diff --git a/rust/rpmostree-client/src/lib.rs b/rust/rpmostree-client/src/lib.rs
index c3fded57..daf7250b 100644
--- a/rust/rpmostree-client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/rpmostree-client/src/lib.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ impl Status {
     }
 }
 
+impl Deployment {
+    /// Find the base OSTree commit
+    pub fn get_base_commit(&self) -> &str {
+        self.base_checksum
+            .as_deref()
+            .unwrap_or(self.checksum.as_str())
+    }
+}
+
 fn cli_cmd(c: &CliClient) -> Command {
     let mut cmd = Command::new("rpm-ostree");
     cmd.env("RPMOSTREE_CLIENT_ID", c.agent_id.as_str());
diff --git a/rust/rpmostree-client/tests/parse.rs b/rust/rpmostree-client/tests/parse.rs
index 56a67450..a4eb8283 100644
--- a/rust/rpmostree-client/tests/parse.rs
+++ b/rust/rpmostree-client/tests/parse.rs
@@ -9,5 +9,9 @@ fn parse_workstation() -> Result<()> {
     assert_eq!(state.deployments.len(), 2);
     let booted = state.require_booted().unwrap();
     assert_eq!(booted.version.as_ref().unwrap().as_str(), "33.21");
+    assert_eq!(
+        booted.get_base_commit(),
+        "229387d3c0bb8ad698228ca5702eca72aed8b298a7c800be1dc72bab160a9f7f"
+    );
     Ok(())
 }