diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 799b875e3..5e1f3f565 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
     * `eachAttribNumber()`
     * `makeAttribsString()`
     * `opAttributeValue()`
+  * `appendATextToAssembler()`: Deprecated in favor of the new `opsFromAText()`
+    generator function.
 
 # 1.8.15
 
diff --git a/src/node/db/Pad.js b/src/node/db/Pad.js
index 677e9c014..d412037df 100644
--- a/src/node/db/Pad.js
+++ b/src/node/db/Pad.js
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ Pad.prototype.copyPadWithoutHistory = async function (destinationID, force) {
 
   // based on Changeset.makeSplice
   const assem = Changeset.smartOpAssembler();
-  Changeset.appendATextToAssembler(oldAText, assem);
+  for (const op of Changeset.opsFromAText(oldAText)) assem.append(op);
   assem.endDocument();
 
   // although we have instantiated the newPad with '\n', an additional '\n' is
diff --git a/src/static/js/Changeset.js b/src/static/js/Changeset.js
index 24cc855a2..949002c7d 100644
--- a/src/static/js/Changeset.js
+++ b/src/static/js/Changeset.js
@@ -1718,17 +1718,18 @@ exports.copyAText = (atext1, atext2) => {
 };
 
 /**
- * Append the set of operations from atext to an assembler.
+ * Convert AText to a series of operations.
  *
- * @param {AText} atext -
- * @param assem - Assembler like SmartOpAssembler TODO add desc
+ * @param {AText} atext - The AText to convert.
+ * @yields {Op}
+ * @returns {Generator<Op>}
  */
-exports.appendATextToAssembler = (atext, assem) => {
+exports.opsFromAText = function* (atext) {
   // intentionally skips last newline char of atext
   const iter = exports.opIterator(atext.attribs);
   let lastOp = null;
   while (iter.hasNext()) {
-    if (lastOp != null) assem.append(lastOp);
+    if (lastOp != null) yield lastOp;
     lastOp = iter.next();
   }
   if (lastOp == null) return;
@@ -1741,11 +1742,24 @@ exports.appendATextToAssembler = (atext, assem) => {
     const lastLineLength = atext.text.length - nextToLastNewlineEnd - 1;
     lastOp.lines--;
     lastOp.chars -= (lastLineLength + 1);
-    assem.append(lastOp);
+    yield copyOp(lastOp);
     lastOp.lines = 0;
     lastOp.chars = lastLineLength;
   }
-  if (lastOp.chars) assem.append(lastOp);
+  if (lastOp.chars) yield lastOp;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Append the set of operations from atext to an assembler.
+ *
+ * @deprecated Use `opsFromAText` instead.
+ * @param {AText} atext -
+ * @param assem - Assembler like SmartOpAssembler TODO add desc
+ */
+exports.appendATextToAssembler = (atext, assem) => {
+  padutils.warnWithStack(
+      'Changeset.appendATextToAssembler() is deprecated; use Changeset.opsFromAText() instead');
+  for (const op of exports.opsFromAText(atext)) assem.append(op);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
index 46c6ca579..3597959ac 100644
--- a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
+++ b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ function Ace2Inner(editorInfo, cssManagers) {
     o.chars = lastLineLength;
     o.lines = 0;
     assem.append(o);
-    Changeset.appendATextToAssembler(atext, assem);
+    for (const op of Changeset.opsFromAText(atext)) assem.append(op);
     const newLen = oldLen + assem.getLengthChange();
     const changeset = Changeset.checkRep(
         Changeset.pack(oldLen, newLen, assem.toString(), atext.text.slice(0, -1)));
diff --git a/src/tests/frontend/specs/easysync.js b/src/tests/frontend/specs/easysync.js
index 121218407..79e81f41f 100644
--- a/src/tests/frontend/specs/easysync.js
+++ b/src/tests/frontend/specs/easysync.js
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ describe('easysync', function () {
   const testAppendATextToAssembler = (testId, atext, correctOps) => {
     it(`testAppendATextToAssembler#${testId}`, async function () {
       const assem = Changeset.smartOpAssembler();
-      Changeset.appendATextToAssembler(atext, assem);
+      for (const op of Changeset.opsFromAText(atext)) assem.append(op);
       expect(assem.toString()).to.equal(correctOps);
     });
   };