diff --git a/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/collections/arangoDocument.js b/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/collections/arangoDocument.js
index 1bb9f4919e..95ac58ba13 100644
--- a/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/collections/arangoDocument.js
+++ b/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/collections/arangoDocument.js
@@ -50,18 +50,29 @@ window.arangoDocument = Backbone.Collection.extend({
     }
     return returnval;
   },
-  addDocument: function (collectionID) {
+  addDocument: function (collectionID, key) {
+  console.log("adding document");
     var self = this;
-    self.createTypeDocument(collectionID);
+    self.createTypeDocument(collectionID, key);
   },
-  createTypeEdge: function (collectionID, from, to) {
-    var result = false;
+  createTypeEdge: function (collectionID, from, to, key) {
+    var result = false, newEdge;
+
+    if (key) {
+      newEdge = JSON.stringify({
+        _key: key
+      });
+    }
+    else {
+      newEdge = JSON.stringify({});
+    }
+
     $.ajax({
       cache: false,
       type: "POST",
       async: false,
       url: "/_api/edge?collection=" + collectionID + "&from=" + from + "&to=" + to,
-      data: JSON.stringify({}),
+      data: newEdge,
       contentType: "application/json",
       processData: false,
       success: function(data) {
@@ -73,14 +84,24 @@ window.arangoDocument = Backbone.Collection.extend({
     });
     return result;
   },
-  createTypeDocument: function (collectionID) {
-    var result = false;
+  createTypeDocument: function (collectionID, key) {
+    var result = false, newDocument;
+
+    if (key) {
+      newDocument = JSON.stringify({
+        _key: key
+      });
+    }
+    else {
+      newDocument = JSON.stringify({});
+    }
+
     $.ajax({
       cache: false,
       type: "POST",
       async: false,
-      url: "/_api/document?collection=" + collectionID,
-      data: JSON.stringify({}),
+      url: "/_api/document?collection=" + encodeURIComponent(collectionID),
+      data: newDocument,
       contentType: "application/json",
       processData: false,
       success: function(data) {
diff --git a/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/templates/tableView.ejs b/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/templates/tableView.ejs
index 0a0c9bbfb8..d1e6d16d9b 100644
--- a/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/templates/tableView.ejs
+++ b/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/templates/tableView.ejs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ var cutByResolution = function (str) {
 <thead>
   <tr role="row">
     <th class="sorting_disabled docsFirstCol" role="columnheader" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Content</th>
-    <th class="sorting_disabled docsSecCol" role="columnheader" rowspan="1" colspan="1">_key</th>
+    <th class="sorting_disabled docsSecCol" role="columnheader" rowspan="1" colspan="1"></th>
     <th class="sorting_disabled docsThirdCol" role="columnheader" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
       <a id="addDocumentButton" class="pull-right addButton"><span class="arangoicon icon_arangodb_roundplus" title="Add a document"></span></a>
     </th>
diff --git a/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/views/documentsView.js b/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/views/documentsView.js
index fecdee5a9c..51bf1a5f9a 100644
--- a/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/views/documentsView.js
+++ b/js/apps/system/aardvark/frontend/js/views/documentsView.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
       "click .removeFilterItem"    : "removeFilterItem",
       "click #deleteSelected"      : "deleteSelectedDocs",
       "click #moveSelected"        : "moveSelectedDocs",
-      "click #addDocumentButton"   : "addDocument",
+      "click #addDocumentButton"   : "addDocumentModal",
       "click #documents_first"     : "firstDocuments",
       "click #documents_last"      : "lastDocuments",
       "click #documents_prev"      : "prevDocuments",
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@
       "click .deleteIndex"         : "prepDeleteIndex",
       "click #confirmDeleteIndexBtn"    : "deleteIndex",
       "click #documentsToolbar ul"      : "resetIndexForms",
-      "click #indexHeader #addIndex"    :    "toggleNewIndexView",
-      "click #indexHeader #cancelIndex" :    "toggleNewIndexView",
-      "change #documentSize"            :    "setPagesize",
-      "change #docsSort"                :    "setSorting"
+      "click #indexHeader #addIndex"    : "toggleNewIndexView",
+      "click #indexHeader #cancelIndex" : "toggleNewIndexView",
+      "change #documentSize"            : "setPagesize",
+      "change #docsSort"                : "setSorting"
     },
 
     showSpinner: function() {
@@ -490,13 +490,11 @@
       this.filterId = 0;
     },
 
-    addDocument: function () {
+    addDocumentModal: function () {
       var collid  = window.location.hash.split("/")[1],
-        // second parameter is "true" to disable caching of collection type
-        doctype = arangoHelper.collectionApiType(collid, true);
+      // second parameter is "true" to disable caching of collection type
+      doctype = arangoHelper.collectionApiType(collid, true);
       if (doctype === 'edge') {
-        //$('#edgeCreateModal').modal('show');
-        //arangoHelper.fixTooltips(".modalTooltips", "left");
 
         var buttons = [], tableContent = [];
 
@@ -534,6 +532,20 @@
           )
         );
 
+        tableContent.push(
+          window.modalView.createTextEntry(
+            'new-edge-key-attr',
+            '_key',
+            undefined,
+            "the edges unique key(optional attribute, leave empty for autogenerated key",
+            'is optional: leave empty for autogenerated key',
+            false,
+            [
+              {/*optional validation rules for joi*/}
+            ]
+          )
+        );
+
         buttons.push(
           window.modalView.createSuccessButton('Create', this.addEdge.bind(this))
         );
@@ -547,22 +559,49 @@
 
         return;
       }
+      else {
+        var buttons = [], tableContent = [];
 
-      var result = this.documentStore.createTypeDocument(collid);
-      //Success
-      if (result !== false) {
-        window.location.hash = "collection/" + result;
-        return;
+        tableContent.push(
+          window.modalView.createTextEntry(
+            'new-document-key-attr',
+            '_key',
+            undefined,
+            "the documents unique key(optional attribute, leave empty for autogenerated key",
+            'is optional: leave empty for autogenerated key',
+            false,
+            [
+              {/*optional validation rules for joi*/}
+            ]
+          )
+        );
+
+        buttons.push(
+          window.modalView.createSuccessButton('Create', this.addDocument.bind(this))
+        );
+
+        window.modalView.show(
+          'modalTable.ejs',
+          'Create document',
+          buttons,
+          tableContent
+        );
       }
-      //Error
-      arangoHelper.arangoError('Creating document failed');
     },
 
     addEdge: function () {
       var collid  = window.location.hash.split("/")[1];
       var from = $('.modal-body #new-edge-from-attr').last().val();
       var to = $('.modal-body #new-edge-to').last().val();
-      var result = this.documentStore.createTypeEdge(collid, from, to);
+      var key = $('.modal-body #new-edge-key-attr').last().val();
+
+      var result;
+      if (key !== '' || key !== undefined) {
+        result = this.documentStore.createTypeEdge(collid, from, to, key);
+      }
+      else {
+        result = this.documentStore.createTypeEdge(collid, from, to);
+      }
 
       if (result !== false) {
         //$('#edgeCreateModal').modal('hide');
@@ -575,6 +614,26 @@
       }
     },
 
+    addDocument: function() {
+      var collid = window.location.hash.split("/")[1];
+      var key = $('.modal-body #new-document-key-attr').last().val();
+      var result;
+      if (key !== '' || key !== undefined) {
+        result = this.documentStore.createTypeDocument(collid, key);
+      }
+      else {
+        result = this.documentStore.createTypeDocument(collid);
+      }
+      //Success
+      if (result !== false) {
+        window.modalView.hide();
+        window.location.hash = "collection/" + result;
+      }
+      else {
+        arangoHelper.arangoError('Creating document failed');
+      }
+    },
+
     moveSelectedDocs: function() {
       var buttons = [], tableContent = [];
       var toDelete = this.getSelectedDocs();