diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 2b30c44..64ce440 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (c *Client) Start(octx context.Context) (Controller, error) {
 		traceSink = proxy
 	}
 
-	incoming := make(chan ctrlRequest, c.numWorkers)
+	incoming := make(chan any, c.numWorkers)
 	outgoing := make(chan Resource, c.numWorkers)
 	syncoutgoing := make(chan synchronousRequest, c.numWorkers)
 	wg.Add(c.numWorkers)
diff --git a/controller.go b/controller.go
index 4cc1965..f8ff6ae 100644
--- a/controller.go
+++ b/controller.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 type Controller interface {
 	AddResource(Resource) error
+	Lookup(string) (Resource, error)
 	RemoveResource(string) error
 	Refresh(string) error
 	ShutdownContext(context.Context) error
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ type controller struct {
 	cancel context.CancelFunc
 	check  *time.Ticker
 	// incoming accepts new control requests from external sources
-	incoming chan ctrlRequest
+	incoming chan any
 	// outgoing sends Syncer objects to the worker pool
 	outgoing chan Resource
 
@@ -60,18 +61,39 @@ func (c *controller) ShutdownContext(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 }
 
-const (
-	addResource = iota
-	rmResource
-	refreshResource
-)
-
-type ctrlRequest struct {
-	op       int
-	reply    chan error
+type ctrlRequest[T any] struct {
+	reply    chan T
 	resource Resource
 	u        string
 }
+type lookupReply struct {
+	r   Resource
+	err error
+}
+
+type addRequest ctrlRequest[error]
+type rmRequest ctrlRequest[error]
+type refreshRequest ctrlRequest[error]
+type lookupRequest ctrlRequest[lookupReply]
+
+// Lookup returns a resource by its URL. If the resource does not exist, it
+// will return an error.
+//
+// Unfortunately, due to the way typed parameters are handled in Go, we can only
+// return a Resource object (and not a ResourceBase[T] object). This means that
+// you will either need to use the `Resource.Get()` method or use a type
+// assertion to obtain a `ResourceBase[T]` to get to the actual object you are
+// looking for
+func (c *controller) Lookup(u string) (Resource, error) {
+	// to avoid having to acquire locks, we do this asynchronously
+	reply := make(chan lookupReply, 1)
+	c.incoming <- lookupRequest{
+		reply: reply,
+		u:     u,
+	}
+	r := <-reply
+	return r.r, r.err
+}
 
 // AddResource adds a new resource to the controller. If the resource already
 // exists, it will return an error.
@@ -81,8 +103,7 @@ func (c *controller) AddResource(r Resource) error {
 	}
 
 	reply := make(chan error, 1)
-	c.incoming <- ctrlRequest{
-		op:       addResource,
+	c.incoming <- addRequest{
 		reply:    reply,
 		resource: r,
 	}
@@ -93,8 +114,7 @@ func (c *controller) AddResource(r Resource) error {
 // not exist, it will return an error.
 func (c *controller) RemoveResource(u string) error {
 	reply := make(chan error, 1)
-	c.incoming <- ctrlRequest{
-		op:    rmResource,
+	c.incoming <- rmRequest{
 		reply: reply,
 		u:     u,
 	}
@@ -107,17 +127,16 @@ func (c *controller) RemoveResource(u string) error {
 // This function is synchronous, and will block until the resource has been refreshed.
 func (c *controller) Refresh(u string) error {
 	reply := make(chan error, 1)
-	c.incoming <- ctrlRequest{
-		op:    refreshResource,
+	c.incoming <- refreshRequest{
 		reply: reply,
 		u:     u,
 	}
 	return <-reply
 }
 
-func (c *controller) handleRequest(ctx context.Context, req ctrlRequest) {
-	switch req.op {
-	case addResource:
+func (c *controller) handleRequest(ctx context.Context, req any) {
+	switch req := req.(type) {
+	case addRequest:
 		r := req.resource
 		for _, item := range c.items {
 			if item.URL() == r.URL() {
@@ -128,7 +147,7 @@ func (c *controller) handleRequest(ctx context.Context, req ctrlRequest) {
 		}
 
 		c.items = append(c.items, r)
-		sendReply(ctx, req.reply, nil)
+		closeReply(req.reply)
 
 		// force the next check to happen immediately
 		if d := r.ConstantInterval(); d > 0 {
@@ -138,7 +157,7 @@ func (c *controller) handleRequest(ctx context.Context, req ctrlRequest) {
 		}
 
 		c.check.Reset(time.Nanosecond)
-	case rmResource:
+	case rmRequest:
 		u := req.u
 		minInterval := oneDay
 		loc := -1
@@ -158,9 +177,9 @@ func (c *controller) handleRequest(ctx context.Context, req ctrlRequest) {
 		}
 
 		c.items = slices.Delete(c.items, loc, loc+1)
-		sendReply(ctx, req.reply, nil)
+		closeReply[error](req.reply)
 		c.check.Reset(minInterval)
-	case refreshResource:
+	case refreshRequest:
 		u := req.u
 		for _, item := range c.items {
 			if item.URL() != u {
@@ -174,6 +193,15 @@ func (c *controller) handleRequest(ctx context.Context, req ctrlRequest) {
 			return
 		}
 		sendReply(ctx, req.reply, errResourceNotFound)
+	case lookupRequest:
+		u := req.u
+		for _, item := range c.items {
+			if item.URL() == u {
+				sendReply(ctx, req.reply, lookupReply{r: item})
+				return
+			}
+		}
+		sendReply(ctx, req.reply, lookupReply{err: errResourceNotFound})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -193,15 +221,15 @@ func sendWorkerSynchronous(ctx context.Context, ch chan synchronousRequest, r sy
 	}
 }
 
-func sendReply(ctx context.Context, ch chan error, err error) {
-	defer close(ch)
-	if err == nil {
-		return
-	}
+func closeReply[T any](ch chan T) {
+	close(ch)
+}
 
+func sendReply[T any](ctx context.Context, ch chan T, v T) {
+	defer closeReply[T](ch)
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
-	case ch <- err:
+	case ch <- v:
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/httprc_test.go b/httprc_test.go
index 2822d97..d295807 100644
--- a/httprc_test.go
+++ b/httprc_test.go
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
 			require.Equal(t, tc.Expected, dst, `r.Get should return expected value`)
 		})
 	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		t.Run("Lookup "+tc.URL, func(t *testing.T) {
+			r, err := ctrl.Lookup(tc.URL)
+			require.NoError(t, err, `ctrl.Lookup should succeed`)
+			require.Equal(t, tc.URL, r.URL(), `r.URL should return expected value`)
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRefresh(t *testing.T) {