diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index ad69551e..6ba18d54 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -9527,14 +9527,14 @@
     },
     "packages/convex-helpers/dist": {
       "name": "convex-helpers",
-      "version": "0.1.68-alpha.0",
+      "version": "0.1.68-alpha.1",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "bin": {
         "convex-helpers": "bin.cjs"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "chalk": "5.4.1",
-        "commander": "13.0.0"
+        "commander": "13.1.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
         "convex": "^1.13.0",
@@ -9555,9 +9555,9 @@
       }
     },
     "packages/convex-helpers/dist/node_modules/commander": {
-      "version": "13.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-13.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-oPYleIY8wmTVzkvQq10AEok6YcTC4sRUBl8F9gVuwchGVUCTbl/vhLTaQqutuuySYOsu8YTgV+OxKc/8Yvx+mQ==",
+      "version": "13.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-13.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-/rFeCpNJQbhSZjGVwO9RFV3xPqbnERS8MmIQzCtD/zl6gpJuV/bMLuN92oG3F7d8oDEHHRrujSXNUr8fpjntKw==",
       "dev": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=18"
diff --git a/packages/convex-helpers/package.json b/packages/convex-helpers/package.json
index 732da694..fbf25de1 100644
--- a/packages/convex-helpers/package.json
+++ b/packages/convex-helpers/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "convex-helpers",
-  "version": "0.1.68-alpha.0",
+  "version": "0.1.68-alpha.1",
   "description": "A collection of useful code to complement the official convex package.",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/packages/convex-helpers/server/validators.test.ts b/packages/convex-helpers/server/validators.test.ts
index b75df1e7..ca4f4133 100644
--- a/packages/convex-helpers/server/validators.test.ts
+++ b/packages/convex-helpers/server/validators.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { assert, Equals } from "..";
+import { assert, Equals } from "../index.js";
 import {
   any,
   array,
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   boolean,
   brandedString,
   deprecated,
+  doc,
   id,
   literal as is,
   literals,
@@ -18,18 +19,24 @@ import {
   pretend,
   pretendRequired,
   string,
-} from "../validators";
+  typedV,
+} from "../validators.js";
 import { convexTest } from "convex-test";
 import {
   anyApi,
   ApiFromModules,
+  DataModelFromSchemaDefinition,
   defineSchema,
   defineTable,
+  internalMutationGeneric,
   internalQueryGeneric,
+  MutationBuilder,
+  QueryBuilder,
 } from "convex/server";
 import { Infer, ObjectType } from "convex/values";
 import { expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { modules } from "./setup.test.js";
+import { getOrThrow } from "convex-helpers/server/relationships";
 
 export const testLiterals = internalQueryGeneric({
   args: {
@@ -110,14 +117,104 @@ const schema = defineSchema({
     tokenIdentifier: string,
   }),
   kitchenSink: defineTable(ExampleFields),
+  unionTable: defineTable(or(object({ foo: string }), object({ bar: number }))),
+});
+
+const internalMutation = internalMutationGeneric as MutationBuilder<
+  DataModelFromSchemaDefinition<typeof schema>,
+  "internal"
+>;
+const internalQuery = internalQueryGeneric as QueryBuilder<
+  DataModelFromSchemaDefinition<typeof schema>,
+  "internal"
+>;
+
+export const toDoc = internalMutation({
+  args: {},
+  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
+    const kid = await ctx.db.insert("kitchenSink", valid);
+    const uid = await ctx.db.insert("unionTable", { foo: "" });
+
+    return {
+      sink: await getOrThrow(ctx, kid),
+      union: await getOrThrow(ctx, uid),
+    };
+  },
+  returns: object({
+    sink: doc(schema, "kitchenSink"),
+    union: doc(schema, "unionTable"),
+  }),
+});
+
+const vv = typedV(schema);
+
+export const getSink = internalQuery({
+  args: { docId: vv.id("kitchenSink") },
+  returns: nullable(vv.doc("kitchenSink")),
+  handler: (ctx, args) => ctx.db.get(args.docId),
+});
+
+export const getUnion = internalQuery({
+  args: { docId: vv.id("unionTable") },
+  returns: nullable(vv.doc("unionTable")),
+  handler: (ctx, args) => ctx.db.get(args.docId),
 });
 
 const testApi: ApiFromModules<{
   fns: {
     echo: typeof echo;
+    toDoc: typeof toDoc;
+    getSink: typeof getSink;
+    getUnion: typeof getUnion;
   };
 }>["fns"] = anyApi["validators.test"] as any;
 
+test("vv generates the right types for objects", async () => {
+  const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
+  const docId = await t.run((ctx) => ctx.db.insert("kitchenSink", valid));
+  const doc = await t.query(testApi.getSink, { docId });
+  expect(doc).toBeDefined();
+  expect(doc!._creationTime).toBeTypeOf("number");
+});
+
+test("vv generates the right types for unions", async () => {
+  const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
+  const docId = await t.run((ctx) =>
+    ctx.db.insert("unionTable", { foo: "foo" }),
+  );
+  const doc = await t.query(testApi.getUnion, { docId });
+  expect(doc).toBeDefined();
+  expect(doc!._creationTime).toBeTypeOf("number");
+  expect(doc!["foo"]).toBeDefined();
+});
+
+test("doc validator adds fields", async () => {
+  const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
+  await t.mutation(testApi.toDoc, {});
+  const userDoc = doc(schema, "users");
+  expect(userDoc.fields.tokenIdentifier).toBeDefined();
+  expect(userDoc.fields._id).toBeDefined();
+  expect(userDoc.fields._creationTime).toBeDefined();
+  const unionDoc = doc(schema, "unionTable");
+  expect(unionDoc.kind).toBe("union");
+  if (unionDoc.kind !== "union") {
+    throw new Error("Expected union");
+  }
+  expect(unionDoc.members[0]!.kind).toBe("object");
+  if (unionDoc.members[0]!.kind !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("Expected object");
+  }
+  expect(unionDoc.members[0]!.fields.foo).toBeDefined();
+  expect(unionDoc.members[0]!.fields._id).toBeDefined();
+  expect(unionDoc.members[0]!.fields._creationTime).toBeDefined();
+  if (unionDoc.members[1]!.kind !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("Expected object");
+  }
+  expect(unionDoc.members[1]!.fields.bar).toBeDefined();
+  expect(unionDoc.members[1]!.fields._id).toBeDefined();
+  expect(unionDoc.members[1]!.fields._creationTime).toBeDefined();
+});
+
 test("validators preserve things when they're set", async () => {
   const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
   const id = await t.run((ctx) => {
diff --git a/packages/convex-helpers/validators.ts b/packages/convex-helpers/validators.ts
index 707ab2cd..f5ff7595 100644
--- a/packages/convex-helpers/validators.ts
+++ b/packages/convex-helpers/validators.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import {
   GenericValidator,
+  ObjectType,
   PropertyValidators,
+  VObject,
   VOptional,
   VString,
   VUnion,
@@ -8,6 +10,11 @@ import {
   v,
 } from "convex/values";
 import { Expand } from "./index.js";
+import {
+  DataModelFromSchemaDefinition,
+  SchemaDefinition,
+  TableNamesInDataModel,
+} from "convex/server";
 
 /**
  * Helper for defining a union of literals more concisely.
@@ -106,6 +113,10 @@ export const systemFields = <TableName extends string>(
   _creationTime: v.number(),
 });
 
+export type SystemFields<TableName extends string> = ReturnType<
+  typeof systemFields<TableName>
+>;
+
 /**
  * Utility to add system fields to an object with fields mapping to validators.
  * e.g. withSystemFields("users", { name: v.string() }) would return:
@@ -129,6 +140,112 @@ export const withSystemFields = <
   } as Expand<T & typeof system>;
 };
 
+export type AddFieldsToValidator<
+  V extends Validator<any, any, any>,
+  Fields extends PropertyValidators,
+> =
+  V extends VObject<infer T, infer F, infer O>
+    ? VObject<Expand<T & ObjectType<Fields>>, Expand<F & Fields>, O>
+    : Validator<
+        Expand<V["type"] & ObjectType<Fields>>,
+        V["isOptional"],
+        V["fieldPaths"] &
+          {
+            [Property in keyof Fields & string]:
+              | `${Property}.${Fields[Property]["fieldPaths"]}`
+              | Property;
+          }[keyof Fields & string] &
+          string
+      >;
+
+export const doc = <
+  Schema extends SchemaDefinition<any, boolean>,
+  TableName extends TableNamesInDataModel<
+    DataModelFromSchemaDefinition<Schema>
+  >,
+>(
+  schema: Schema,
+  tableName: TableName,
+): AddFieldsToValidator<
+  (typeof schema)["tables"][TableName]["validator"],
+  SystemFields<TableName>
+> => {
+  function addSystemFields<V extends Validator<any, any, any>>(
+    validator: V,
+  ): any {
+    if (validator.kind === "object") {
+      return v.object({
+        ...validator.fields,
+        ...systemFields(tableName),
+      });
+    }
+    if (validator.kind !== "union") {
+      throw new Error(
+        "Only object and union validators are supported for documents",
+      );
+    }
+    return v.union(...validator.members.map(addSystemFields));
+  }
+  return addSystemFields(schema.tables[tableName].validator);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Creates a validator with a type-safe `.id(table)` and a new `.doc(table)`.
+ * Can be used instead of `v` for function arugments & return validators.
+ * However, it cannot be used as part of defining a schema, since it would be
+ * circular.
+ * ```ts
+ * import schema from "./schema";
+ * export const vv = typedV(schema);
+ *
+ * export const myQuery = query({
+ *   args: { docId: vv.id("mytable") },
+ *   returns: vv.doc("mytable"),
+ *   handler: (ctx, args) => ctx.db.get(args.docId),
+ * })
+ *
+ * @param schema Typically from `import schema from "./schema"`.
+ * @returns A validator like `v` with type-safe `v.id` and a new `v.doc`
+ */
+export function typedV<Schema extends SchemaDefinition<any, boolean>>(
+  schema: Schema,
+) {
+  return {
+    ...v,
+    /**
+     * Similar to v.id but is type-safe on the table name.
+     * @param tableName A table named in your schema.
+     * @returns A validator for an ID to the named table.
+     */
+    id: <
+      TableName extends TableNamesInDataModel<
+        DataModelFromSchemaDefinition<Schema>
+      >,
+    >(
+      tableName: TableName,
+    ) => v.id(tableName),
+    /**
+     * Generates a validator for a document, including system fields.
+     * To be used in validators when passing a full document in or out of a
+     * function.
+     * @param tableName A table named in your schema.
+     * @returns A validator that matches the schema validator, adding _id and
+     * _creationTime. If the validator was a union, it will update all documents
+     * recursively, but will currently lose the VUnion-specific type.
+     */
+    doc: <
+      TableName extends TableNamesInDataModel<
+        DataModelFromSchemaDefinition<Schema>
+      >,
+    >(
+      tableName: TableName,
+    ): AddFieldsToValidator<
+      (typeof schema)["tables"][TableName]["validator"],
+      SystemFields<TableName>
+    > => doc(schema, tableName),
+  };
+}
+
 /**
  * A string validator that is a branded string type.
  *