diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp
index 2ab3e0857b..de154a33a3 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "Basics/ReadLocker.h"
 #include "Basics/WriteLocker.h"
 #include "BasicsC/logging.h"
+#include "Cluster/AgencyComm.h"
 
 using namespace triagens::arango;
 
@@ -55,8 +56,10 @@ ServerState::ServerState ()
     _address(),
     _lock(),
     _role(ROLE_UNDEFINED),
-    _state(STATE_UNDEFINED) {
-      
+    _state(STATE_UNDEFINED),
+    _uniqid() {
+
+  _uniqid._currentValue = _uniqid._upperValue = 0;
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -152,6 +155,28 @@ std::string ServerState::stateToString (StateEnum state) {
 // --SECTION--                                                    public methods
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief gets a unique id
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+uint64_t ServerState::uniqid () {
+  WRITE_LOCKER(_lock);
+
+  if (_uniqid._currentValue >= _uniqid._upperValue) {
+    AgencyComm comm;
+    AgencyCommResult result = comm.uniqid("Sync/LatestID", ValuesPerBatch);
+
+    if (! result.successful() || result._index == 0) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    _uniqid._currentValue = result._index;
+    _uniqid._upperValue   = _uniqid._currentValue + ValuesPerBatch;
+  }
+
+  return _uniqid._currentValue++;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief get the current state
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.h b/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.h
index 2641a892b8..4ba8efa05a 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.h
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.h
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ namespace triagens {
 
       public:
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief gets a unique id
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        uint64_t uniqid ();
+      
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief get the server role
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -259,6 +265,28 @@ namespace triagens {
 
         StateEnum _state;
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief uniqid sequence
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        struct {
+          uint64_t _currentValue;
+          uint64_t _upperValue;
+        }
+        _uniqid;
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                          private static variables
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+      private:
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief how big a batch is for unique values
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        static const uint64_t ValuesPerBatch = 1000;
+
     };
   }
 }
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/v8-cluster.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/v8-cluster.cpp
index b50e18de25..10770161c4 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/v8-cluster.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/v8-cluster.cpp
@@ -453,6 +453,28 @@ static v8::Handle<v8::Value> JS_StatusServerState (v8::Arguments const& argv) {
   return scope.Close(v8::String::New(state.c_str(), state.size()));
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief creates a uniqid
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+static v8::Handle<v8::Value> JS_UniqidServerState (v8::Arguments const& argv) {
+  v8::HandleScope scope;
+
+  if (argv.Length() != 0) {
+    TRI_V8_EXCEPTION_USAGE(scope, "uniqid()");
+  }
+  
+  uint64_t value = ServerState::instance()->uniqid();
+
+  if (value == 0) {
+    TRI_V8_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(scope, TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL, "unable to generate unique id");
+  }
+
+  const std::string id = StringUtils::itoa(value);
+
+  return scope.Close(v8::String::New(id.c_str(), id.size()));
+}
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // --SECTION--                                                  public functions
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -509,6 +531,7 @@ void TRI_InitV8Cluster (v8::Handle<v8::Context> context) {
   TRI_AddMethodVocbase(rt, "isCoordinator", JS_IsCoordinatorServerState);
   TRI_AddMethodVocbase(rt, "role", JS_RoleServerState);
   TRI_AddMethodVocbase(rt, "status", JS_StatusServerState);
+  TRI_AddMethodVocbase(rt, "uniqid", JS_UniqidServerState);
 
   v8g->ServerStateTempl = v8::Persistent<v8::ObjectTemplate>::New(isolate, rt);
   TRI_AddGlobalFunctionVocbase(context, "ArangoServerState", ft->GetFunction());