diff --git a/esqueleto.cabal b/esqueleto.cabal
--- a/esqueleto.cabal
+++ b/esqueleto.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                esqueleto
-version:             1.4.1.3
+version:             1.4.2
 synopsis:            Type-safe EDSL for SQL queries on persistent backends.
 homepage:            https://github.com/prowdsponsor/esqueleto
 license:             BSD3
diff --git a/src/Database/Esqueleto.hs b/src/Database/Esqueleto.hs
--- a/src/Database/Esqueleto.hs
+++ b/src/Database/Esqueleto.hs
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
 
     -- * Helpers
   , valkey
+  , valJ
 
     -- * Re-exports
     -- $reexports
@@ -374,6 +375,21 @@
 valkey :: Esqueleto query expr backend =>
           Int64 -> expr (Value (Key entity))
 valkey = val . Key . PersistInt64
+
+
+-- | @valJ@ is like @val@ but for something that is already a @Value@. The use
+-- case it was written for was, given a @Value@ lift the @Key@ for that @Value@
+-- into the query expression in a type safe way. However, the implementation is
+-- more generic than that so we call it @valJ@.
+--
+-- Its important to note that the input entity and the output entity are
+-- constrained to be the same by the type signature on the function
+-- (<https://github.com/prowdsponsor/esqueleto/pull/69>).
+--
+-- /Since: 1.4.2/
+valJ :: Esqueleto query expr backend =>
+        Value (Key entity) -> expr (Value (Key entity))
+valJ = val . unValue
 
 
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