diff --git a/swh/model/from_disk.py b/swh/model/from_disk.py
--- a/swh/model/from_disk.py
+++ b/swh/model/from_disk.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     identifier_to_bytes as id_to_bytes,
     identifier_to_str as id_to_str,
 )
+from . import model
 
 
 class DentryPerms(enum.IntEnum):
@@ -177,6 +178,13 @@
     def compute_hash(self):
         return self.data['sha1_git']
 
+    def to_model(self) -> model.BaseContent:
+        """Builds a `model.BaseContent` object based on this leaf."""
+        data = self.get_data().copy()
+        for key in ('perms', 'path'):
+            data.pop(key, None)
+        return model.BaseContent.from_dict(data)
+
 
 def accept_all_directories(dirname, entries):
     """Default filter for :func:`Directory.from_disk` accepting all
@@ -333,6 +341,11 @@
     def compute_hash(self):
         return id_to_bytes(directory_identifier({'entries': self.entries}))
 
+    def to_model(self) -> model.Directory:
+        """Builds a `model.Directory` object based on this node;
+        ignoring its children."""
+        return model.Directory.from_dict(self.get_data())
+
     def __getitem__(self, key):
         if not isinstance(key, bytes):
             raise ValueError('Can only get a bytes from Directory')
diff --git a/swh/model/tests/test_from_disk.py b/swh/model/tests/test_from_disk.py
--- a/swh/model/tests/test_from_disk.py
+++ b/swh/model/tests/test_from_disk.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from swh.model import from_disk
 from swh.model.from_disk import Content, DentryPerms, Directory
 from swh.model.hashutil import DEFAULT_ALGORITHMS, hash_to_bytes, hash_to_hex
+from swh.model import model
 
 TEST_DATA = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'data')
 
@@ -409,6 +410,8 @@
         if isinstance(right, Content):
             right = right.get_data()
 
+        # Compare dictionaries
+
         keys = DEFAULT_ALGORITHMS | {
             'length',
             'perms',
@@ -443,6 +446,19 @@
                 )
             )
 
+        # Compare normalization to swh.model.BaseContent
+
+        right = right.copy()
+        for key in ('perms', 'path', 'mode'):
+            right.pop(key, None)
+        if 'data' in left.data:
+            right['status'] = 'visible'
+        else:
+            right['status'] = 'absent'
+            right['reason'] = 'Skipping file content'
+            right.pop('data', None)
+        assert left.to_model() == model.BaseContent.from_dict(right)
+
     def assertDirectoryEqual(self, left, right):  # NoQA
         if not isinstance(left, Directory):
             raise ValueError('%s is not a Directory' % left)
@@ -450,6 +466,9 @@
             right = right.get_data()
 
         assert left.entries == right['entries']
+        assert left.hash == right['id']
+
+        assert left.to_model() == model.Directory.from_dict(right)
 
     def make_contents(self, directory):
         for filename, content in self.contents.items():