diff --git a/pkg/gotrepo/checkout.go b/pkg/gotrepo/checkout.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ceb06a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gotrepo/checkout.go
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+package gotrepo
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/brendoncarroll/go-state/cadata"
+	"github.com/brendoncarroll/go-state/posixfs"
+	"github.com/gotvc/got/pkg/branches"
+	"github.com/gotvc/got/pkg/gotfs"
+	"github.com/gotvc/got/pkg/porting"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+// Checkout attempts to actualize the state of the branch in the working directory.
+// Checkout is non-destructive, it will only overwrite or delete files which Got is capable of restoring.
+// For something a little more dangerous see `Clobber`.
+func (r *Repo) Checkout(ctx context.Context, name string, paths []string) error {
+	if err := r.SetActiveBranch(ctx, ""); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	b, err := r.GetBranch(ctx, name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	snap, err := branches.GetHead(ctx, *b)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if snap == nil {
+		return errors.New("empty branch")
+	}
+	fsop := r.getFSOp(b)
+	porter := porting.NewPorter(fsop, r.workingDir, r.getPorterCache(*b))
+	if paths != nil {
+		for _, p := range paths {
+			if err := r.checkoutPath(ctx, porter, fsop, b.Volume.FSStore, b.Volume.RawStore, snap.Root, p); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		return r.checkoutPath(ctx, porter, fsop, b.Volume.FSStore, b.Volume.RawStore, snap.Root, "")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *Repo) checkoutPath(ctx context.Context, porter porting.Porter, fsop *gotfs.Operator, ms, ds cadata.Store, root gotfs.Root, targetPath string) error {
+	// list the files that need to be overwritten
+	if err := fsop.ForEachFile(ctx, ms, root, targetPath, func(p string, md *gotfs.Info) error {
+		// if the file exists and is dirty return an error
+		yes, err := porter.IsKnown(ctx, p)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if !yes {
+			return fmt.Errorf("file %q is not known to got. checkout would overwrite", p)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// list the files that need to be deleted
+	if err := posixfs.WalkLeaves(ctx, r.workingDir, targetPath, func(p string, ent posixfs.DirEnt) error {
+		yes, err := porter.IsKnown(ctx, p)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if !yes {
+			return fmt.Errorf("file %q is not known to got. checkout would overwrite", p)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return r.clobberPath(ctx, porter, fsop, ms, ds, root, targetPath)
+}
+
+// Clobber overwrites the path at p with whatever is in the head of the branch, and does not perform any safety checks first.
+func (r *Repo) Clobber(ctx context.Context, branchName string, p string) error {
+	b, err := r.GetBranch(ctx, branchName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	snap, err := branches.GetHead(ctx, *b)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if snap == nil {
+		return errors.New("empty branch")
+	}
+	fsop := r.getFSOp(b)
+	porter := porting.NewPorter(fsop, r.workingDir, r.getPorterCache(*b))
+	return r.clobberPath(ctx, porter, fsop, b.Volume.FSStore, b.Volume.RawStore, snap.Root, p)
+}
+
+// clobber overwrites the file
+func (r *Repo) clobberPath(ctx context.Context, porter porting.Porter, fsop *gotfs.Operator, ms, ds cadata.Store, root gotfs.Root, targetPath string) error {
+	// overwrite files
+	if err := fsop.ForEachFile(ctx, ms, root, targetPath, func(p string, md *gotfs.Info) error {
+		return porter.ExportFile(ctx, ms, ds, root, p)
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// delete files
+	if err := posixfs.WalkLeaves(ctx, r.workingDir, targetPath, func(p string, ent posixfs.DirEnt) error {
+		// if the file should not exist and is dirty, return an error
+		return r.deleteWorkingFile(ctx, p)
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *Repo) deleteWorkingFile(ctx context.Context, p string) error {
+	if p == "" {
+		return errors.New("cannot delete working dir root")
+	}
+	return r.workingDir.Remove(p)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/porting/porter.go b/pkg/porting/porter.go
index a41d9b8..340efc2 100644
--- a/pkg/porting/porter.go
+++ b/pkg/porting/porter.go
@@ -171,6 +171,26 @@ func (pr *Porter) ExportFile(ctx context.Context, ms, ds cadata.Store, root gotf
 	return posixfs.PutFile(ctx, pr.posixfs, p, mode, r)
 }
 
+// IsKnown returns true if the file at p was placed there by the porter
+// or imported by the Porter, and not modified since.
+func (pr *Porter) IsKnown(ctx context.Context, p string) (bool, error) {
+	ent, err := pr.cache.Get(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if ent == nil {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	fi, err := pr.posixfs.Stat(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if fi.ModTime().UnixNano() > ent.ModifiedAt {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 func createEmptyDir(ctx context.Context, fsop *gotfs.Operator, ms, ds cadata.Store) (*gotfs.Root, error) {
 	empty, err := fsop.NewEmpty(ctx, ms)
 	if err != nil {