diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/EbeanServer.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/EbeanServer.java
index bce142ffb..047568a3e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/EbeanServer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/EbeanServer.java
@@ -146,6 +146,17 @@ public interface EbeanServer {
    */
   Object getBeanId(Object bean);
 
+  /**
+   * Set the Id value onto the bean converting the type of the id value if necessary.
+   * <p>
+   * For example, if the id value passed in is a String but ought to be a Long or UUID etc
+   * then it will automatically be converted.
+   * </p>
+   *  @param bean The entity bean to set the id value on.
+   * @param id   The id value to set.
+   */
+  Object setBeanId(Object bean, Object id);
+
   /**
    * Return a map of the differences between two objects of the same type.
    * <p>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultServer.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultServer.java
index c9ef5f557..eea93d587 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultServer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultServer.java
@@ -1957,14 +1957,23 @@ public final class DefaultServer implements SpiServer, SpiEbeanServer {
     return typeInfo != null && getBeanDescriptor(typeInfo.getBeanType()) != null;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public Object setBeanId(Object bean, Object id) {
+    EntityBean eb = checkEntityBean(bean);
+    BeanDescriptor<?> desc = getBeanDescriptor(bean.getClass());
+    if (desc == null) {
+      throw new PersistenceException(bean.getClass().getName() + " is NOT an Entity Bean registered with this server?");
+    }
+    return desc.convertSetId(id, eb);
+  }
+
+  @Override
   public Object getBeanId(Object bean) {
     EntityBean eb = checkEntityBean(bean);
     BeanDescriptor<?> desc = getBeanDescriptor(bean.getClass());
     if (desc == null) {
-      String m = bean.getClass().getName() + " is NOT an Entity Bean registered with this server?";
-      throw new PersistenceException(m);
+      throw new PersistenceException(bean.getClass().getName() + " is NOT an Entity Bean registered with this server?");
     }
-
     return desc.getId(eb);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/api/TDSpiEbeanServer.java b/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/api/TDSpiEbeanServer.java
index b6236ffcf..a26f1bf06 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/api/TDSpiEbeanServer.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebeaninternal/api/TDSpiEbeanServer.java
@@ -244,6 +244,11 @@ public class TDSpiEbeanServer implements SpiEbeanServer {
     return null;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public Object setBeanId(Object bean, Object id) {
+    return id;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public Object getBeanId(Object bean) {
     return null;
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/basic/TestExplicitInsert.java b/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/basic/TestExplicitInsert.java
index 77ba1bc93..d86cf3043 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/basic/TestExplicitInsert.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/avaje/tests/basic/TestExplicitInsert.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.avaje.tests.basic;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
+import com.avaje.tests.model.basic.Customer;
 import com.avaje.tests.model.basic.MyEBasicConfigStartup;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -11,10 +12,35 @@ import com.avaje.ebean.Ebean;
 import com.avaje.ebean.EbeanServer;
 import com.avaje.tests.model.basic.EBasic;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 public class TestExplicitInsert extends BaseTestCase {
 
+  @Test
+  public void setId_when_converted() {
+
+    EbeanServer server = Ebean.getDefaultServer();
+
+    Customer cust = new Customer();
+    Object returnId = server.setBeanId(cust, "42");
+
+    assertThat(returnId).isEqualTo(42);
+    assertThat(cust.getId()).isEqualTo(42);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void setId_when_correctType() {
+
+    EbeanServer server = Ebean.getDefaultServer();
+
+    Customer customer = new Customer();
+    Object returnId = server.setBeanId(customer, 42);
+
+    assertThat(returnId).isEqualTo(42);
+    assertThat(customer.getId()).isEqualTo(42);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void test() throws InterruptedException {
 
@@ -27,7 +53,7 @@ public class TestExplicitInsert extends BaseTestCase {
     b.setDescription("explicit insert");
     b.setStatus(EBasic.Status.ACTIVE);
 
-    EbeanServer server = Ebean.getServer(null);
+    EbeanServer server = Ebean.getDefaultServer();
     server.insert(b);
 
     Assert.assertNotNull(b.getId());
@@ -35,6 +61,9 @@ public class TestExplicitInsert extends BaseTestCase {
     Assert.assertEquals(b.getId(), server.getBeanId(b));
 
 
+
+
+
     EBasic b2 = server.find(EBasic.class, b.getId());
     b2.setId(null);