diff --git a/sae_lens/training/sparse_autoencoder.py b/sae_lens/training/sparse_autoencoder.py
index 4694a7de..73363527 100644
--- a/sae_lens/training/sparse_autoencoder.py
+++ b/sae_lens/training/sparse_autoencoder.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import einops
 import torch
+from jaxtyping import Float
 from safetensors import safe_open
 from safetensors.torch import save_file
 from torch import nn
@@ -118,7 +119,16 @@ def __init__(
 
         self.setup()  # Required for `HookedRootModule`s
 
-    def forward(self, x: torch.Tensor, dead_neuron_mask: torch.Tensor | None = None):
+    def encode(
+        self, x: Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_in"]
+    ) -> Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_sae"]:
+        feature_acts, _ = self._encode_with_hidden_pre(x)
+        return feature_acts
+
+    def _encode_with_hidden_pre(
+        self, x: Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_in"]
+    ) -> tuple[Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_sae"], Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_sae"]]:
+        """Encodes input activation tensor x into an SAE feature activation tensor."""
         # move x to correct dtype
         x = x.to(self.dtype)
         sae_in = self.hook_sae_in(
@@ -139,6 +149,12 @@ def forward(self, x: torch.Tensor, dead_neuron_mask: torch.Tensor | None = None)
             noisy_hidden_pre = hidden_pre + noise
         feature_acts = self.hook_hidden_post(self.activation_fn(noisy_hidden_pre))
 
+        return feature_acts, hidden_pre
+
+    def decode(
+        self, feature_acts: Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_sae"]
+    ) -> Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_in"]:
+        """Decodes SAE feature activation tensor into a reconstructed input activation tensor."""
         sae_out = self.hook_sae_out(
             einops.einsum(
                 feature_acts
@@ -148,6 +164,14 @@ def forward(self, x: torch.Tensor, dead_neuron_mask: torch.Tensor | None = None)
             )
             + self.b_dec
         )
+        return sae_out
+
+    def forward(
+        self, x: torch.Tensor, dead_neuron_mask: torch.Tensor | None = None
+    ) -> ForwardOutput:
+
+        feature_acts, hidden_pre = self._encode_with_hidden_pre(x)
+        sae_out = self.decode(feature_acts)
 
         # add config for whether l2 is normalized:
         per_item_mse_loss = _per_item_mse_loss_with_target_norm(
diff --git a/tests/unit/training/test_sparse_autoencoder.py b/tests/unit/training/test_sparse_autoencoder.py
index 828e3bc2..a9a59d23 100644
--- a/tests/unit/training/test_sparse_autoencoder.py
+++ b/tests/unit/training/test_sparse_autoencoder.py
@@ -149,6 +149,54 @@ def test_SparseAutoencoder_save_and_load_from_pretrained_lacks_scaling_factor(
             )
 
 
+def test_sparse_autoencoder_encode(sparse_autoencoder: SparseAutoencoder):
+    batch_size = 32
+    d_in = sparse_autoencoder.d_in
+    d_sae = sparse_autoencoder.d_sae
+
+    x = torch.randn(batch_size, d_in)
+    feature_acts1 = sparse_autoencoder.encode(x)
+    (
+        _,
+        feature_acts2,
+        _,
+        _,
+        _,
+        _,
+    ) = sparse_autoencoder.forward(
+        x,
+    )
+
+    # Check shape
+    assert feature_acts1.shape == (batch_size, d_sae)
+
+    # Check values
+    assert torch.allclose(feature_acts1, feature_acts2)
+
+
+def test_sparse_autoencoder_decode(sparse_autoencoder: SparseAutoencoder):
+    batch_size = 32
+    d_in = sparse_autoencoder.d_in
+
+    x = torch.randn(batch_size, d_in)
+    feature_acts = sparse_autoencoder.encode(x)
+    sae_out1 = sparse_autoencoder.decode(feature_acts)
+
+    (
+        sae_out2,
+        _,
+        _,
+        _,
+        _,
+        _,
+    ) = sparse_autoencoder.forward(
+        x,
+    )
+
+    assert sae_out1.shape == x.shape
+    assert torch.allclose(sae_out1, sae_out2)
+
+
 def test_sparse_autoencoder_forward(sparse_autoencoder: SparseAutoencoder):
     batch_size = 32
     d_in = sparse_autoencoder.d_in