diff --git a/src/Icons.js b/src/Icons.js
index 71964ad..22d1f4e 100644
--- a/src/Icons.js
+++ b/src/Icons.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const CheckIcon = props => {
     <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 980 980" width={props.width}>
       <metadata>IcoFont Icons</metadata>
       <title>verification-check</title>
-      <glyph glyph-name="verification-check" unicode="&#xf021;" horiz-adv-x="1000" />
+      <glyph glyphName="verification-check" unicode="&#xf021;" horizAdvX="1000" />
       <path fill="currentColor" d="M792.9 162.8c-133.19999999999993 126.69999999999999-264.9 251.89999999999998-397.29999999999995 377.8-8.800000000000011 8.299999999999955-22.600000000000023 8-31-0.8000000000000682l-139.50000000000003-146.89999999999998c-8.299999999999983-8.799999999999955-22.5-9.399999999999977-31.599999999999994-1.5-41.19999999999999 36-82 71.70000000000005-123.7 108.20000000000005-9.099999999999994 8-9.899999999999999 21.699999999999932-1.7999999999999972 30.600000000000023 92.9 102.19999999999993 185 203.5 277.7 305.4 8.100000000000023 8.899999999999977 21.900000000000034 9.5 30.80000000000001 1.2999999999999545 185.29999999999995-172.39999999999998 369.29999999999995-343.7 553.8-515.3 8.900000000000091-8.200000000000045 9.600000000000023-22.30000000000001 1.7000000000000455-31.5-36.700000000000045-42.400000000000034-72.70000000000005-84.00000000000003-108.89999999999998-125.80000000000001-7.899999999999977-9.100000000000023-21.399999999999977-9.800000000000011-30.200000000000045-1.5z"/>
     </svg>  
   )
diff --git a/src/TextAnnotator.jsx b/src/TextAnnotator.jsx
index edd8f85..1baf1f9 100644
--- a/src/TextAnnotator.jsx
+++ b/src/TextAnnotator.jsx
@@ -82,8 +82,16 @@ export default class TextAnnotator extends Component {
     this.selectionHandler.clearSelection();
     this.highlighter.addOrUpdateAnnotation(annotation, previous);
 
+    // A convenience method that allows the external application to
+    // override the autogenerated Id
+    const overrideId = originalId => forcedId =>
+      this.highlighter.overrideId(originalId, forcedId);
+
     // Call CREATE or UPDATE handler
-    this.props[method](annotation, previous);
+    if (previous)
+      this.props[method](annotation.clone(), previous.clone());
+    else 
+      this.props[method](annotation.clone(), overrideId(annotation.id));
   }
 
   onDeleteAnnotation = annotation => {
@@ -134,10 +142,15 @@ export default class TextAnnotator extends Component {
     // otherwise, fire 'update'
     const isNew = previous.annotation.bodies.length === 0;
 
+    // A convenience method that allows the external application to
+    // override the autogenerated Id
+    const overrideId = originalId => forcedId =>
+      this.relationsLayer.overrideId(originalId, forcedId);
+
     if (isNew)
-      this.props.onAnnotationCreated(relation.annotation);
+      this.props.onAnnotationCreated(relation.annotation.clone(), overrideId(relation.annotation.id));
     else
-      this.props.onAnnotationUpdated(relation.annotation, previous.annotation);
+      this.props.onAnnotationUpdated(relation.annotation.clone(), previous.annotation.clone());
   }
 
   /** 'Delete' on the relation editor popup **/
@@ -152,7 +165,7 @@ export default class TextAnnotator extends Component {
   /****************/    
 
   addAnnotation = annotation => {
-    this.highlighter.addOrUpdateAnnotation(annotation);
+    this.highlighter.addOrUpdateAnnotation(annotation.clone());
   }
 
   removeAnnotation = annotation => {
@@ -165,14 +178,15 @@ export default class TextAnnotator extends Component {
   }
 
   setAnnotations = annotations => {
-    this.highlighter.init(annotations).then(() =>
-      this.relationsLayer.init(annotations));
+    const clones = annotations.map(a => a.clone());    
+    this.highlighter.init(clones).then(() =>
+      this.relationsLayer.init(clones));
   }
 
   getAnnotations = () => {
     const annotations = this.highlighter.getAllAnnotations();
     const relations = this.relationsLayer.getAllRelations();
-    return annotations.concat(relations);
+    return annotations.concat(relations).map(a => a.clone());
   }
 
   setMode = mode => {
diff --git a/src/highlighter/Highlighter.js b/src/highlighter/Highlighter.js
index f185b2c..7acbdb1 100644
--- a/src/highlighter/Highlighter.js
+++ b/src/highlighter/Highlighter.js
@@ -53,17 +53,15 @@ export default class Highlighter {
   }
 
   _findAnnotationSpans = annotation => {
-    // TODO index annotation to make this faster
     const allAnnotationSpans = document.querySelectorAll('.r6o-annotation');
     return Array.prototype.slice.call(allAnnotationSpans)
       .filter(span => span.annotation.isEqual(annotation));
   }
 
   getAllAnnotations = () => {
-    // TODO index annotation to make this faster
     const allAnnotationSpans = document.querySelectorAll('.r6o-annotation');
-    return Array.prototype.slice.call(allAnnotationSpans)
-      .map(span => span.annotation);
+    const allAnnotations = Array.from(allAnnotationSpans).map(span => span.annotation);
+    return [...new Set(allAnnotations)];
   }
 
   addOrUpdateAnnotation = (annotation, maybePrevious) => {
@@ -90,6 +88,25 @@ export default class Highlighter {
     }
   }
 
+  /** 
+   * Forces a new ID on the given annotation (or annotation with the given ID). 
+   * This method handles the ID update within the Highlighter ONLY. It's up to 
+   * the application to keep the RelationsLayer in sync! 
+   * 
+   * @returns the updated annotation for convenience
+   */
+  overrideId = (annotationOrId, forcedId) => {
+    const id = annotationOrId.id ? annotationOrId.id : annotationOrId;
+    
+    const allSpans = document.querySelectorAll(`.r6o-annotation[data-id="${id}"]`);
+    const annotation = allSpans[0].annotation; 
+
+    const updatedAnnotation = annotation.clone({ id : forcedId });
+    this.bindAnnotation(updatedAnnotation, allSpans);
+
+    return updatedAnnotation;
+  }
+
   _unwrapHighlightings(highlightSpans) {
     for (const span of highlightSpans) {
       const parent = span.parentNode;
@@ -106,8 +123,7 @@ export default class Highlighter {
   bindAnnotation = (annotation, elements) => {
     elements.forEach(el => {
       el.annotation = annotation;
-      if (annotation.id)
-        el.dataset.id = annotation.id;
+      el.dataset.id = annotation.id;
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/src/relations/RelationsLayer.js b/src/relations/RelationsLayer.js
index 2a20ae6..b261696 100644
--- a/src/relations/RelationsLayer.js
+++ b/src/relations/RelationsLayer.js
@@ -93,6 +93,16 @@ export default class RelationsLayer extends EventEmitter {
     }
   }
 
+  overrideId = (annotationOrId, forcedId) => {
+    const id = annotationOrId.id ? annotationOrId.id : annotationOrId;
+    const conn = this.connections.find(c => c.annotation.id == id);
+    
+    const updatedAnnotation = conn.annotation.clone({ id : forcedId });
+    conn.annotation = updatedAnnotation;
+
+    return conn;
+  }
+
   getAllRelations = () => {
     return this.connections.map(c => c.annotation);
   }