diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
index 647bacf601..26d1ef900c 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataConnection.prototype, {
                         + msg.id);
       }
       serverDoc.document = msg.fields || {};
-      serverDoc.document._id = LocalCollection._idParse(msg.id);
+      serverDoc.document._id = Meteor.idParse(msg.id);
     } else {
       self._pushUpdate(updates, msg.collection, msg);
     }
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
index 2b3d699491..a5a03ce241 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - methods", function (test) {
   test.equal(counts, {added: 1, removed: 0, changed: 0, moved: 0});
 
   // data methods do not show up (not quiescent yet)
-  stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName, id: LocalCollection._idStringify(docId),
+  stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName, id: Meteor.idStringify(docId),
                   fields: {value: 'tuesday'}});
   test.equal(coll.find({}).count(), 1);
   test.equal(coll.find({value: 'friday!'}).count(), 1);
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - methods calling methods", function (test) {
 
   // get data from the method. data from this doc does not show up yet, but data
   // from another doc does.
-  stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: coll_name, id: LocalCollection._idStringify(docId),
+  stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: coll_name, id: Meteor.idStringify(docId),
                   fields: {value: 'tuesday'}});
   o.expectCallbacks();
   test.equal(coll.findOne(docId), {_id: docId, a: 1});
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - reconnect method which only got result", function
 
   // Get some data.
   stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName,
-                  id: LocalCollection._idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {baz: 42}});
+                  id: Meteor.idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {baz: 42}});
   // It doesn't show up yet.
   test.equal(coll.find().count(), 1);
   test.equal(coll.findOne(stubWrittenId), {_id: stubWrittenId, foo: 'bar'});
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - reconnect method which only got result", function
   test.equal(callbackOutput, ['bla']);
   test.equal(onResultReceivedOutput, ['bla']);
   stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName,
-                  id: LocalCollection._idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {baz: 42}});
+                  id: Meteor.idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {baz: 42}});
   test.equal(coll.findOne(stubWrittenId), {_id: stubWrittenId, baz: 42});
   o.expectCallbacks({added: 1});
 
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - reconnect method which only got result", function
 
   // Get some data.
   stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName,
-                  id: LocalCollection._idStringify(stubWrittenId2), fields: {baz: 42}});
+                  id: Meteor.idStringify(stubWrittenId2), fields: {baz: 42}});
   // It doesn't show up yet.
   test.equal(coll.find().count(), 2);
   test.equal(coll.findOne(stubWrittenId2), {_id: stubWrittenId2, foo: 'bar'});
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - reconnect method which only got result", function
 
   // Receive data matching our stub. It doesn't take effect yet.
   stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName,
-                  id: LocalCollection._idStringify(stubWrittenId2), fields: {foo: 'bar'}});
+                  id: Meteor.idStringify(stubWrittenId2), fields: {foo: 'bar'}});
   o.expectCallbacks();
 
   // slowMethod is done writing, so we get full reconnect quiescence (but no
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - multiple stubs same doc", function (test) {
 
   // Get some data... slightly different than what we wrote.
   stream.receive({msg: 'added', collection: collName,
-                  id: LocalCollection._idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {foo: 'barb', other: 'field',
+                  id: Meteor.idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {foo: 'barb', other: 'field',
                                            other2: 'bla'}});
   // It doesn't show up yet.
   test.equal(coll.find().count(), 1);
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - multiple stubs same doc", function (test) {
 
   // More data. Not quite what we wrote. Also ignored for now.
   stream.receive({msg: 'changed', collection: collName,
-                  id: LocalCollection._idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {baz: 43}, cleared: ['other']});
+                  id: Meteor.idStringify(stubWrittenId), fields: {baz: 43}, cleared: ['other']});
   test.equal(coll.find().count(), 1);
   test.equal(coll.findOne(stubWrittenId),
              {_id: stubWrittenId, foo: 'bar', baz: 42});
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
index ee3f789676..f3f529a523 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
@@ -789,8 +789,8 @@ Meteor._LivedataSubscription = function (session, subscriptionId) {
   // a ddp consumer that isn't minimongo
 
   self._idFilter = {
-    idStringify: LocalCollection._idStringify,
-    idParse: LocalCollection._idParse
+    idStringify: Meteor.idStringify,
+    idParse: Meteor.idParse
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js b/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js
index cc86323187..97408a88c4 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js
@@ -719,3 +719,52 @@ LocalCollection.prototype.resumeObservers = function () {
     query.results_snapshot = null;
   }
 };
+
+
+LocalCollection._idStringify = function (id) {
+  if (id instanceof LocalCollection._findObjectIDClass()) {
+    return id.valueOf();
+  } else if (typeof id === 'string') {
+    if (id === "") {
+      return id;
+    } else if (id[0] === "-" || // escape previously dashed strings
+               id[0] === "~" || // escape escaped numbers, true, false
+               LocalCollection._looksLikeObjectID(id) || // escape object-id-form strings
+               id[0] === '{') { // escape object-form strings, for maybe implementing later
+      return "-" + id;
+    } else {
+      return id; // other strings go through unchanged.
+    }
+  } else if (id === undefined) {
+    return '-';
+  } else if (typeof id === 'object') {
+    throw new Error("Meteor does not currently support objects other than ObjectID as ids");
+  } else { // Numbers, true, false, null
+    return "~" + JSON.stringify(id);
+  }
+};
+
+
+
+LocalCollection._idParse = function (id) {
+  if (id === "") {
+    return id;
+  } else if (id === '-') {
+    return undefined;
+  } else if (id[0] === '-') {
+    return id.substr(1);
+  } else if (id[0] === '~') {
+    return JSON.parse(id.substr(1));
+  } else if (LocalCollection._looksLikeObjectID(id)) {
+    return new (LocalCollection._findObjectIDClass())(id);
+  } else {
+    return id;
+  }
+};
+
+if (typeof Meteor !== 'undefined') {
+  Meteor.idParse = LocalCollection._idParse;
+  Meteor.idStringify = LocalCollection._idStringify;
+}
+
+})();
diff --git a/packages/mongo-livedata/collection.js b/packages/mongo-livedata/collection.js
index 2d5d3fb410..e62a05492c 100644
--- a/packages/mongo-livedata/collection.js
+++ b/packages/mongo-livedata/collection.js
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ Meteor.Collection = function (name, options) {
       // Apply an update.
       // XXX better specify this interface (not in terms of a wire message)?
       update: function (msg) {
-        var mongoId = msg.id && LocalCollection._idParse(msg.id);
+        var mongoId = msg.id && Meteor.idParse(msg.id);
         var doc = self._collection.findOne(mongoId);
 
         // Is this a "replace the whole doc" message coming from the quiescence
@@ -661,4 +661,5 @@ Meteor.Collection.prototype._validatedRemove = function(userId, selector) {
 
   self._collection.remove.call(self._collection, idSelector);
 };
+
 })();
diff --git a/packages/mongo-livedata/mongo_driver.js b/packages/mongo-livedata/mongo_driver.js
index 8d520a8b0b..5a9caa0375 100644
--- a/packages/mongo-livedata/mongo_driver.js
+++ b/packages/mongo-livedata/mongo_driver.js
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ _.extend(SynchronousCursor.prototype, {
     while (true) {
       var doc = self._synchronousNextObject().wait();
       if (!doc || !doc._id) return null;
-      var strId = LocalCollection._idStringify(doc._id);
+      var strId = Meteor.idStringify(doc._id);
       if (self._visitedIds[strId]) continue;
       self._visitedIds[strId] = true;
       return doc;