diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fc3b75e..7b6c002 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -197,6 +197,32 @@ ECS.getEntities(world, [ 'test_component' ]).length  // because we are not defer
 ```
 
 
+### get entity by unique id
+
+ECS will generate a unique integer id for every entity created in a world:
+
+```javascript
+const world = ECS.createWorld()
+const e = ECS.createEntity(world)
+const e2 = ECS.createEntity(world)
+
+const id1 = ECS.getEntityId(world, e)
+const id2 = ECS.getEntityId(world, e2)
+
+console.log(id1)  // 1
+console.log(id2)  // 2
+```
+
+You can then lookup  this entity directly:
+```javascript
+const e = ECS.getEntityById(world, id1)  // e is the entity
+```
+
+This can be useful in cases where you need to reference an entity from another context. for example,
+if you're running a networked simulation and need to refer to a specific entity across peers.
+
+
+
 ### devtools chrome extension
 
 If you'd like to see a real time view of the data in your ECS powered program, there is a dev tools extension!
diff --git a/ecs.js b/ecs.js
index 08bc7eb..62a3c42 100644
--- a/ecs.js
+++ b/ecs.js
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ export function createWorld (worldId=Math.ceil(Math.random() * 999999999) ) {
      * @type {World}
      */
     const world = {
+
+        entityIds: new Map(), // maps both entityId -> entity, and entity -> entityId
+        nextId: 1,  // id of the next entity to be created
+
         entities: [ ],
         filters: { },
         systems: [ ],
@@ -177,11 +181,26 @@ export function createEntity (world) {
     world.entities.push(entity)
     world.stats.entityCount++
 
+    world.entityIds.set(world.nextId, entity)
+    world.entityIds.set(entity, world.nextId)
+
+    world.nextId++
+
     world.listeners._added.add(entity)
     return entity
 }
 
 
+export function getEntityId (world, entity) {
+    return world.entityIds.get(entity)
+}
+
+
+export function getEntityById (world, entityId) {
+    return world.entityIds.get(entityId)
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Adds a component to the entity
  * @param {World} world world where listener will be invoked
@@ -558,6 +577,12 @@ function _removeEntity (world, entity, shiftUpEntities=false) {
 
     const entityToRemoveIdx = world.entities.indexOf(entity)
 
+    const entityId = world.entityIds.get(entity)
+    if (entityId !== undefined) {
+        world.entityIds.delete(entity)
+        world.entityIds.delete(entityId)
+    }
+
     removeItems(world.entities, entityToRemoveIdx, 1)
 
     if (shiftUpEntities) {
@@ -679,6 +704,10 @@ export function cleanup (world) {
 export default {
     createWorld,
     createEntity,
+
+    getEntityId,
+    getEntityById,
+
     addComponentToEntity,
     removeComponentFromEntity,
     getEntities,
diff --git a/test/createWorld.js b/test/createWorld.js
index 67edf5a..247c64a 100644
--- a/test/createWorld.js
+++ b/test/createWorld.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import tap from 'tap'
 const w = ECS.createWorld()
 
 tap.same(w, {
+    entityIds: new Map(),
+    nextId: 1,
     entities: [ ],
     filters: { },
     systems: [ ],
diff --git a/test/id.js b/test/id.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3ef7be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/id.js
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import ECS from '../ecs.js'
+import tap from 'tap'
+
+
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const e1 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	const e2 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	const e3 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e1), 1, 'generates an integer id')
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e2), 2, 'generates an integer id')
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e3), 3, 'generates an integer id')
+
+	tap.equal(e1, ECS.getEntityById(w, 1), 'retrieves entity by id')
+	tap.equal(e2, ECS.getEntityById(w, 2), 'retrieves entity by id')
+	tap.equal(e3, ECS.getEntityById(w, 3), 'retrieves entity by id')
+}
+
+
+// immediate entity removal works as expected
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const e1 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e1), 1, 'generates an integer id')
+	tap.equal(e1, ECS.getEntityById(w, 1), 'retrieves entity by id')
+
+	// removing an entity removes it's id
+
+	const deferredRemoval = false
+	ECS.removeEntity(w, e1, deferredRemoval)
+
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e1), undefined, 'entity id is removed')
+	tap.equal(undefined, ECS.getEntityById(w, 1), 'entity is removed')
+}
+
+
+// deferred entity removal works as expected
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const e1 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e1), 1, 'generates an integer id')
+	tap.equal(e1, ECS.getEntityById(w, 1), 'retrieves entity by id')
+
+	// removing an entity removes it's id
+
+	const deferredRemoval = true
+	ECS.removeEntity(w, e1, deferredRemoval)
+
+	// entity is still present because we haven't cleaned up yet
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e1), 1, 'entity id is removed')
+	tap.equal(e1, ECS.getEntityById(w, 1), 'retrieves entity by id')
+
+	ECS.cleanup(w)
+
+	// now they should be gone
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e1), undefined, 'entity id is removed')
+	tap.equal(undefined, ECS.getEntityById(w, 1), 'entity is removed')
+}
+
+
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const e1 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	const e2 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	const e3 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+
+	const deferredRemoval = true
+
+	ECS.removeEntity(w, e1, deferredRemoval)
+	ECS.removeEntity(w, e2, deferredRemoval)
+	ECS.removeEntity(w, e3, deferredRemoval)
+
+	ECS.cleanup(w)
+	
+	const e4 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	tap.equal(ECS.getEntityId(w, e4), 4, 'entity id still increments despite entity removal')
+}
+
+
+