diff --git a/spec/unit/models/event.spec.ts b/spec/unit/models/event.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cafb318e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/models/event.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import { MatrixEvent } from "../../../src/models/event";
+
+describe('MatrixEvent', () => {
+    it('should create copies of itself', () => {
+        const a = new MatrixEvent({
+            type: "com.example.test",
+            content: {
+                isTest: true,
+                num: 42,
+            },
+        });
+
+        const clone = a.getSnapshotCopy();
+        expect(clone).toBeDefined();
+        expect(clone).not.toBe(a);
+        expect(clone.event).not.toBe(a.event);
+        expect(clone.event).toMatchObject(a.event);
+
+        // The other properties we're not super interested in, honestly.
+    });
+
+    it('should compare itself to other events using json', () => {
+        const a = new MatrixEvent({
+            type: "com.example.test",
+            content: {
+                isTest: true,
+                num: 42,
+            },
+        });
+        const b = new MatrixEvent({
+            type: "com.example.test______B",
+            content: {
+                isTest: true,
+                num: 42,
+            },
+        });
+        expect(a.isEquivalentTo(b)).toBe(false);
+        expect(a.isEquivalentTo(a)).toBe(true);
+        expect(b.isEquivalentTo(a)).toBe(false);
+        expect(b.isEquivalentTo(b)).toBe(true);
+        expect(a.getSnapshotCopy().isEquivalentTo(a)).toBe(true);
+        expect(a.getSnapshotCopy().isEquivalentTo(b)).toBe(false);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/spec/unit/utils.spec.ts b/spec/unit/utils.spec.ts
index 76123d1ca..5867a9fde 100644
--- a/spec/unit/utils.spec.ts
+++ b/spec/unit/utils.spec.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as utils from "../../src/utils";
 import {
     alphabetPad,
     averageBetweenStrings,
-    baseToString,
+    baseToString, deepSortedObjectEntries,
     DEFAULT_ALPHABET,
     lexicographicCompare,
     nextString,
@@ -429,4 +429,38 @@ describe("utils", function() {
             expect(lexicographicCompare('a', 'A') > 0).toBe(true);
         });
     });
+
+    describe('deepSortedObjectEntries', () => {
+        it('should auto-return non-objects', () => {
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries(42)).toEqual(42);
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries("not object")).toEqual("not object");
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries(true)).toEqual(true);
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries([42])).toEqual([42]);
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries(null)).toEqual(null);
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries(undefined)).toEqual(undefined);
+        });
+
+        it('should sort objects appropriately', () => {
+            const input = {
+                a: 42,
+                b: {
+                    d: {},
+                    a: "test",
+                    b: "alpha",
+                },
+                [72]: "test",
+            };
+            const output = [
+                ["72", "test"],
+                ["a", 42],
+                ["b", [
+                    ["a", "test"],
+                    ["b", "alpha"],
+                    ["d", []],
+                ]],
+            ];
+
+            expect(deepSortedObjectEntries(input)).toMatchObject(output);
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/src/models/event.js b/src/models/event.js
index 1b3bec755..838cd1a3d 100644
--- a/src/models/event.js
+++ b/src/models/event.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 import * as utils from '../utils';
 import { logger } from '../logger';
+import { deepSortedObjectEntries } from "../utils";
 
 /**
  * Enum for event statuses.
@@ -1143,6 +1144,41 @@ utils.extend(MatrixEvent.prototype, {
     getTxnId() {
         return this._txnId;
     },
+
+    /**
+     * Get a copy/snapshot of this event. The returned copy will be loosely linked
+     * back to this instance, though will have "frozen" event information. Other
+     * properties may mutate depending on the state of this instance at the time
+     * of snapshotting.
+     *
+     * This is meant to be used to snapshot the event details themselves, not the
+     * features (such as sender) surrounding the event.
+     * @returns {MatrixEvent} A snapshot of this event.
+     */
+    getSnapshotCopy() {
+        const ev = new MatrixEvent(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(this.event)));
+        for (const [p, v] of Object.entries(this)) {
+            if (p !== "event") { // exclude the thing we just cloned
+                ev[p] = v;
+            }
+        }
+        return ev;
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * Determines if this event is equivalent to the given event. This only checks
+     * the event object itself, not the other properties of the event. Intended for
+     * use with getSnapshotCopy() to identify events changing.
+     * @param {MatrixEvent} otherEvent The other event to check against.
+     * @returns {boolean} True if the events are the same, false otherwise.
+     */
+    isEquivalentTo(otherEvent) {
+        if (!otherEvent) return false;
+        if (otherEvent === this) return true;
+        const myProps = deepSortedObjectEntries(this.event);
+        const theirProps = deepSortedObjectEntries(otherEvent.event);
+        return JSON.stringify(myProps) === JSON.stringify(theirProps);
+    },
 });
 
 /* _REDACT_KEEP_KEY_MAP gives the keys we keep when an event is redacted
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 50c5b9f39..2097e5bb9 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -235,6 +235,31 @@ export function deepCompare(x: any, y: any): boolean {
     return true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Creates an array of object properties/values (entries) then
+ * sorts the result by key, recursively. The input object must
+ * ensure it does not have loops. If the input is not an object
+ * then it will be returned as-is.
+ * @param {*} obj The object to get entries of
+ * @returns {[string, *][]} The entries, sorted by key.
+ */
+export function deepSortedObjectEntries(obj: any): [string, any][] {
+    if (typeof(obj) !== "object") return obj;
+
+    // Apparently these are object types...
+    if (obj === null || obj === undefined || Array.isArray(obj)) return obj;
+
+    const pairs: [string, any][] = [];
+    for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(obj)) {
+        pairs.push([k, deepSortedObjectEntries(v)]);
+    }
+
+    // lexicographicCompare is faster than localeCompare, so let's use that.
+    pairs.sort((a, b) => lexicographicCompare(a[0], b[0]));
+
+    return pairs;
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy properties from one object to another.
  *