diff --git a/src/c3nav/editor/models/changeset.py b/src/c3nav/editor/models/changeset.py
index ef70528e..3e2bebd2 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/editor/models/changeset.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/editor/models/changeset.py
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ class ChangeSet(models.Model):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-        self.changed_objects = None
 
         self.created_objects = {}
         self.updated_existing = {}
@@ -234,7 +233,7 @@ class ChangeSet(models.Model):
         return self.can_edit(request) and self.state == 'unproposed'
 
     def can_propose(self, request):
-        return self.can_edit(request) and not self.proposed and self.changed_objects_count
+        return self.can_edit(request) and not self.proposed and self.changes.operations
 
     def can_unpropose(self, request):
         return self.author_id == request.user.pk and self.state in ('proposed', 'reproposed')
@@ -417,19 +416,7 @@ class ChangeSet(models.Model):
         """
         Get the number of changed objects.
         """
-        self.fill_changes_cache()
-        count = 0
-        changed_locationslug_pks = set()
-        for model, objects in self.changed_objects.items():
-            if issubclass(model, LocationSlug):
-                if model == LocationRedirect:
-                    continue
-                changed_locationslug_pks.update(objects.keys())
-            count += sum(1 for obj in objects.values() if not obj.is_created or not obj.deleted)
-
-        count += len(set(obj.obj.target_id
-                         for obj in self.changed_objects.get(LocationRedirect, {}).values()) - changed_locationslug_pks)
-        return count
+        return len(self.changes.changed_objects)
 
     def get_changed_objects_by_model(self, model):
         if isinstance(model, str):
@@ -446,7 +433,6 @@ class ChangeSet(models.Model):
             if self.direct_editing:
                 return _('Direct editing active')
             return _('No objects changed')
-        return 'something was changed'  # todo: make this nice again
         return (ngettext_lazy('%(num)d object changed', '%(num)d objects changed', 'num') %
                 {'num': self.changed_objects_count})
 
diff --git a/src/c3nav/editor/operations.py b/src/c3nav/editor/operations.py
index 9773353f..f25edf93 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/editor/operations.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/editor/operations.py
@@ -111,6 +111,21 @@ DatabaseOperation = Annotated[
 ]
 
 
+class ChangedManyToMany(BaseSchema):
+    cleared: bool = False
+    added: list[str] = []
+    removed: list[str] = []
+
+
+class ChangedObject(BaseSchema):
+    obj: ObjectReference
+    repr: str
+    created: bool = False
+    deleted: bool = False
+    fields: FieldValuesDict = {}
+    m2m_changes: dict[str, ChangedManyToMany] = {}
+
+
 class CollectedChanges(BaseSchema):
     prev_reprs: dict[str, dict[int, str]] = {}
     prev_values: dict[str, dict[int, FieldValuesDict]] = {}
@@ -128,6 +143,38 @@ class CollectedChanges(BaseSchema):
 
         return CollectedChangesPrefetch(changes=self, instances=instances)
 
+    @property
+    def changed_objects(self) -> list[ChangedObject]:
+        objects = {}
+        for operation in self.operations:
+            changed_object = objects.get(operation.obj, None)
+            if changed_object is None:
+                changed_object = ChangedObject(obj=operation.obj,
+                                               repr=self.prev_reprs[operation.obj.model][operation.obj.id])
+                objects[operation.obj] = changed_object
+            if isinstance(operation, CreateObjectOperation):
+                changed_object.created = True
+                changed_object.fields.update(operation.fields)
+            elif isinstance(operation, UpdateObjectOperation):
+                changed_object.fields.update(operation.fields)
+            elif isinstance(operation, DeleteObjectOperation):
+                changed_object.deleted = False
+            else:
+                changed_m2m = changed_object.m2m_changes.get(operation.field, None)
+                if changed_m2m is None:
+                    changed_m2m = ChangedManyToMany()
+                    changed_object.m2m_changes[operation.field] = changed_m2m
+                if isinstance(operation, ClearManyToManyOperation):
+                    changed_m2m.cleared = True
+                    changed_m2m.added = []
+                    changed_m2m.removed = []
+                else:
+                    changed_m2m.added = sorted((set(changed_m2m.added) | operation.add_values)
+                                               - operation.remove_values)
+                    changed_m2m.removed = sorted((set(changed_m2m.removed) - operation.add_values)
+                                                 | operation.remove_values)
+        return list(objects.values())
+
 
 @dataclass
 class CollectedChangesPrefetch: