diff --git a/src/buffer/controller.rs b/src/buffer/controller.rs
index 3250e7e..239a38b 100644
--- a/src/buffer/controller.rs
+++ b/src/buffer/controller.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ impl BufferController {
 	pub async fn content(&self) -> crate::Result<String> {
 		let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
 		self.0.content_request.send(tx).await?;
-		Ok(rx.await?)
+		let content = rx.await?;
+		self.0.last_update.set(self.0.latest_version.borrow().clone());
+		Ok(content)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ pub(crate) struct BufferControllerInner {
 	pub(crate) name: String,
 	pub(crate) latest_version: watch::Receiver<diamond_types::LocalVersion>,
 	pub(crate) last_update: InternallyMutable<diamond_types::LocalVersion>,
-	pub(crate) ops_in: mpsc::UnboundedSender<TextChange>,
+	pub(crate) ops_in: mpsc::UnboundedSender<(TextChange, oneshot::Sender<LocalVersion>)>,
 	pub(crate) poller: mpsc::UnboundedSender<oneshot::Sender<()>>,
 	pub(crate) stopper: mpsc::UnboundedSender<()>, // just exist
 	pub(crate) content_request: mpsc::Sender<oneshot::Sender<String>>,
@@ -86,9 +88,12 @@ impl Controller<TextChange> for BufferController {
 
 	/// enqueue a text change for processing
 	/// this also updates internal buffer previous state
-	fn send(&self, op: TextChange) -> crate::Result<()> {
+	async fn send(&self, op: TextChange) -> crate::Result<()> {
 		// we let the worker do the updating to the last version and send it back.
-		Ok(self.0.ops_in.send(op)?)
+		let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
+		self.0.ops_in.send((op, tx))?;
+		self.0.last_update.set(rx.await?);
+		Ok(())
 	}
 
 	fn stop(&self) -> bool {
diff --git a/src/buffer/worker.rs b/src/buffer/worker.rs
index 99776b8..82ec367 100644
--- a/src/buffer/worker.rs
+++ b/src/buffer/worker.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use super::controller::{BufferController, BufferControllerInner};
 pub(crate) struct BufferWorker {
 	user_id: Uuid,
 	latest_version: watch::Sender<diamond_types::LocalVersion>,
-	ops_in: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<TextChange>,
+	ops_in: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<(TextChange, oneshot::Sender<LocalVersion>)>,
 	poller: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<oneshot::Sender<()>>,
 	pollers: Vec<oneshot::Sender<()>>,
 	content_checkout: mpsc::Receiver<oneshot::Sender<String>>,
@@ -96,21 +96,21 @@ impl ControllerWorker<TextChange> for BufferWorker {
 				// received a text change from editor
 				res = self.ops_in.recv() => match res {
 					None => break tracing::debug!("stopping: editor closed channel"),
-					Some(change) => {
+					Some((change, ack)) => {
 						let agent_id = oplog.get_or_create_agent_id(&self.user_id.to_string());
 						let last_ver = oplog.local_version();
 
 						if change.is_insert() {
-							oplog.add_insert(agent_id, change.start as usize, &change.content)
+							branch.insert(&mut oplog, agent_id, change.start as usize, &change.content)
 						} else if change.is_delete() {
-							oplog.add_delete_without_content(1, change.span())
+							branch.delete_without_content(&mut oplog, 1, change.span())
 						} else { continue; };
 
 						tx.send(Operation { data: oplog.encode_from(Default::default(), &last_ver) }).await
 							.unwrap_or_warn("failed to send change!");
 						self.latest_version.send(oplog.local_version())
 							.unwrap_or_warn("failed to update latest version!");
-
+						ack.send(branch.local_version()).unwrap_or_warn("controller didn't wait for ack");
 					},
 				},
 
@@ -141,11 +141,10 @@ impl ControllerWorker<TextChange> for BufferWorker {
 							// this step_ver will be the version after we apply the operation
 							// we give it to the controller so that he knows where it's at.
 							let step_ver = oplog.version_union(&[lv.start], &last_ver);
+							branch.merge(&oplog, &step_ver);
+							let new_local_v = branch.local_version();
 
-							// moved the merging inside as we only need
-							// an up to date content when we hash the content.
 							let hash = if timer.step() {
-								branch.merge(&oplog, &step_ver);
 								let hash = xxhash_rust::xxh3::xxh3_64(branch.content().to_string().as_bytes());
 								Some(i64::from_ne_bytes(hash.to_ne_bytes()))
 							} else { None };
@@ -156,7 +155,7 @@ impl ControllerWorker<TextChange> for BufferWorker {
 								content: dtop.content_as_str().unwrap_or_default().to_string(),
 								hash
 							};
-							tx.send((step_ver, tc)).unwrap_or_warn("could not update ops channel -- is controller dead?");
+							tx.send((new_local_v, tc)).unwrap_or_warn("could not update ops channel -- is controller dead?");
 						}
 					},
 				},