diff --git a/src/types/utility-types/identifier.ts b/src/types/utility-types/identifier.ts
index 78b2e4b0d..64bf56fb3 100644
--- a/src/types/utility-types/identifier.ts
+++ b/src/types/utility-types/identifier.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ export class IdentifierType<T> extends Type<T, T> {
             return fail(`Identifier types can only be instantiated as direct child of a model type`)
 
         if (parent.identifierAttribute) fail(`Cannot define property '${subpath}' as object identifier, property '${parent.identifierAttribute}' is already defined as identifier property`)
-
-        typecheck(this.identifierType, snapshot)
         parent.identifierAttribute = subpath
         return createNode(this, parent, subpath, environment, snapshot)
     }
@@ -43,10 +41,7 @@ export class IdentifierType<T> extends Type<T, T> {
     }
 
     isValidSnapshot(value: any, context: IContext): IValidationResult {
-        if (this.identifierType.is(value)) {
-            return typeCheckSuccess()
-        }
-        return typeCheckFailure(context, value)
+        return this.identifierType.validate(value, context)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/identifier.ts b/test/identifier.ts
index 2735a10a1..350d1a5ce 100644
--- a/test/identifier.ts
+++ b/test/identifier.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ test("should throw if multiple identifiers provided", t => {
     }, `[mobx-state-tree] Cannot define property 'pk' as object identifier, property 'id' is already defined as identifier property`)
 })
 
+test("should throw if identifier of wrong type", t => {
+    t.throws(() => {
+        const Model = types.model("Model", {
+            id: types.identifier(types.number)
+        })
+
+        Model.create({ id: "1"})
+    }, `[mobx-state-tree] Error while converting \`{"id":"1"}\` to \`Model\`:
+at path "/id" value \`"1"\` is not assignable to type: \`identifier(number)\`, expected an instance of \`identifier(number)\` or a snapshot like \`identifier(number)\` instead.`)
+})
+
 test("identifier should be used only on model types - no parent provided", t => {
     t.throws(() => {
         const Model = types.identifier(types.number)