diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/backend_script_api.ts b/apps/server/src/services/backend_script_api.ts
index 249d09ea0..6513245c4 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/backend_script_api.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/backend_script_api.ts
@@ -412,6 +412,13 @@ export interface Api {
      */
     backupNow(backupName: string): Promise<string>;
 
+    /**
+     * Exposes the backend duplicateSubtree to the API
+     * @param origNoteId - the noteId for the original note to be duplicated
+     * @param newParentNoteId - the noteId for the parent note where the duplication is to be placed.
+     */
+    duplicateSubtree(origNoteId: string, newParentNoteId: string): { note: BNote; branch: BBranch; }
+
     /**
      * This object contains "at your risk" and "no BC guarantees" objects for advanced use cases.
      */
@@ -703,6 +710,7 @@ function BackendScriptApi(this: Api, currentNote: BNote, apiParams: ApiParams) {
 
     this.runOutsideOfSync = syncMutex.doExclusively;
     this.backupNow = backupService.backupNow;
+    this.duplicateSubtree = noteService.duplicateSubtree;
 
     this.__private = {
         becca
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/notes.ts b/apps/server/src/services/notes.ts
index 998da821b..1f91b4db0 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/notes.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/notes.ts
@@ -931,9 +931,10 @@ function duplicateSubtree(origNoteId: string, newParentNoteId: string) {
 
     const noteIdMapping = getNoteIdMapping(origNote);
 
-    if (!origBranch) {
-        throw new Error("Unable to find original branch to duplicate.");
-    }
+    // Not required - if origBranch doesn't exist, the subtree can still be created.
+    // if (!origBranch) {
+    //     throw new Error("Unable to find original branch to duplicate.");
+    // }
 
     const res = duplicateSubtreeInner(origNote, origBranch, newParentNoteId, noteIdMapping);
 
@@ -966,7 +967,7 @@ function duplicateSubtreeWithoutRoot(origNoteId: string, newNoteId: string) {
     }
 }
 
-function duplicateSubtreeInner(origNote: BNote, origBranch: BBranch, newParentNoteId: string, noteIdMapping: Record<string, string>) {
+function duplicateSubtreeInner(origNote: BNote, origBranch: BBranch | null | undefined, newParentNoteId: string, noteIdMapping: Record<string, string>) {
     if (origNote.isProtected && !protectedSessionService.isProtectedSessionAvailable()) {
         throw new Error(`Cannot duplicate note '${origNote.noteId}' because it is protected and protected session is not available. Enter protected session and try again.`);
     }