diff --git a/gramps/src/Config.py b/gramps/src/Config.py
index cf4a4c3e4..33d5db1d2 100644
--- a/gramps/src/Config.py
+++ b/gramps/src/Config.py
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ report_dir    = "./"
 web_dir       = "./"
 db_dir        = "./"
 id_visible    = 0
+id_edit       = 0
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ def loadConfig(call):
     global usetabs
     global uncompress
     global id_visible
+    global id_edit
     global show_detail
     global hide_altnames
     global lastfile
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ def loadConfig(call):
     usetabs = gnome.config.get_bool("/gramps/config/UseTabs")
     uncompress = gnome.config.get_bool("/gramps/config/DontCompressXML")
     id_visible = gnome.config.get_bool("/gramps/config/IdVisible")
+    id_edit = gnome.config.get_bool("/gramps/config/IdEdit")
     show_detail = gnome.config.get_bool("/gramps/config/ShowDetail")
     status_bar = gnome.config.get_int("/gramps/config/StatusBar")
     display_attr = gnome.config.get_bool("/gramps/config/DisplayAttr")
@@ -244,6 +247,8 @@ def loadConfig(call):
         uncompress = 0
     if id_visible == None:
         id_visible = 0
+    if id_edit == None:
+        id_edit = 0
     if show_detail == None:
         show_detail = 0
     if status_bar == None:
@@ -345,6 +350,7 @@ def on_propertybox_apply(obj,page):
     global usetabs
     global uncompress
     global id_visible
+    global id_edit
     global status_bar
     global display_attr
     global attr_name
@@ -366,6 +372,7 @@ def on_propertybox_apply(obj,page):
     usetabs = prefsTop.get_widget("usetabs").get_active()
     uncompress = prefsTop.get_widget("uncompress").get_active()
     id_visible = prefsTop.get_widget("gid_visible").get_active()
+    id_edit = prefsTop.get_widget("gid_edit").get_active()
     hide_altnames = prefsTop.get_widget("display_altnames").get_active()
     paper_obj = prefsTop.get_widget("paper_size").get_menu().get_active()
     output_obj = prefsTop.get_widget("output_format").get_menu().get_active()
@@ -395,6 +402,7 @@ def on_propertybox_apply(obj,page):
     gnome.config.set_bool("/gramps/config/UseTabs",usetabs)
     gnome.config.set_bool("/gramps/config/DontCompressXML",uncompress)
     gnome.config.set_bool("/gramps/config/IdVisible",id_visible)
+    gnome.config.set_bool("/gramps/config/IdEdit",id_edit)
     gnome.config.set_bool("/gramps/config/ShowDetail",show_detail)
     gnome.config.set_int("/gramps/config/StatusBar",status_bar)
     gnome.config.set_bool("/gramps/config/DisplayAttr",display_attr)
@@ -532,6 +540,7 @@ def display_preferences_box():
     pbox = prefsTop.get_widget("propertybox")
     auto = prefsTop.get_widget("autoload")
     vis = prefsTop.get_widget("gid_visible")
+    idedit = prefsTop.get_widget("gid_edit")
     tabs = prefsTop.get_widget("usetabs")
     compress = prefsTop.get_widget("uncompress")
     detail = prefsTop.get_widget("showdetail")
@@ -542,6 +551,7 @@ def display_preferences_box():
     tabs.set_active(usetabs)
     compress.set_active(uncompress)
     vis.set_active(id_visible)
+    idedit.set_active(id_edit)
 
     if status_bar == 0:
         prefsTop.get_widget("stat1").set_active(1)
diff --git a/gramps/src/EditPerson.glade b/gramps/src/EditPerson.glade
index b3e8fdd60..5114ffea6 100644
--- a/gramps/src/EditPerson.glade
+++ b/gramps/src/EditPerson.glade
@@ -971,32 +971,6 @@
 	      <row_spacing>0</row_spacing>
 	      <column_spacing>0</column_spacing>
 
-	      <widget>
-		<class>GtkLabel</class>
-		<name>gid</name>
-		<label></label>
-		<justify>GTK_JUSTIFY_CENTER</justify>
-		<wrap>False</wrap>
-		<xalign>0</xalign>
-		<yalign>0.5</yalign>
-		<xpad>0</xpad>
-		<ypad>0</ypad>
-		<child>
-		  <left_attach>2</left_attach>
-		  <right_attach>3</right_attach>
-		  <top_attach>0</top_attach>
-		  <bottom_attach>1</bottom_attach>
-		  <xpad>5</xpad>
-		  <ypad>5</ypad>
-		  <xexpand>True</xexpand>
-		  <yexpand>False</yexpand>
-		  <xshrink>False</xshrink>
-		  <yshrink>False</yshrink>
-		  <xfill>True</xfill>
-		  <yfill>False</yfill>
-		</child>
-	      </widget>
-
 	      <widget>
 		<class>GtkLabel</class>
 		<name>user_data</name>
@@ -1126,6 +1100,30 @@
 		  <yfill>False</yfill>
 		</child>
 	      </widget>
+
+	      <widget>
+		<class>GtkEntry</class>
+		<name>gid</name>
+		<can_focus>True</can_focus>
+		<editable>False</editable>
+		<text_visible>True</text_visible>
+		<text_max_length>0</text_max_length>
+		<text></text>
+		<child>
+		  <left_attach>2</left_attach>
+		  <right_attach>3</right_attach>
+		  <top_attach>0</top_attach>
+		  <bottom_attach>1</bottom_attach>
+		  <xpad>2</xpad>
+		  <ypad>0</ypad>
+		  <xexpand>True</xexpand>
+		  <yexpand>False</yexpand>
+		  <xshrink>False</xshrink>
+		  <yshrink>False</yshrink>
+		  <xfill>True</xfill>
+		  <yfill>False</yfill>
+		</child>
+	      </widget>
 	    </widget>
 	  </widget>
 	</widget>
diff --git a/gramps/src/EditPerson.py b/gramps/src/EditPerson.py
index 2c543daa6..11ae0736b 100644
--- a/gramps/src/EditPerson.py
+++ b/gramps/src/EditPerson.py
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class EditPerson:
         self.attr_source = self.get_widget("attr_source")
         self.name_note = self.get_widget("name_note")
         self.name_source = self.get_widget("name_source")
+        self.gid = self.get_widget("gid")
 
         self.elist = person.getEventList()[:]
         self.nlist = person.getAlternateNames()[:]
@@ -203,7 +204,8 @@ class EditPerson:
             const.surnames.sort()
             self.get_widget("lastNameList").set_popdown_strings(const.surnames)
 
-        self.get_widget("gid").set_text(person.getId())
+        self.gid.set_text(person.getId())
+        self.gid.set_editable(Config.id_edit)
         self.event_list.set_column_visibility(3,Config.show_detail)
         self.name_list.set_column_visibility(1,Config.show_detail)
         self.attr_list.set_column_visibility(2,Config.show_detail)
@@ -453,10 +455,13 @@ def did_data_change(obj):
     dplace = epo.dplace.get_text()
     gender = epo.is_male.get_active()
     text = epo.notes_field.get_chars(0,-1)
+    idval = epo.gid.get_text()
 
     changed = 0
     name = person.getPrimaryName()
-    
+
+    if person.getId() != idval:
+        changed = 1
     if suffix != name.getSuffix() or surname != name.getSurname():
         changed = 1
     if given != name.getFirstName() or nick != person.getNickName():
@@ -1108,9 +1113,20 @@ def save_person(obj):
     given = epo.given.get_text()
     nick = epo.nick.get_text()
     title = epo.title.get_text()
+    idval = epo.gid.get_text()
 
     name = epo.pname
 
+    if idval != person.getId():
+        m = epo.db.getPersonMap() 
+        if not m.has_key(idval):
+            person.setId(idval)
+        else:
+            n = Config.nameof(m[idval])
+            msg1 = _("GRAMPS ID value was not changed.")
+            msg2 = _("%s is already used by %s") % (idval,n)
+            GnomeWarningDialog("%s\n%s" % (msg1,msg2))
+
     if suffix != name.getSuffix():
         name.setSuffix(suffix)
 
diff --git a/gramps/src/config.glade b/gramps/src/config.glade
index 22092741d..45a4c6bde 100644
--- a/gramps/src/config.glade
+++ b/gramps/src/config.glade
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
     <widget>
       <class>GtkTable</class>
       <name>table13</name>
-      <rows>5</rows>
+      <rows>6</rows>
       <columns>2</columns>
       <homogeneous>False</homogeneous>
       <row_spacing>0</row_spacing>
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@
 	<child>
 	  <left_attach>1</left_attach>
 	  <right_attach>2</right_attach>
-	  <top_attach>4</top_attach>
-	  <bottom_attach>5</bottom_attach>
+	  <top_attach>5</top_attach>
+	  <bottom_attach>6</bottom_attach>
 	  <xpad>0</xpad>
 	  <ypad>0</ypad>
 	  <xexpand>True</xexpand>
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@
 	<child>
 	  <left_attach>0</left_attach>
 	  <right_attach>1</right_attach>
-	  <top_attach>4</top_attach>
-	  <bottom_attach>5</bottom_attach>
+	  <top_attach>5</top_attach>
+	  <bottom_attach>6</bottom_attach>
 	  <xpad>5</xpad>
 	  <ypad>5</ypad>
 	  <xexpand>False</xexpand>
@@ -239,6 +239,35 @@
 	  <yfill>False</yfill>
 	</child>
       </widget>
+
+      <widget>
+	<class>GtkCheckButton</class>
+	<name>gid_edit</name>
+	<can_focus>True</can_focus>
+	<signal>
+	  <name>toggled</name>
+	  <handler>on_object_toggled</handler>
+	  <object>propertybox</object>
+	  <last_modification_time>Thu, 12 Jul 2001 13:42:44 GMT</last_modification_time>
+	</signal>
+	<label>Allow internal GRAMPS ID numbers to be edited</label>
+	<active>False</active>
+	<draw_indicator>True</draw_indicator>
+	<child>
+	  <left_attach>0</left_attach>
+	  <right_attach>2</right_attach>
+	  <top_attach>4</top_attach>
+	  <bottom_attach>5</bottom_attach>
+	  <xpad>5</xpad>
+	  <ypad>5</ypad>
+	  <xexpand>False</xexpand>
+	  <yexpand>False</yexpand>
+	  <xshrink>False</xshrink>
+	  <yshrink>False</yshrink>
+	  <xfill>True</xfill>
+	  <yfill>False</yfill>
+	</child>
+      </widget>
     </widget>
 
     <widget>