diff --git a/packages/automerge-repo/src/Repo.ts b/packages/automerge-repo/src/Repo.ts
index 09342f09..bf12445b 100644
--- a/packages/automerge-repo/src/Repo.ts
+++ b/packages/automerge-repo/src/Repo.ts
@@ -340,12 +340,14 @@ export class Repo extends EventEmitter<RepoEvents> {
 
   /**
    * Creates a new document and returns a handle to it. The initial value of the document is an
-   * empty object `{}` unless an initial value is provided. Its documentId is generated by the
-   * system. we emit a `document` event to advertise interest in the document.
+   * empty object `{}` unless an initial value is provided. If an id is not provided, the system 
+   * will generate a unique id. We emit a `document` event to advertise interest in the document.
+   * 
+   * The `id` parameter should be sufficiently random or unique to avoid conflicts with existing documents. 
+   * Alternatively, it can match an existing id, but the initial value must share ancestry with that document.
    */
-  create<T>(initialValue?: T): DocHandle<T> {
-    // Generate a new UUID and store it in the buffer
-    const { documentId } = parseAutomergeUrl(generateAutomergeUrl())
+  create<T>(initialValue?: T, id: AnyDocumentId = generateAutomergeUrl()): DocHandle<T> {
+    const documentId = interpretAsDocumentId(id)
     const handle = this.#getHandle<T>({
       documentId,
     }) as DocHandle<T>
diff --git a/packages/automerge-repo/test/Repo.test.ts b/packages/automerge-repo/test/Repo.test.ts
index f2d12f3e..7d6e4f7b 100644
--- a/packages/automerge-repo/test/Repo.test.ts
+++ b/packages/automerge-repo/test/Repo.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { MessageChannelNetworkAdapter } from "../../automerge-repo-network-messa
 import assert from "assert"
 import * as Uuid from "uuid"
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest"
-import { parseAutomergeUrl } from "../src/AutomergeUrl.js"
+import { interpretAsDocumentId, parseAutomergeUrl } from "../src/AutomergeUrl.js"
 import {
   generateAutomergeUrl,
   stringifyAutomergeUrl,
@@ -76,6 +76,26 @@ describe("Repo", () => {
       assert.equal(handle.docSync().foo, "bar")
     })
 
+    it("can create a document with an initial id", async () => {
+      const { repo } = setup()
+      const docId = interpretAsDocumentId(Uuid.v4() as LegacyDocumentId)
+      const docUrl = stringifyAutomergeUrl(docId)
+      const handle = repo.create({ foo: "bar" }, docId);
+      await handle.doc()
+      assert.equal(handle.documentId, docId)
+      assert.equal(handle.url, docUrl)
+    })
+
+    it("throws an error if we try to create a handle with an invalid id", async () => {
+      const { repo } = setup()
+      const docId = "invalid-url" as unknown as AutomergeUrl
+      try {
+        repo.create({ foo: "bar" }, docId);
+      } catch (e: any) {
+        assert.equal(e.message, "Invalid AutomergeUrl: 'invalid-url'")
+      }
+    })
+
     it("can find a document by url", () => {
       const { repo } = setup()
       const handle = repo.create<TestDoc>()