diff --git modules/node/node.api.php modules/node/node.api.php
index 045234f..119b501 100644
--- modules/node/node.api.php
+++ modules/node/node.api.php
@@ -466,8 +466,11 @@ function hook_node_search_result($node) {
  *
  * @param $node
  *   The node that is being inserted or updated.
+ * @param $node_unchanged
+ *   The node object without the currently saved changes applied. May be NULL
+ *   in case of an insert.
  */
-function hook_node_presave($node) {
+function hook_node_presave($node, $node_unchanged = NULL) {
   if ($node->nid && $node->moderate) {
     // Reset votes when node is updated:
     $node->score = 0;
@@ -485,8 +488,10 @@ function hook_node_presave($node) {
  *
  * @param $node
  *   The node that is being updated.
+ * @param $node_unchanged
+ *   The node object without the currently saved changes applied.
  */
-function hook_node_update($node) {
+function hook_node_update($node, $node_unchanged) {
   db_update('mytable')
     ->fields(array('extra' => $node->extra))
     ->condition('nid', $node->nid)
@@ -934,8 +939,10 @@ function hook_load($nodes) {
  *
  * @param $node
  *   The node that is being updated.
+ * @param $node_unchanged
+ *   The node object without the currently saved changes applied.
  */
-function hook_update($node) {
+function hook_update($node, $node_unchanged) {
   db_update('mytable')
     ->fields(array('extra' => $node->extra))
     ->condition('nid', $node->nid)
diff --git modules/node/node.module modules/node/node.module
index b51f850..f10fa62 100644
--- modules/node/node.module
+++ modules/node/node.module
@@ -957,14 +957,16 @@ function node_save($node) {
   $transaction = db_transaction();
 
   try {
-    field_attach_presave('node', $node);
-    // Let modules modify the node before it is saved to the database.
-    module_invoke_all('node_presave', $node);
-    global $user;
-
     if (!isset($node->is_new)) {
       $node->is_new = empty($node->nid);
     }
+    // Keep a copy of the unchanged node so we can pass it to hooks later on.
+    $node_unchanged = $node->is_new ? NULL : clone node_load($node->nid);
+
+    field_attach_presave('node', $node);
+    // Let modules modify the node before it is saved to the database.
+    module_invoke_all('node_presave', $node, $node_unchanged);
+    global $user;
 
     // Apply filters to some default node fields:
     if ($node->is_new) {
@@ -1039,13 +1041,13 @@ function node_save($node) {
     // Call the node specific callback (if any). This can be
     // node_invoke($node, 'insert') or
     // node_invoke($node, 'update').
-    node_invoke($node, $op);
+    node_invoke($node, $op, $node_unchanged);
   
     // Save fields.
     $function = "field_attach_$op";
     $function('node', $node);
   
-    module_invoke_all('node_' . $op, $node);
+    module_invoke_all('node_' . $op, $node, $node_unchanged);
   
     // Update the node access table for this node.
     node_access_acquire_grants($node);