diff --git a/prism/src/explicit/PartiallyObservableModel.java b/prism/src/explicit/PartiallyObservableModel.java
index 644fd387..72dbc612 100644
--- a/prism/src/explicit/PartiallyObservableModel.java
+++ b/prism/src/explicit/PartiallyObservableModel.java
@@ -69,11 +69,43 @@ public interface PartiallyObservableModel extends Model
 	 */
 	public int getObservation(int s);
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the observation of state {@code s} as a {@code State}.
+	 * Equivalent to calling {@link #getObservation(int)}
+	 * and then looking up via {@link #getObservationsList()}.
+	 * Returns null if the observation is unavailable.
+	 */
+	public default State getObservationAsState(int s)
+	{
+		int o = getObservation(s);
+		List<State> obsList = getObservationsList();
+		if (obsList != null && obsList.size() > o) {
+			return obsList.get(o);
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get the unobservation of state {@code s}.
 	 */
 	public int getUnobservation(int s);
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the unobservation of state {@code s} as a {@code State}.
+	 * Equivalent to calling {@link #getUnbservation(int)}
+	 * and then looking up via {@link #getUnobservationsList()}.
+	 * Returns null if the unobservation is unavailable.
+	 */
+	public default State getUnobservationAsState(int s)
+	{
+		int u = getUnobservation(s);
+		List<State> unobsList = getUnobservationsList();
+		if (unobsList != null && unobsList.size() > u) {
+			return unobsList.get(u);
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get the probability of observing observation {@code o} in state {@code s}.
 	 */
diff --git a/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java b/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java
index ef369af7..e6e2a1e5 100644
--- a/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java
+++ b/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java
@@ -909,8 +909,7 @@ public class StateModelChecker extends PrismComponent
 		int numStates = model.getNumStates();
 		StateValues res = new StateValues(expr.getType(), model);
 		for (int i = 0; i < numStates; i++) {
-			int iObservation = poModel.getObservation(i);
-			State observation = poModel.getObservationsList().get(iObservation);
+			State observation = poModel.getObservationAsState(i);
 			Object val = observation.varValues[iObservable];
 			res.setValue(i, val);
 		}