diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.h b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.h
index aca622e5994a..983df75b9d90 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.h
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.h
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ int kvs_get_treeobj (flux_t h, const char *key, char **treeobj);
  */
 int kvs_getat (flux_t h, const char *treeobj,
                const char *key, char **json_str);
+int kvs_get_dirat (flux_t h, const char *treeobj,
+                   const char *key, kvsdir_t **dirp);
+
 
 /* kvs_watch* is like kvs_get* except the registered callback is called
  * to set the value.  It will be called immediately to set the initial
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/libkvs.c b/src/modules/kvs/libkvs.c
index 1b2fd7108340..2b0289f6066b 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/libkvs.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/libkvs.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 
 struct kvsdir_struct {
     flux_t handle;
+    json_object *rootref; /* optional snapshot reference */
     char *key;
     json_object *o;
     int count;
@@ -136,17 +137,20 @@ void kvsdir_incref (kvsdir_t *dir)
 void kvsdir_destroy (kvsdir_t *dir)
 {
     if (--dir->usecount == 0) {
+        Jput (dir->rootref);
         free (dir->key);
         json_object_put (dir->o);
         free (dir);
     }
 }
 
-static kvsdir_t *kvsdir_alloc (flux_t handle, const char *key, json_object *o)
+static kvsdir_t *kvsdir_alloc (flux_t handle, json_object *rootref,
+                               const char *key, json_object *o)
 {
     kvsdir_t *dir = xzmalloc (sizeof (*dir));
 
     dir->handle = handle;
+    dir->rootref = Jget (rootref); /* may be NULL */
     dir->key = xstrdup (key);
     dir->o = o;
     json_object_get (dir->o);
@@ -326,6 +330,28 @@ int kvs_getat (flux_t h, const char *treeobj,
     return -1;
 }
 
+int kvs_get_dirat (flux_t h, const char *treeobj,
+                   const char *key, kvsdir_t **dir)
+{
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    JSON rootref = NULL;
+    int rc = -1;
+
+    if (!treeobj || !key || !dir || !(rootref = Jfromstr (treeobj))
+                                 || dirent_validate (rootref) < 0) {
+        errno = EINVAL;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (getobj (h, rootref, key, KVS_PROTO_READDIR, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    *dir = kvsdir_alloc (h, rootref, key, v);
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
+    Jput (rootref);
+    return rc;
+}
+
 /* deprecated */
 int kvs_get_obj (flux_t h, const char *key, JSON *val)
 {
@@ -353,7 +379,7 @@ int kvs_get_dir (flux_t h, kvsdir_t **dir, const char *fmt, ...)
     const char *k = strlen (key) > 0 ? key : ".";
     if (getobj (h, NULL, k, KVS_PROTO_READDIR, &v) < 0)
         goto done;
-    *dir = kvsdir_alloc (h, k, v);
+    *dir = kvsdir_alloc (h, NULL, k, v);
     rc = 0;
 done:
     Jput (v);
@@ -611,7 +637,7 @@ static int dispatch_watch (flux_t h, kvs_watcher_t *wp, json_object *val)
         }
         case WATCH_DIR: {
             kvs_set_dir_f set = wp->set;
-            kvsdir_t *dir = val ? kvsdir_alloc (h, wp->key, val) : NULL;
+            kvsdir_t *dir = val ? kvsdir_alloc (h, NULL, wp->key, val) : NULL;
             rc = set (wp->key, dir, wp->arg, errnum);
             if (dir)
                 kvsdir_destroy (dir);
@@ -810,7 +836,7 @@ int kvs_watch_once_dir (flux_t h, kvsdir_t **dirp, const char *fmt, ...)
     }
     if (*dirp)
         kvsdir_destroy (*dirp);
-    *dirp = kvsdir_alloc (h, key, val);
+    *dirp = kvsdir_alloc (h, NULL, key, val);
     rc = 0;
 done:
     if (val)
@@ -1342,45 +1368,40 @@ int kvs_dropcache (flux_t h)
  ** kvsdir_t convenience functions
  **/
 
-int kvsdir_get_obj (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, json_object **valp)
+static int dirgetobj (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name,
+                      int flags, json_object **val)
 {
-    char *key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    int rc = -1;
-    char *json_str = NULL;
-    JSON out;
+    char *key;
+    int rc;
 
-    if (kvs_get (dir->handle, key, &json_str) < 0)
-        goto done;
-    if (!(out = Jfromstr (json_str))) {
-        errno = EPROTO;
-        goto done;
-    }
-    *valp = out;
-    rc = 0;
-done:
+    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
+    rc = getobj (dir->handle, dir->rootref, key, flags, val);
     free (key);
-    if (json_str)
-        free (json_str);
     return rc;
 }
 
-int kvsdir_get (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, char **valp)
+int kvsdir_get_obj (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, json_object **valp)
 {
-    char *key;
-    int rc;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    return dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, valp);
+}
 
-    return rc;
+int kvsdir_get (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, char **valp)
+{
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, &v) < 0)
+        return -1;
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = xstrdup (Jtostr (v));
+    Jput (v);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_dir (kvsdir_t *dir, kvsdir_t **dirp, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-    int rc;
+    int rc = -1;
     char *name, *key;
     va_list ap;
+    JSON v = NULL;
 
     va_start (ap, fmt);
     if (vasprintf (&name, fmt, ap) < 0)
@@ -1388,83 +1409,128 @@ int kvsdir_get_dir (kvsdir_t *dir, kvsdir_t **dirp, const char *fmt, ...)
     va_end (ap);
 
     key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_dir (dir->handle, dirp, "%s", key);
+    if (getobj (dir->handle, dir->rootref, key, KVS_PROTO_READDIR, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    *dirp = kvsdir_alloc (dir->handle, dir->rootref, key, v);
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     free (key);
-
-    if (name)
-        free (name);
+    free (name);
     return rc;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_symlink (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, char **valp)
 {
-    int rc;
-    char *key;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_symlink (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    int rc = -1;
+    JSON v = NULL;
 
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, KVS_PROTO_READLINK, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (json_object_get_type (v) != json_type_string) {
+        errno = EPROTO;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = xstrdup (json_object_get_string (v));
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     return rc;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_string (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, char **valp)
 {
-    int rc;
-    char *key;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_string (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    int rc = -1;
 
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (json_object_get_type (v) != json_type_string) {
+        errno = EPROTO;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = xstrdup (json_object_get_string (v));
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     return rc;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_int (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, int *valp)
 {
-    int rc;
-    char *key;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_int (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    int rc = -1;
 
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (json_object_get_type (v) != json_type_int) {
+        errno = EPROTO;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = json_object_get_int (v);
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     return rc;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_int64 (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, int64_t *valp)
 {
-    int rc;
-    char *key;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_int64 (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    int rc = -1;
 
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (json_object_get_type (v) != json_type_int) {
+        errno = EPROTO;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = json_object_get_int64 (v);
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     return rc;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_double (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, double *valp)
 {
-    int rc;
-    char *key;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_double (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    int rc = -1;
 
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (json_object_get_type (v) != json_type_double) {
+        errno = EPROTO;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = json_object_get_double (v);
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     return rc;
 }
 
 int kvsdir_get_boolean (kvsdir_t *dir, const char *name, bool *valp)
 {
-    int rc;
-    char *key;
-
-    key = kvsdir_key_at (dir, name);
-    rc = kvs_get_boolean (dir->handle, key, valp);
-    free (key);
+    JSON v = NULL;
+    int rc = -1;
 
+    if (dirgetobj (dir, name, 0, &v) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (json_object_get_type (v) != json_type_boolean) {
+        errno = EPROTO;
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (valp)
+        *valp = json_object_get_boolean (v);
+    rc = 0;
+done:
+    Jput (v);
     return rc;
 }