diff --git a/content/content.importers.php b/content/content.importers.php
index b552199..6a984b0 100644
--- a/content/content.importers.php
+++ b/content/content.importers.php
@@ -713,6 +713,84 @@ public function __viewEdit() {
 
 					if ($fields === false) continue;
 
+					//entry ID markup
+						$field_id = 'entry-id';
+						// $field_name = "fields[fields][-1]";
+						$field_name = "fields[fields][id]"; //not sure that is correct but should avoid conflicts with other fields
+						$field_data = null;
+						$template_index = null;
+						if (isset($this->_fields['fields'])) {
+							foreach ($this->_fields['fields'] as $i => $temp_data) {
+								if ($temp_data['field'] != $field_id) continue;
+								$field_data = $temp_data;
+								$template_index = $i;
+								// always force the unique to entry id if exists
+								$this->_fields['unique-field'] = "entry-id";
+							}
+						}
+						$li = new XMLElement('li',"<h4>Entry ID</h4>",array('class'=>'unique template','data-type'=>'entry-id'));
+						$li->appendChild(new XMLElement('header', '<h4>Entry ID</h4>'));
+
+						$input = Widget::Input("{$field_name}[field]", $field_id, 'hidden');
+						$li->appendChild($input);
+
+						$group = new XMLElement('div');
+						$group->setAttribute('class', 'two columns');
+
+						$label = Widget::Label(__('XPath Expression'));
+						$label->setAttribute('class', 'column');
+						$input = Widget::Input(
+							"{$field_name}[xpath]",
+							General::sanitize(
+								( isset($field_data) && isset($field_data['xpath']) )
+									? $field_data['xpath']
+									: null
+							)
+						);
+						$label->appendChild($input);
+						$group->appendChild($label);
+
+						$label = Widget::Label(__('PHP Function'));
+						$label->appendChild(new XMLElement('i', __('Optional')));
+						$label->setAttribute('class', 'column');
+						$input = Widget::Input(
+							"{$field_name}[php]",
+							General::sanitize(
+								( isset($field_data) && isset($field_data['php']) )
+									? $field_data['php']
+									: null
+							)
+						);
+						$label->appendChild($input);
+						$group->appendChild($label);
+
+						$li->appendChild($group);
+
+						$label = Widget::Label();
+						$label->setAttribute('class', 'meta');					
+
+						$label->setValue(__('Entry ID is used to determine uniqeness.'));
+
+						$li->appendChild($label);
+						$section_fields->appendChild($li);
+
+						if (!is_null($field_data)){
+							//clone to avoid re-setting all the variables
+							$newLi = clone $li;
+							$newLi->setAttribute('class', 'unique');
+
+							//an entry ID must be unique - check only when showing in selected view
+							$input = Widget::Input("fields[unique-field]", $field_id, 'radio');
+							$input->setAttribute("checked","checked");
+							$input->setAttribute("style","display:none");
+							$newLi->appendChild($input);
+
+							//append item to the field list
+							$section_fields->appendChild($newLi);
+						}
+
+					//end entry id
+
 					// Templates
 					foreach ($fields as $index => $field) {
 						$field_id = $field->get('id');
diff --git a/lib/class.xmlimporter.php b/lib/class.xmlimporter.php
index 956c404..c963db7 100644
--- a/lib/class.xmlimporter.php
+++ b/lib/class.xmlimporter.php
@@ -251,16 +251,48 @@ function handleXMLError($errno, $errstr, $errfile, $errline, $context) {
 			$passed = true;
 
 			foreach ($this->_entries as $index => &$current) {
+
 				$entry = EntryManager::create();
 				$entry->set('section_id', $options['section']);
 				$entry->set('author_id', is_null(Symphony::Engine()->Author()) ? '1' : Symphony::Engine()->Author()->get('id'));
 				$entry->set('modification_date_gmt', DateTimeObj::getGMT('Y-m-d H:i:s'));
 				$entry->set('modification_date', DateTimeObj::get('Y-m-d H:i:s'));
 
+				//if it has a pre-set entry id use it
+				if(isset($current['values']['entry-id'])){
+					$entry_id = $current['values']['entry-id'];
+					if (is_array($entry_id)){
+						$entry_id = current($entry_id);
+					}
+
+					//entry has an id - should check if it's a new entry
+					$existingEntry = EntryManager::fetch($entry_id, null, null, null,  null,  null, false, false);
+					if (!empty($existingEntry)){
+						$existingEntry = current($existingEntry);
+						//check that entry is in the same section else there is something wrong
+						if ($entry->get('section_id') != $existingEntry['section_id']){
+							$errorMessage = sprintf(__("An entry with id: %d already exists in a the '%s' Section, and you're trying to import it into the '%s' Section."),
+									$existingEntry['id'],
+									SectionManager::fetch($existingEntry['section_id'])->get('name'),
+									SectionManager::fetch($entry->get('section_id'))->get('name')
+								);
+							$current['errors'] = array($errorMessage);
+							$passed = false;
+						}
+					}
+
+					//set the entry id to continue
+					$entry->set('id', $entry_id);
+				}
+
 				$values = array();
 
 				// Map values:
 				foreach ($current['values'] as $field_id => $value) {
+					if ($field_id == "entry-id"){
+						continue;
+					}
+
 					$field = FieldManager::fetch($field_id);
 
 					if(is_array($value)) {
@@ -368,6 +400,16 @@ public function commit($status) {
 					$this->checkExisting($field, $entry, $index, $existing);
 				};
 
+				//this entry has an entry id - ignore any existing field previously set and re-set according to this id
+				if ($entry->get('id')){
+					//entry has an id - should check if it's a new entry
+					$existingEntry = EntryManager::fetch($entry->get('id'), null, null, null,  null,  null, false, false);
+					if (!empty($existingEntry)){
+						$existingEntry = current($existingEntry);
+						$existing[$index] = $existingEntry['id'];
+					}
+				}
+
 				// Matches an existing entry
 				if (!is_null($existing[$index])) {
 					// Update