diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 963af4a0..e27928a3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ All versions prior to 0.9.0 are untracked.
 
 ### Added
 
+* Added `LogEntry._kind_version`, which is now parsed earlier upon receipt from the rekor API,
+  either from the root of the response, or from the reponse's inner base64-encoded JSON `body`.
+  [#1370](https://github.com/sigstore/sigstore-python/pull/1370)
+
 * Added support for ed25519 keys.
   [#1377](https://github.com/sigstore/sigstore-python/pull/1377)
 
diff --git a/sigstore/models.py b/sigstore/models.py
index bbcb1cc7..e4ff5462 100644
--- a/sigstore/models.py
+++ b/sigstore/models.py
@@ -58,9 +58,7 @@
 from sigstore_protobuf_specs.dev.sigstore.common import v1 as common_v1
 from sigstore_protobuf_specs.dev.sigstore.common.v1 import Rfc3161SignedTimestamp
 from sigstore_protobuf_specs.dev.sigstore.rekor import v1 as rekor_v1
-from sigstore_protobuf_specs.dev.sigstore.rekor.v1 import (
-    InclusionProof,
-)
+from sigstore_protobuf_specs.dev.sigstore.rekor.v1 import InclusionProof, KindVersion
 
 from sigstore import dsse
 from sigstore._internal.merkle import verify_merkle_inclusion
@@ -173,6 +171,11 @@ class LogEntry:
     log entry.
     """
 
+    _kind_version: KindVersion
+    """
+    The kind and version of the log entry.
+    """
+
     @classmethod
     def _from_response(cls, dict_: dict[str, Any]) -> LogEntry:
         """
@@ -183,8 +186,15 @@ def _from_response(cls, dict_: dict[str, Any]) -> LogEntry:
         entries = list(dict_.items())
         if len(entries) != 1:
             raise ValueError("Received multiple entries in response")
-
         uuid, entry = entries[0]
+
+        # Fill in the appropriate kind
+        body_entry: ProposedEntry = TypeAdapter(ProposedEntry).validate_json(
+            base64.b64decode(entry["body"])
+        )
+        if not isinstance(body_entry, (Hashedrekord, Dsse)):
+            raise InvalidBundle("log entry is not of expected type")
+
         return LogEntry(
             uuid=uuid,
             body=entry["body"],
@@ -195,6 +205,9 @@ def _from_response(cls, dict_: dict[str, Any]) -> LogEntry:
                 entry["verification"]["inclusionProof"]
             ),
             inclusion_promise=entry["verification"]["signedEntryTimestamp"],
+            _kind_version=KindVersion(
+                kind=body_entry.kind, version=body_entry.api_version
+            ),
         )
 
     @classmethod
@@ -234,6 +247,7 @@ def _from_dict_rekor(cls, dict_: dict[str, Any]) -> LogEntry:
             log_id=tlog_entry.log_id.key_id.hex(),
             log_index=tlog_entry.log_index,
             inclusion_proof=parsed_inclusion_proof,
+            _kind_version=tlog_entry.kind_version,
             inclusion_promise=inclusion_promise,
         )
 
@@ -256,6 +270,7 @@ def _to_rekor(self) -> rekor_v1.TransparencyLogEntry:
             log_id=common_v1.LogId(key_id=bytes.fromhex(self.log_id)),
             integrated_time=self.integrated_time,
             inclusion_proof=inclusion_proof,
+            kind_version=self._kind_version,
             canonicalized_body=base64.b64decode(self.body),
         )
         if self.inclusion_promise:
@@ -264,17 +279,6 @@ def _to_rekor(self) -> rekor_v1.TransparencyLogEntry:
             )
             tlog_entry.inclusion_promise = inclusion_promise
 
-        # Fill in the appropriate kind
-        body_entry: ProposedEntry = TypeAdapter(ProposedEntry).validate_json(
-            tlog_entry.canonicalized_body
-        )
-        if not isinstance(body_entry, (Hashedrekord, Dsse)):
-            raise InvalidBundle("log entry is not of expected type")
-
-        tlog_entry.kind_version = rekor_v1.KindVersion(
-            kind=body_entry.kind, version=body_entry.api_version
-        )
-
         return tlog_entry
 
     def encode_canonical(self) -> bytes: