diff --git a/src/observableInterfaces.ts b/src/observableInterfaces.ts
index 27a947776..ed17e2660 100644
--- a/src/observableInterfaces.ts
+++ b/src/observableInterfaces.ts
@@ -316,6 +316,9 @@ export interface ObservablePersistState extends ObservableState {
           >
         | undefined;
 }
+export interface WithPersistState {
+    state?: ObservablePersistState;
+}
 export type RecordValue<T> = T extends Record<string, infer t> ? t : never;
 export type ArrayValue<T> = T extends Array<infer t> ? t : never;
 export type ObservableValue<T> = T extends Observable<infer t> ? t : never;
diff --git a/src/persist/persistObservable.ts b/src/persist/persistObservable.ts
index d44aa7a60..28c68f242 100644
--- a/src/persist/persistObservable.ts
+++ b/src/persist/persistObservable.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,13 @@ import type {
     PersistOptionsRemote,
     PersistTransform,
     TypeAtPath,
+    WithPersistState,
 } from '@legendapp/state';
 import {
     batch,
     constructObjectWithPath,
     deconstructObjectWithPath,
+    getNode,
     internal,
     isEmpty,
     isFunction,
@@ -611,20 +613,21 @@ async function loadLocal<T>(
 export function persistObservable<T, TState = {}>(
     observable: ObservableWriteable<T>,
     persistOptions: PersistOptions<T, TState>,
-): [Observable<T>, ObservableObject<ObservablePersistState & TState>];
+): Observable<WithPersistState & T>;
 export function persistObservable<T, TState = {}>(
     initial: T | (() => T) | (() => Promise<T>),
     persistOptions: PersistOptions<T, TState>,
-): [Observable<T>, ObservableObject<ObservablePersistState & TState>];
+): Observable<WithPersistState & T>;
 export function persistObservable<T, TState = {}>(
     initialOrObservable: ObservableWriteable<T> | T | (() => T) | (() => Promise<T>),
     persistOptions: PersistOptions<T, TState>,
-): [Observable<T>, ObservableObject<ObservablePersistState & TState>] {
+): Observable<WithPersistState & T> {
     const obs = (
         isObservable(initialOrObservable)
             ? initialOrObservable
             : observable(isFunction(initialOrObservable) ? initialOrObservable() : initialOrObservable)
     ) as Observable<T>;
+    const node = getNode(obs);
 
     // Merge remote persist options with clobal options
     if (persistOptions.remote) {
@@ -635,7 +638,7 @@ export function persistObservable<T, TState = {}>(
     const remotePersistence = persistOptions.pluginRemote! || observablePersistConfiguration?.pluginRemote;
     const localState: LocalState = {};
 
-    const syncState = observable<ObservablePersistState>({
+    const syncState = (node.state = observable<ObservablePersistState>({
         isLoadedLocal: false,
         isLoaded: false,
         isEnabledLocal: true,
@@ -643,7 +646,7 @@ export function persistObservable<T, TState = {}>(
         clearLocal: undefined as unknown as () => Promise<void>,
         sync: () => Promise.resolve(),
         getPendingChanges: () => localState.pendingChanges,
-    });
+    }));
 
     if (local) {
         loadLocal(obs, persistOptions, syncState, localState);
@@ -793,5 +796,5 @@ export function persistObservable<T, TState = {}>(
         );
     });
 
-    return [obs, syncState as any];
+    return obs as any;
 }
diff --git a/tests/persist-indexeddb.test.ts b/tests/persist-indexeddb.test.ts
index 54529ea95..b4bc8fe30 100644
--- a/tests/persist-indexeddb.test.ts
+++ b/tests/persist-indexeddb.test.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
     test('Persist IDB save', async () => {
         const obs = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
 
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
     test('Persist IDB save deep', async () => {
         const obs = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
 
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
     test('Persist IDB get after save', async () => {
         const obs = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
 
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
 
         const obs2 = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
 
-        const [, state2] = persistObservable(obs2, {
+        const { state: state2 } = persistObservable(obs2, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
     test('Persist IDB save root', async () => {
         const obs = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
 
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
         await persist.initialize!(persistLocalOptions);
 
         const obs2 = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
-        const [, state2] = persistObservable(obs2, {
+        const { state: state2 } = persistObservable(obs2, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
 
         const obs = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
 
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ describe('Persist IDB', () => {
         await persist.initialize!(persistLocalOptions);
 
         const obs2 = observable<Record<string, any>>({});
-        const [, state2] = persistObservable(obs2, {
+        const { state: state2 } = persistObservable(obs2, {
             local: TableName,
         });
 
diff --git a/tests/persist-remote-fn.test.ts b/tests/persist-remote-fn.test.ts
index 4cd44b61b..fa2fec4f1 100644
--- a/tests/persist-remote-fn.test.ts
+++ b/tests/persist-remote-fn.test.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jest.setTimeout(50);
 describe('Persist remote with functions', () => {
     test('Persist remote fns basic', async () => {
         const obs = observable({ test: { x: 'hi' } });
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs, {
             pluginRemote: {
                 async get() {
                     // Emulate a network request with a timeout
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe('Persist remote with functions', () => {
     test('Persist remote fns with set', async () => {
         let setTo: { dateModified: number; value: any } | undefined = undefined;
         const obs$ = observable({ test: { x: 'hi' } });
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs$, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs$, {
             pluginRemote: {
                 async get() {
                     // Emulate a network request with a timeout
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ describe('Persist remote with functions', () => {
         let setTo: { dateModified: number; value: any } | undefined = undefined;
         const obs$ = observable({ test: { x: 'hi' } });
         const didSave$ = observable(false);
-        const [, state] = persistObservable(obs$, {
+        const { state } = persistObservable(obs$, {
             pluginRemote: {
                 async get() {
                     // Emulate a network request with a timeout
diff --git a/tests/persist.test.ts b/tests/persist.test.ts
index 69d05dc5d..987dea43b 100644
--- a/tests/persist.test.ts
+++ b/tests/persist.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ function promiseTimeout(time?: number) {
 
 describe('Creating', () => {
     test('Create with object', () => {
-        const [obs$, state$] = persistObservable(
+        const obs$ = persistObservable(
             { test: 'hi' },
             {
                 pluginLocal: ObservablePersistLocalStorage,
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('Creating', () => {
 
         expect(obs$.get()).toEqual({ test: 'hi' });
 
-        expect(state$.isLoadedLocal.get()).toEqual(true);
+        expect(obs$.state.isLoadedLocal.get()).toEqual(true);
     });
 });