diff --git a/cubicweb_s3storage/storages.py b/cubicweb_s3storage/storages.py
index 3e07e7b1b10aee73b45581fe63dfd92d6c629d58_Y3ViaWN3ZWJfczNzdG9yYWdlL3N0b3JhZ2VzLnB5..b429b15fba11b73658c41483b80e4f602879f420_Y3ViaWN3ZWJfczNzdG9yYWdlL3N0b3JhZ2VzLnB5 100644
--- a/cubicweb_s3storage/storages.py
+++ b/cubicweb_s3storage/storages.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 class S3Storage(Storage):
     is_source_callback = True
+    KEY_SEPARATOR = '#'
 
     def __init__(self, bucket, suffix='.tmp'):
         self.s3cnx = self._s3_client()
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@
             # FIXME need a way to check that the attribute is actually edited
             try:
                 suffixed_key = self.suffixed_key(key)
-                return self.download(suffixed_key)
+                return self.get_s3_object(cnx, suffixed_key)
             except Exception:
                 pass
         try:
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@
             except Exception:
                 pass
         try:
-            return self.download(key)
+            return self.get_s3_object(cnx, key)
         except Exception as ex:
             source.critical("can't retrieve S3 object %s: %s", key, ex)
             return None
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@
             if PY3:
                 key = key.decode('utf-8')
             try:
-                return self.download(key)
+                return self.get_s3_object(entity._cw, key)
             except Exception:
                 return None
 
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@
         """
         Format the string that will store key and version id
         """
-        return f"{key}#{version_id}"
+        return f"{key}{self.KEY_SEPARATOR}{version_id}"
 
     def get_s3_key(self, entity, attr):
         """
@@ -215,8 +216,31 @@
     def suffixed_key(self, key):
         return key + self.suffix
 
-    def download(self, key):
-        result = self.s3cnx.get_object(Bucket=self.bucket, Key=key)
+    def get_s3_object(self, cnx, key):
+        """
+        :param cnx: (Object)
+        :param key: (string)
+        get s3 stored attribute for key
+        handle the case of versioned object
+        """
+        versioning_activated = cnx.repo.config[
+            's3-activate-object-versioning'
+        ]
+        # check  first : does the key contain a '<separator>'
+        key, version_id = self.parse_key(key)
+
+        # if object-versioning is activated use the version_id
+        if versioning_activated and version_id is not None:
+            return self.download(key, VersionId=version_id)
+        return self.download(key)
+
+    def download(self, key, **kwargs):
+        """
+        :param key: (string)
+        :param kwargs: (dict) Keys must be compatible with method S3.Client.put_object
+        https://boto3.amazonaws.com/v1/documentation/api/latest/reference/services/s3.html#S3.Client.put_object
+        """
+        result = self.s3cnx.get_object(Bucket=self.bucket, Key=key, **kwargs)
         self.info('Downloaded %s/%s from S3', self.bucket, key)
         return Binary(result['Body'].read())