diff --git a/docs/client/api.js b/docs/client/api.js
index 00c7dfb5a8..5f2ba48dda 100644
--- a/docs/client/api.js
+++ b/docs/client/api.js
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ Template.api.cursor_observe_changes = {
 
 Template.api.id = {
   id: "meteor_id",
-  name: "Meteor.id()",
+  name: "Random.id()",
   locus: "Anywhere",
   descr: ["Return a unique identifier."],
   args: [ ]
diff --git a/docs/client/docs.js b/docs/client/docs.js
index 4dee50fc1e..96be550e70 100644
--- a/docs/client/docs.js
+++ b/docs/client/docs.js
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ var toc = [
         {instance: "cursor", name: "observeChanges", id: "observe_changes"}
       ],
       {type: "spacer"},
-      "Meteor.id",
+      "Random.id",  // XXX move this to the packages section
       {name: "Meteor.Collection.ObjectID", id: "collection_object_id"},
       {type: "spacer"},
       {name: "Selectors", style: "noncode"},
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
index ab969be6af..9740942588 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ Meteor._LivedataSubscription = function (
   if (self._subscriptionId) {
     self._subscriptionHandle = 'N' + self._subscriptionId;
   } else {
-    self._subscriptionHandle = 'U' + Meteor.id();
+    self._subscriptionHandle = 'U' + Random.id();
   }
 
   // has _deactivate been called?
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_test_service.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_test_service.js
index 740af62335..322cc5b504 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_test_service.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_test_service.js
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ if (Meteor.isServer) {
     // First add a random item, which should be cleaned up. We use ready/onReady
     // to make sure that the second test block is only called after the added is
     // processed, so that there's any chance of the coll.find().count() failing.
-    sub.added(collName, Meteor.id(), {foo: 42});
+    sub.added(collName, Random.id(), {foo: 42});
     sub.ready();
 
     if (options.stopInHandler) {
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js
index 62c73bbac6..8e89fc7510 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ if (Meteor.isClient) {
     // conn._subscriptions is empty.
     var conn = new Meteor._LivedataConnection('/',
                                               {reloadWithOutstanding: true});
-    var collName = Meteor.id();
+    var collName = Random.id();
     var coll = new Meteor.Collection(collName, {manager: conn});
     var errorFromRerun;
     var gotErrorFromStopper = false;
diff --git a/packages/mongo-livedata/observe_changes_tests.js b/packages/mongo-livedata/observe_changes_tests.js
index e1fa9eecf1..908da0f180 100644
--- a/packages/mongo-livedata/observe_changes_tests.js
+++ b/packages/mongo-livedata/observe_changes_tests.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 var makeCollection = function () {
   if (Meteor.isServer)
-    return new Meteor.Collection(Meteor.id());
+    return new Meteor.Collection(Random.id());
   else
     return new Meteor.Collection(null);
 };
diff --git a/packages/random/random.js b/packages/random/random.js
index 90854020db..52aed0301b 100644
--- a/packages/random/random.js
+++ b/packages/random/random.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+// XXX update these comments
+
 // XXX dups packages/minimongo/uuid.js
 
 // Meteor.random() -- known good PRNG, replaces Math.random()
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@
 // SOFTWARE.
 (function() {
 
+Random = {};
+
 var HEX_DIGITS = "0123456789abcdef";
 var UNMISTAKABLE_CHARS = "23456789ABCDEFGHJKLMNPQRSTWXYZabcdefghijkmnopqrstuvwxyz";
 
@@ -148,7 +152,7 @@ Meteor.uuid = function () {
   return uuid;
 };
 
-Meteor.id = function() {
+Random.id = function() {
   var digits = [];
   var base = UNMISTAKABLE_CHARS.length;
   // Length of 17 preserves around 96 bits of entropy, which is the