setHas } from './utils.js'
-import { NotFoundError } from './errors.js'
-import { getByDocIdIfExists } from './datatype/get-if-exists.js'
+import {
+  getByDocIdIfExists,
+  getByVersionIdIfExists,
+} from './datatype/get-if-exists.js'
 import { TypedEmitter } from 'tiny-typed-emitter'
 /** @import { Role as RoleRecord } from '@comapeo/schema' */
 /** @import { ReadonlyDeep } from 'type-fest' */
@@ -417,13 +419,8 @@ export class Roles extends TypedEmitter {
    * @param {string} versionId
    * @returns {Promise<null | RoleRecord>}
    */
-  async #getRoleRecordByVersionId(versionId) {
-    try {
-      return await this.#dataType.getByVersionId(versionId)
-    } catch (err) {
-      if (err instanceof NotFoundError) return null
-      throw err
-    }
+  #getRoleRecordByVersionId(versionId) {
+    return getByVersionIdIfExists(this.#dataType, versionId)
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/data-type/get-if-exists.js b/test/data-type/get-if-exists.js
index f34021e0..2a70a751 100644
--- a/test/data-type/get-if-exists.js
+++ b/test/data-type/get-if-exists.js
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import { testenv } from './test-helpers.js'
 import test, { describe } from 'node:test'
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
-import { getByDocIdIfExists } from '../../src/datatype/get-if-exists.js'
-import { valueOf } from '@comapeo/schema'
+import {
+  getByDocIdIfExists,
+  getByVersionIdIfExists,
+} from '../../src/datatype/get-if-exists.js'
+import { getVersionId, parseVersionId, valueOf } from '@comapeo/schema'
 import { generate } from '@mapeo/mock-data'
 
 describe('getByDocIdIfExists', () => {
@@ -18,3 +21,25 @@ describe('getByDocIdIfExists', () => {
     assert(await getByDocIdIfExists(dataType, observation.docId))
   })
 })
+
+describe('getByVersionIdIfExists', () => {
+  test('resolves with null if no document exists with that ID', async () => {
+    const { dataType } = await testenv()
+
+    const fixture = valueOf(generate('observation')[0])
+    const observation = await dataType.create(fixture)
+    const bogusVersionId = getVersionId({
+      ...parseVersionId(observation.versionId),
+      index: 9999999,
+    })
+
+    assert.equal(await getByVersionIdIfExists(dataType, bogusVersionId), null)
+  })
+
+  test('resolves with the document if it exists', async () => {
+    const { dataType } = await testenv()
+    const fixture = valueOf(generate('observation')[0])
+    const observation = await dataType.create(fixture)
+    assert(await getByVersionIdIfExists(dataType, observation.versionId))
+  })
+})