diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/DocumentManager.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/DocumentManager.php
index ea6db503a..5f316016f 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/DocumentManager.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/DocumentManager.php
@@ -167,9 +167,9 @@ public function getRepository($documentName)
         return $this->repositories[$documentName];
     }
 
-    public function persist($object, $path)
+    public function persist($object)
     {
-        $this->unitOfWork->scheduleInsert($object, $path);
+        $this->unitOfWork->scheduleInsert($object);
     }
 
     public function remove($object)
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/AssignedPathGenerator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/AssignedPathGenerator.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa7156dd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/AssignedPathGenerator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Id;
+
+use Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\DocumentManager;
+use Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Mapping\ClassMetadata;
+
+class AssignedPathGenerator extends IdGenerator
+{
+    /**
+     * @param object $document
+     * @param ClassMetadata $cm
+     * @param DocumentManager $dm
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function generate($document, ClassMetadata $cm, DocumentManager $dm)
+    {
+        $id = $cm->getFieldValue($document, $cm->path);
+        if (!$id) {
+            throw new \Exception("no id");
+        }
+        return $id;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/IdGenerator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/IdGenerator.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6438fe787
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/IdGenerator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Id;
+
+use Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\DocumentManager;
+use Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Mapping\ClassMetadata;
+
+/**
+ * Used to abstract ID generation
+ *
+ * @license     http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.php LGPL
+ * @link        www.doctrine-project.com
+ * @since       1.0
+ * @author      Benjamin Eberlei <kontakt@beberlei.de>
+ * @author      Lukas Kahwe Smith <smith@pooteeweet.org>
+ */
+abstract class IdGenerator
+{
+    /**
+     * @param  int $generatorType
+     * @return IdGenerator
+     */
+    static public function create($generatorType)
+    {
+        switch ($generatorType) {
+            case ClassMetadata::IDGENERATOR_ASSIGNED:
+                $instance = new AssignedPathGenerator();
+                break;
+            case ClassMetadata::IDGENERATOR_REPOSITORY:
+                $instance = new RepositoryPathGenerator();
+                break;
+            default:
+                throw \Exception("ID Generator does not exist!");
+        }
+        return $instance;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param object $document
+     * @param ClassMetadata $cm
+     * @param DocumentManager $dm
+     */
+    abstract public function generate($document, ClassMetadata $cm, DocumentManager $dm);
+}
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/RepositoryPathGenerator.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/RepositoryPathGenerator.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..990505527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/RepositoryPathGenerator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Id;
+
+use Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\DocumentManager;
+use Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Mapping\ClassMetadata;
+
+class RepositoryPathGenerator extends IdGenerator
+{
+    /**
+     * @param object $document
+     * @param ClassMetadata $cm
+     * @param DocumentManager $dm
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function generate($document, ClassMetadata $cm, DocumentManager $dm)
+    {
+        $repository = $dm->getRepository($cm->class);
+        if (!($repository instanceof RepositoryPathInterface)) {
+            throw new \Exception("no id");
+        }
+
+        // TODO: should we have some default implementation (parent path + some md5/object id)?
+        $id = $repository->generatePath($document);
+        if (!$id) {
+            throw new \Exception("no id");
+        }
+        return $id;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/RepositoryPathInterface.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/RepositoryPathInterface.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27801d943
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Id/RepositoryPathInterface.php
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\ODM\PHPCR\Id;
+
+interface RepositoryPathGenerator
+{
+    /**
+     * @param object $document
+     * @return string
+     */
+    function generatePath($document);
+}
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Mapping/ClassMetadata.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Mapping/ClassMetadata.php
index 49b3cd5d5..d9ad76a92 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Mapping/ClassMetadata.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/Mapping/ClassMetadata.php
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
  */
 class ClassMetadata
 {
+    const IDGENERATOR_REPOSITORY = 1;
+    const IDGENERATOR_ASSIGNED = 2;
+
     const TO_ONE = 5;
     const TO_MANY = 10;
     const ONE_TO_ONE = 1;
@@ -27,6 +30,8 @@ class ClassMetadata
     const CASCADE_REFRESH = 16;
     const CASCADE_ALL     = 31;
 
+    public $idGenerator = self::IDGENERATOR_ASSIGNED;
+
     /**
      * READ-ONLY: The field name of the document identifier.
      */
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/UnitOfWork.php
index d93879931..de4267d99 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/UnitOfWork.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ODM/PHPCR/UnitOfWork.php
@@ -283,13 +283,13 @@ public function getOriginalData($document)
      * @param object $document
      * @param string $path
      */
-    public function scheduleInsert($document, $path)
+    public function scheduleInsert($document)
     {
         $visited = array();
-        $this->doScheduleInsert($document, $path, $visited);
+        $this->doScheduleInsert($document, $visited);
     }
 
-    private function doScheduleInsert($document, $path, &$visited)
+    private function doScheduleInsert($document, &$visited)
     {
         $oid = spl_object_hash($document);
         if (isset($visited[$oid])) {
@@ -302,11 +302,7 @@ private function doScheduleInsert($document, $path, &$visited)
 
         switch ($state) {
             case self::STATE_NEW:
-                $this->registerManaged($document, $path, null);
-
-                if ($this->evm->hasListeners(Event::prePersist)) {
-                    $this->evm->dispatchEvent(Event::prePersist, new Events\LifecycleEventArgs($document, $this->dm));
-                }
+                $this->persistNew($class, $document);
                 break;
             case self::STATE_MANAGED:
                 // TODO: Change Tracking Deferred Explicit
@@ -351,6 +347,14 @@ private function cascadeScheduleInsert($class, $document, &$visited)
         }
     }
 
+    private function getIdGenerator($type)
+    {
+        if (!isset($this->idGenerators[$type])) {
+            $this->idGenerators[$type] = Id\IdGenerator::create($type);
+        }
+        return $this->idGenerators[$type];
+    }
+
     public function scheduleRemove($document)
     {
         $oid = spl_object_hash($document);
@@ -470,6 +474,27 @@ public function getDocumentChangeSet($document)
         return array();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Persist new document, marking it managed and generating the id.
+     *
+     * This method is either called through `DocumentManager#persist()` or during `DocumentManager#flush()`,
+     * when persistence by reachability is applied.
+     *
+     * @param ClassMetadata $class
+     * @param object $document
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function persistNew($class, $document)
+    {
+        $path = $this->getIdGenerator($class->idGenerator)->generate($document, $class, $this->dm);
+
+        $this->registerManaged($document, $path, null);
+
+        if ($this->evm->hasListeners(Event::prePersist)) {
+            $this->evm->dispatchEvent(Event::prePersist, new Events\LifecycleEventArgs($document, $this->dm));
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Flush Operation - Write all dirty entries to the PHPCR.
      *