diff --git a/javascript/src/api.ts b/javascript/src/api.ts
index a20b301..3eaf995 100644
--- a/javascript/src/api.ts
+++ b/javascript/src/api.ts
@@ -494,6 +494,8 @@ export interface ISharedBaseCell<
   toJSON(): nbformat.IBaseCell;
 }
 
+export type IExecutionState = 'running' | 'idle';
+
 /**
  * Implements an API for nbformat.ICodeCell.
  */
@@ -509,6 +511,11 @@ export interface ISharedCodeCell
    */
   execution_count: nbformat.ExecutionCount;
 
+  /**
+   * The code cell's execution state.
+   */
+  executionState: IExecutionState;
+
   /**
    * Cell outputs
    */
@@ -746,6 +753,13 @@ export type CellChange = SourceChange & {
     oldValue?: number;
     newValue?: number;
   };
+  /**
+   * Cell execution state change
+   */
+  executionStateChange?: {
+    oldValue?: IExecutionState;
+    newValue?: IExecutionState;
+  };
   /**
    * Cell metadata change
    */
diff --git a/javascript/src/ycell.ts b/javascript/src/ycell.ts
index 381fd3b..e60b3a1 100644
--- a/javascript/src/ycell.ts
+++ b/javascript/src/ycell.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { Awareness } from 'y-protocols/awareness';
 import * as Y from 'yjs';
 import type {
   CellChange,
+  IExecutionState,
   IMapChange,
   ISharedAttachmentsCell,
   ISharedBaseCell,
@@ -752,10 +753,10 @@ export class YCodeCell
   /**
    * The code cell's execution state.
    */
-  get executionState(): 'running' | 'idle' {
+  get executionState(): IExecutionState {
     return this.ymodel.get('execution_state') ?? 'idle';
   }
-  set executionState(state: 'running' | 'idle') {
+  set executionState(state: IExecutionState) {
     if (this.ymodel.get('execution_state') !== state) {
       this.transact(() => {
         this.ymodel.set('execution_state', state);
@@ -913,6 +914,14 @@ export class YCodeCell
       };
     }
 
+    if (modelEvent && modelEvent.keysChanged.has('execution_state')) {
+      const change = modelEvent.changes.keys.get('execution_state');
+      changes.executionStateChange = {
+        oldValue: change!.oldValue,
+        newValue: this.ymodel.get('execution_state')
+      };
+    }
+
     return changes;
   }