diff --git a/automerge/src/autocommit.rs b/automerge/src/autocommit.rs
index 3d833266..e84185e5 100644
--- a/automerge/src/autocommit.rs
+++ b/automerge/src/autocommit.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use crate::{
     change::export_change, transaction::TransactionInner, ActorId, Automerge, AutomergeError,
     Change, ChangeHash, Prop, Value,
 };
-use crate::{Keys, KeysAt, SyncMessage, SyncState};
+use crate::{Keys, KeysAt, ObjType, ScalarValue, SyncMessage, SyncState};
 
 /// An automerge document that automatically manages transactions.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -325,28 +325,50 @@ impl Transactable for AutoCommit {
     /// - The object does not exist
     /// - The key is the wrong type for the object
     /// - The key does not exist in the object
-    fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<Value>>(
+    fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
         prop: P,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError> {
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError> {
         self.ensure_transaction_open();
         let tx = self.transaction.as_mut().unwrap();
         tx.set(&mut self.doc, obj, prop, value)
     }
 
-    fn insert<V: Into<Value>>(
+    fn make<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        prop: P,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError> {
+        self.ensure_transaction_open();
+        let tx = self.transaction.as_mut().unwrap();
+        tx.make(&mut self.doc, obj, prop, value)
+    }
+
+    fn insert<V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
         index: usize,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError> {
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError> {
         self.ensure_transaction_open();
         let tx = self.transaction.as_mut().unwrap();
         tx.insert(&mut self.doc, obj, index, value)
     }
 
+    fn make_insert<V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        index: usize,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError> {
+        self.ensure_transaction_open();
+        let tx = self.transaction.as_mut().unwrap();
+        tx.make_insert(&mut self.doc, obj, index, value)
+    }
+
     fn inc<P: Into<Prop>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
diff --git a/automerge/src/transaction/inner.rs b/automerge/src/transaction/inner.rs
index 4aec42de..453fc362 100644
--- a/automerge/src/transaction/inner.rs
+++ b/automerge/src/transaction/inner.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::exid::ExId;
 use crate::query::{self, OpIdSearch};
 use crate::types::{Key, ObjId, OpId};
 use crate::{change::export_change, types::Op, Automerge, ChangeHash, Prop, Value};
-use crate::{AutomergeError, OpType};
+use crate::{AutomergeError, ObjType, OpType, ScalarValue};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct TransactionInner {
@@ -74,20 +74,43 @@ impl TransactionInner {
     /// - The object does not exist
     /// - The key is the wrong type for the object
     /// - The key does not exist in the object
-    pub fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<Value>>(
+    pub fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         doc: &mut Automerge,
         obj: &ExId,
         prop: P,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError> {
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError> {
         let obj = doc.exid_to_obj(obj)?;
-        let value = value.into();
-        if let Some(id) = self.local_op(doc, obj, prop.into(), value.into())? {
-            Ok(Some(doc.id_to_exid(id)))
-        } else {
-            Ok(None)
-        }
+        let value = Value::Scalar(value.into());
+        self.local_op(doc, obj, prop.into(), value.into())?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Set the value of property `P` to value `V` in object `obj`.
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    ///
+    /// The opid of the operation which was created, or None if this operation doesn't change the
+    /// document
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    ///
+    /// This will return an error if
+    /// - The object does not exist
+    /// - The key is the wrong type for the object
+    /// - The key does not exist in the object
+    pub fn make<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        doc: &mut Automerge,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        prop: P,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError> {
+        let obj = doc.exid_to_obj(obj)?;
+        let value = Value::Object(value.into());
+        let id = self.local_op(doc, obj, prop.into(), value.into())?.unwrap();
+        Ok(doc.id_to_exid(id))
     }
 
     fn next_id(&mut self) -> OpId {
@@ -108,19 +131,30 @@ impl TransactionInner {
         self.operations.push(op);
     }
 
-    pub fn insert<V: Into<Value>>(
+    pub fn insert<V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         doc: &mut Automerge,
         obj: &ExId,
         index: usize,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError> {
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError> {
         let obj = doc.exid_to_obj(obj)?;
-        if let Some(id) = self.do_insert(doc, obj, index, value)? {
-            Ok(Some(doc.id_to_exid(id)))
-        } else {
-            Ok(None)
-        }
+        self.do_insert(doc, obj, index, Value::Scalar(value.into()))?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub fn make_insert<V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        doc: &mut Automerge,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        index: usize,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError> {
+        let obj = doc.exid_to_obj(obj)?;
+        let id = self
+            .do_insert(doc, obj, index, Value::Object(value.into()))?
+            .unwrap();
+        Ok(doc.id_to_exid(id))
     }
 
     fn do_insert<V: Into<Value>>(
diff --git a/automerge/src/transaction/manual_transaction.rs b/automerge/src/transaction/manual_transaction.rs
index 93dcf615..e06e1552 100644
--- a/automerge/src/transaction/manual_transaction.rs
+++ b/automerge/src/transaction/manual_transaction.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::exid::ExId;
-use crate::{Automerge, ChangeHash, KeysAt, Prop, Value};
+use crate::{Automerge, ChangeHash, KeysAt, ObjType, Prop, ScalarValue, Value};
 use crate::{AutomergeError, Keys};
 
 use super::{CommitOptions, Transactable, TransactionInner};
@@ -85,27 +85,51 @@ impl<'a> Transactable for Transaction<'a> {
     /// - The object does not exist
     /// - The key is the wrong type for the object
     /// - The key does not exist in the object
-    fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<Value>>(
+    fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
         prop: P,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError> {
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError> {
         self.inner.as_mut().unwrap().set(self.doc, obj, prop, value)
     }
 
-    fn insert<V: Into<Value>>(
+    fn make<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        prop: P,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError> {
+        self.inner
+            .as_mut()
+            .unwrap()
+            .make(self.doc, obj, prop, value)
+    }
+
+    fn insert<V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
         index: usize,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError> {
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError> {
         self.inner
             .as_mut()
             .unwrap()
             .insert(self.doc, obj, index, value)
     }
 
+    fn make_insert<V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        index: usize,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError> {
+        self.inner
+            .as_mut()
+            .unwrap()
+            .make_insert(self.doc, obj, index, value)
+    }
+
     fn inc<P: Into<Prop>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
diff --git a/automerge/src/transaction/transactable.rs b/automerge/src/transaction/transactable.rs
index 93d65cd1..ea863af0 100644
--- a/automerge/src/transaction/transactable.rs
+++ b/automerge/src/transaction/transactable.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::exid::ExId;
-use crate::{AutomergeError, ChangeHash, Keys, KeysAt, Prop, Value};
+use crate::{AutomergeError, ChangeHash, Keys, KeysAt, ObjType, Prop, ScalarValue, Value};
 use unicode_segmentation::UnicodeSegmentation;
 
 /// A way of mutating a document within a single change.
@@ -20,20 +20,48 @@ pub trait Transactable {
     /// - The object does not exist
     /// - The key is the wrong type for the object
     /// - The key does not exist in the object
-    fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<Value>>(
+    fn set<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
         prop: P,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError>;
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError>;
+
+    /// Set the value of property `P` to value `V` in object `obj`.
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    ///
+    /// The opid of the operation which was created, or None if this operation doesn't change the
+    /// document
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    ///
+    /// This will return an error if
+    /// - The object does not exist
+    /// - The key is the wrong type for the object
+    /// - The key does not exist in the object
+    fn make<P: Into<Prop>, V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        prop: P,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError>;
 
     /// Insert a value into a list at the given index.
-    fn insert<V: Into<Value>>(
+    fn insert<V: Into<ScalarValue>>(
         &mut self,
         obj: &ExId,
         index: usize,
         value: V,
-    ) -> Result<Option<ExId>, AutomergeError>;
+    ) -> Result<(), AutomergeError>;
+
+    /// Insert a value into a list at the given index.
+    fn make_insert<V: Into<ObjType>>(
+        &mut self,
+        obj: &ExId,
+        index: usize,
+        value: V,
+    ) -> Result<ExId, AutomergeError>;
 
     /// Increment the counter at the prop in the object by `value`.
     fn inc<P: Into<Prop>>(&mut self, obj: &ExId, prop: P, value: i64)