diff --git a/proto/backend.proto b/proto/backend.proto
index 66bcebf25..f285feb83 100644
--- a/proto/backend.proto
+++ b/proto/backend.proto
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ message BackendInput {
         Empty restore_trash = 35;
         OpenCollectionIn open_collection = 36;
         Empty close_collection = 37;
+        int64 get_card = 38;
     }
 }
 
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ message BackendOutput {
         Empty restore_trash = 35;
         Empty open_collection = 36;
         Empty close_collection = 37;
+        GetCardOut get_card = 38;
 
         BackendError error = 2047;
     }
@@ -367,3 +369,28 @@ enum BuiltinSortKind {
     CARD_DECK = 11;
     CARD_TEMPLATE = 12;
 }
+
+message GetCardOut {
+    Card card = 1;
+}
+
+message Card {
+    int64 id = 1;
+    int64 nid = 2;
+    int64 did = 3;
+    uint32 ord = 4;
+    int64 mtime = 5;
+    sint32 usn = 6;
+    uint32 ctype = 7;
+    sint32 queue = 8;
+    int64 due = 9;
+    int64 ivl = 10;
+    uint32 factor = 11;
+    int64 reps = 12;
+    int64 lapses = 13;
+    int64 left = 14;
+    int64 odue = 15;
+    int64 odid = 16;
+    int64 flags = 17;
+    string data = 18;
+}
diff --git a/pylib/anki/cards.py b/pylib/anki/cards.py
index f8ac57314..e856fc0ba 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/cards.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/cards.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class Card:
     ord: int
 
     def __init__(
-        self, col: anki.collection._Collection, id: Optional[int] = None
+        self, col: anki.storage._Collection, id: Optional[int] = None
     ) -> None:
         self.col = col.weakref()
         self.timerStarted = None
@@ -61,28 +61,27 @@ class Card:
             self.data = ""
 
     def load(self) -> None:
-        (
-            self.id,
-            self.nid,
-            self.did,
-            self.ord,
-            self.mod,
-            self.usn,
-            self.type,
-            self.queue,
-            self.due,
-            self.ivl,
-            self.factor,
-            self.reps,
-            self.lapses,
-            self.left,
-            self.odue,
-            self.odid,
-            self.flags,
-            self.data,
-        ) = self.col.db.first("select * from cards where id = ?", self.id)
         self._render_output = None
         self._note = None
+        c = self.col.backend.get_card(self.id)
+        assert c
+        self.nid = c.nid
+        self.did = c.did
+        self.ord = c.ord
+        self.mod = c.mtime
+        self.usn = c.usn
+        self.type = c.ctype
+        self.queue = c.queue
+        self.due = c.due
+        self.ivl = c.ivl
+        self.factor = c.factor
+        self.reps = c.reps
+        self.lapses = c.lapses
+        self.left = c.left
+        self.odue = c.odue
+        self.odid = c.odid
+        self.flags = c.flags
+        self.data = c.data
 
     def _preFlush(self) -> None:
         hooks.card_will_flush(self)
diff --git a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
index 630d74368..d6bf3fab0 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
@@ -480,6 +480,10 @@ class RustBackend:
             pb.BackendInput(search_notes=pb.SearchNotesIn(search=search))
         ).search_notes.note_ids
 
+    def get_card(self, cid: int) -> Optional[pb.Card]:
+        return self._run_command(
+            pb.BackendInput(get_card=cid)
+        ).get_card.card
 
 def translate_string_in(
     key: TR, **kwargs: Union[str, int, float]
diff --git a/pylib/tests/test_models.py b/pylib/tests/test_models.py
index 8f6ceecee..ebcc3d0fa 100644
--- a/pylib/tests/test_models.py
+++ b/pylib/tests/test_models.py
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ def test_modelChange():
     try:
         c1.load()
         assert 0
-    except TypeError:
+    except AssertionError:
         pass
     # but we have two cards, as a new one was generated
     assert len(f.cards()) == 2
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
index 470fc579d..f3c862248 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 use crate::backend::dbproxy::db_command_bytes;
 use crate::backend_proto::backend_input::Value;
 use crate::backend_proto::{BuiltinSortKind, Empty, RenderedTemplateReplacement, SyncMediaIn};
+use crate::card::{Card, CardID};
 use crate::collection::{open_collection, Collection};
 use crate::config::SortKind;
 use crate::err::{AnkiError, NetworkErrorKind, Result, SyncErrorKind};
@@ -248,6 +249,7 @@ impl Backend {
             }
             Value::SearchCards(input) => OValue::SearchCards(self.search_cards(input)?),
             Value::SearchNotes(input) => OValue::SearchNotes(self.search_notes(input)?),
+            Value::GetCard(cid) => OValue::GetCard(self.get_card(cid)?),
         })
     }
 
@@ -616,6 +618,13 @@ impl Backend {
             })
         })
     }
+
+    fn get_card(&self, cid: i64) -> Result<pb::GetCardOut> {
+        let card = self.with_col(|col| col.with_ctx(|ctx| ctx.storage.get_card(CardID(cid))))?;
+        Ok(pb::GetCardOut {
+            card: card.map(card_to_pb),
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 fn translate_arg_to_fluent_val(arg: &pb::TranslateArgValue) -> FluentValue {
@@ -708,3 +717,26 @@ fn sort_kind_from_pb(kind: i32) -> SortKind {
         _ => SortKind::NoteCreation,
     }
 }
+
+fn card_to_pb(c: Card) -> pb::Card {
+    pb::Card {
+        id: c.id.0,
+        nid: c.nid.0,
+        did: c.did.0,
+        ord: c.ord as u32,
+        mtime: c.mtime.0,
+        usn: c.usn.0,
+        ctype: c.ctype as u32,
+        queue: c.queue as i32,
+        due: c.due,
+        ivl: c.ivl,
+        factor: c.factor as u32,
+        reps: c.reps,
+        lapses: c.lapses,
+        left: c.left,
+        odue: c.odue,
+        odid: c.odid.0,
+        flags: c.flags,
+        data: c.data,
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rslib/src/card.rs b/rslib/src/card.rs
index c79d0958c..d1267fc87 100644
--- a/rslib/src/card.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/card.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 // Copyright: Ankitects Pty Ltd and contributors
 // License: GNU AGPL, version 3 or later; http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
 
+use crate::decks::DeckID;
 use crate::define_newtype;
+use crate::notes::NoteID;
+use crate::{timestamp::TimestampSecs, types::Usn};
 use num_enum::TryFromPrimitive;
 use serde_repr::{Deserialize_repr, Serialize_repr};
 
 define_newtype!(CardID, i64);
+
 #[derive(Serialize_repr, Deserialize_repr, Debug, PartialEq, TryFromPrimitive, Clone, Copy)]
 #[repr(u8)]
 pub enum CardType {
@@ -33,3 +37,50 @@ pub enum CardQueue {
     UserBuried = -2,
     SchedBuried = -3,
 }
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct Card {
+    pub(crate) id: CardID,
+    pub(crate) nid: NoteID,
+    pub(crate) did: DeckID,
+    pub(crate) ord: u16,
+    pub(crate) mtime: TimestampSecs,
+    pub(crate) usn: Usn,
+    pub(crate) ctype: CardType,
+    pub(crate) queue: CardQueue,
+    pub(crate) due: i64,
+    pub(crate) ivl: i64,
+    pub(crate) factor: u16,
+    pub(crate) reps: i64,
+    pub(crate) lapses: i64,
+    pub(crate) left: i64,
+    pub(crate) odue: i64,
+    pub(crate) odid: DeckID,
+    pub(crate) flags: i64,
+    pub(crate) data: String,
+}
+
+impl Default for Card {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            id: CardID(0),
+            nid: NoteID(0),
+            did: DeckID(0),
+            ord: 0,
+            mtime: TimestampSecs(0),
+            usn: Usn(0),
+            ctype: CardType::New,
+            queue: CardQueue::New,
+            due: 0,
+            ivl: 0,
+            factor: 0,
+            reps: 0,
+            lapses: 0,
+            left: 0,
+            odue: 0,
+            odid: DeckID(0),
+            flags: 0,
+            data: "".to_string(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rslib/src/storage/card.rs b/rslib/src/storage/card.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..28232b75e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rslib/src/storage/card.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// Copyright: Ankitects Pty Ltd and contributors
+// License: GNU AGPL, version 3 or later; http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
+
+use crate::cached_sql;
+use crate::card::{Card, CardID, CardQueue, CardType};
+use crate::err::Result;
+use rusqlite::params;
+use rusqlite::{
+    types::{FromSql, FromSqlError, ValueRef},
+    OptionalExtension,
+};
+use std::convert::TryFrom;
+
+impl FromSql for CardType {
+    fn column_result(value: ValueRef<'_>) -> std::result::Result<Self, FromSqlError> {
+        if let ValueRef::Integer(i) = value {
+            Ok(Self::try_from(i as u8).map_err(|_| FromSqlError::InvalidType)?)
+        } else {
+            Err(FromSqlError::InvalidType)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl FromSql for CardQueue {
+    fn column_result(value: ValueRef<'_>) -> std::result::Result<Self, FromSqlError> {
+        if let ValueRef::Integer(i) = value {
+            Ok(Self::try_from(i as i8).map_err(|_| FromSqlError::InvalidType)?)
+        } else {
+            Err(FromSqlError::InvalidType)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl super::StorageContext<'_> {
+    pub fn get_card(&mut self, cid: CardID) -> Result<Option<Card>> {
+        // the casts are required as Anki didn't prevent add-ons from
+        // storing strings or floats in columns before
+        let stmt = cached_sql!(
+            self.get_card_stmt,
+            self.db,
+            "
+select nid, did, ord, cast(mod as integer), usn, type, queue, due,
+cast(ivl as integer), factor, reps, lapses, left, odue, odid,
+flags, data from cards where id=?"
+        );
+
+        stmt.query_row(params![cid], |row| {
+            Ok(Card {
+                id: cid,
+                nid: row.get(0)?,
+                did: row.get(1)?,
+                ord: row.get(2)?,
+                mtime: row.get(3)?,
+                usn: row.get(4)?,
+                ctype: row.get(5)?,
+                queue: row.get(6)?,
+                due: row.get(7)?,
+                ivl: row.get(8)?,
+                factor: row.get(9)?,
+                reps: row.get(10)?,
+                lapses: row.get(11)?,
+                left: row.get(12)?,
+                odue: row.get(13)?,
+                odid: row.get(14)?,
+                flags: row.get(15)?,
+                data: row.get(16)?,
+            })
+        })
+        .optional()
+        .map_err(Into::into)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rslib/src/storage/mod.rs b/rslib/src/storage/mod.rs
index 2ed04892c..7a21f0336 100644
--- a/rslib/src/storage/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/storage/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+mod card;
 mod sqlite;
 
 pub(crate) use sqlite::{SqliteStorage, StorageContext};
diff --git a/rslib/src/storage/sqlite.rs b/rslib/src/storage/sqlite.rs
index 32a9d0524..28d3de18b 100644
--- a/rslib/src/storage/sqlite.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/storage/sqlite.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@ pub struct SqliteStorage {
     path: PathBuf,
 }
 
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! cached_sql {
+    ( $label:expr, $db:expr, $sql:expr ) => {{
+        if $label.is_none() {
+            $label = Some($db.prepare_cached($sql)?);
+        }
+        $label.as_mut().unwrap()
+    }};
+}
+
 fn open_or_create_collection_db(path: &Path) -> Result<Connection> {
     let mut db = Connection::open(path)?;
 
@@ -211,6 +221,9 @@ pub(crate) struct StorageContext<'a> {
     usn: Option<Usn>,
 
     timing_today: Option<SchedTimingToday>,
+
+    // cards
+    pub(super) get_card_stmt: Option<rusqlite::CachedStatement<'a>>,
 }
 
 impl StorageContext<'_> {
@@ -220,6 +233,7 @@ impl StorageContext<'_> {
             server,
             usn: None,
             timing_today: None,
+            get_card_stmt: None,
         }
     }