diff --git a/gramps/gui/editors/editeventref.py b/gramps/gui/editors/editeventref.py
index 11df4280b..18c89cafe 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/editors/editeventref.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/editors/editeventref.py
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@
 # Python modules
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # gramps modules
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
+_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 from gramps.gen.lib import EventType, NoteType
 from gramps.gen.db import DbTxn
 from ..glade import Glade
@@ -243,6 +243,9 @@ class EditEventRef(EditReference):
         
     def ok_clicked(self, obj):
 
+        if self.check_for_duplicate_id('Event'):
+            return
+
         if self.source.handle:
             with DbTxn(_("Modify Event"), self.db) as trans:
                 self.commit_event(self.source,trans)
diff --git a/gramps/gui/editors/editmediaref.py b/gramps/gui/editors/editmediaref.py
index 11f9dd01d..1ac75df35 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/editors/editmediaref.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/editors/editmediaref.py
@@ -499,6 +499,10 @@ class EditMediaRef(EditReference):
         self._setup_notebook_tabs(notebook_ref)
 
     def save(self,*obj):
+
+        if self.check_for_duplicate_id('Media'):
+            return
+
         #first save primary object
         if self.source.handle:
             with DbTxn(_("Edit Media Object (%s)") %
diff --git a/gramps/gui/editors/editreference.py b/gramps/gui/editors/editreference.py
index 932f0116c..70998a5ae 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/editors/editreference.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/editors/editreference.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2000-2006  Donald N. Allingham
 #               2009       Gary Burton
+# Copyright (C) 2014       Paul Franklin
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ from gi.repository import Gtk
 # gramps modules
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
+_ = glocale.translation.gettext
+from ..dialog import ErrorDialog
 from ..managedwindow import ManagedWindow
 from .displaytabs import GrampsTab
 from gramps.gen.config import config
@@ -253,3 +257,43 @@ class EditReference(ManagedWindow, DbGUIElement):
         of the main interface, not of the displaytabs.
         """
         pass
+
+    def check_for_duplicate_id(self, type):
+        """
+        check to see if the gramps ID (if any) already exists
+
+        type    : the gramps primary object type, a string
+        returns : True if the gramps ID already exists, else False
+
+        N.B. the various strings, string variables, and titles existed already
+        """
+        new_id = self.source.get_gramps_id()
+        if new_id:
+            old_primary = self.db.get_from_name_and_gramps_id(type, new_id)
+            if old_primary:
+                if type == 'Event':
+                    msg1 = _("Cannot save event. ID already exists.")
+                    description = old_primary.get_description()
+                elif type == 'Media':
+                    msg1 = _("Cannot save media object. ID already exists.")
+                    description = old_primary.get_description()
+                elif type == 'Repository':
+                    msg1 = _("Cannot save repository. ID already exists.")
+                    description = old_primary.get_name()
+                if description:
+                    msg2 = _("You have attempted to use the existing Gramps "
+                             "ID with value %(id)s. This value is already " 
+                             "used by '%(prim_object)s'. Please enter a "
+                             "different ID or leave blank to get the next "
+                             "available ID value.") % {
+                                 'id' : new_id, 'prim_object' : description }
+                else:
+                    msg2 = _("You have attempted to use the existing Gramps "
+                             "ID with value %(id)s. This value is already "
+                             "used. Please enter a "
+                             "different ID or leave blank to get the next "
+                             "available ID value.") % {
+                                 'id' : new_id}
+                ErrorDialog(msg1, msg2)
+                return True
+        return False
diff --git a/gramps/gui/editors/editreporef.py b/gramps/gui/editors/editreporef.py
index 1c0732fdf..85f5df19a 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/editors/editreporef.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/editors/editreporef.py
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@
 # Python modules
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # gramps modules
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
+_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 from gramps.gen.lib import NoteType
 from gramps.gen.db import DbTxn
 
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ class EditRepoRef(EditReference):
         
     def ok_clicked(self, obj):
 
+        if self.check_for_duplicate_id('Repository'):
+            return
+
         if self.source.handle:
             with DbTxn(_("Modify Repository"), self.db) as trans:
                 self.db.commit_repository(self.source,trans)
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 4da1b2d43..ea8a9668c 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ gramps/gui/editors/editplace.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editplacename.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editplaceref.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editprimary.py
+gramps/gui/editors/editreference.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editreporef.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editrepository.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editsource.py
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.skip b/po/POTFILES.skip
index a0cdfed41..7c1e35e76 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.skip
+++ b/po/POTFILES.skip
@@ -279,7 +279,6 @@ gramps/gui/glade/catalog/grampswidgets.py
 # gui/editors - the GUI editors package
 #
 gramps/gui/editors/__init__.py
-gramps/gui/editors/editreference.py
 gramps/gui/editors/editsecondary.py
 #
 # gui/editors/displaytabs - the GUI display tabs package