diff --git a/editor/document.js b/editor/document.js
index ce6d779a..83843c18 100644
--- a/editor/document.js
+++ b/editor/document.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
  TODOs:
 
  Phase 1:
- - migrate svgcanvas to using a Document object for its calls to getNextId() and getId()
  - migrate usages of randomizeIds() to proxy into the Document
 
  Phase 2:
@@ -51,6 +50,7 @@ svgedit.document.Document = function(svgElem, opt_idPrefix) {
 	this.svgElem_ = svgElem;
 	this.obj_num = 0;
 	this.idPrefix = opt_idPrefix || "svg_";
+	this.releasedNums = [];
 
 	// Determine if the <svg> element has a nonce on it
 	this.nonce_ = this.svgElem_.getAttributeNS(se_ns, 'nonce') || "";
@@ -89,16 +89,65 @@ svgedit.document.Document.prototype.getId = function() {
  * @return {String} The next object Id to use.
  */
 svgedit.document.Document.prototype.getNextId = function() {
-	// always increment the obj_num every time we call getNextId()
-	this.obj_num++;
+	var oldObjNum = this.obj_num;
+	var restoreOldObjNum = false;
 
-	// ensure the ID does not exist
+	// If there are any released numbers in the release stack, 
+	// use the last one instead of the next obj_num.
+	// We need to temporarily use obj_num as that is what getId() depends on.
+	if (this.releasedNums.length > 0) {
+		this.obj_num = this.releasedNums.pop();
+		restoreOldObjNum = true;
+	} else {
+		// If we are not using a released id, then increment the obj_num.
+		this.obj_num++;
+	}
+
+	// Ensure the ID does not exist.
 	var id = this.getId();
 	while (this.getElem_(id)) {
+		if (restoreOldObjNum) {
+			this.obj_num = oldObjNum;
+			restoreOldObjNum = false;
+		}
 		this.obj_num++;
 		id = this.getId();
 	}
+	// Restore the old object number if required.
+	if (restoreOldObjNum) {
+		this.obj_num = oldObjNum;
+	}
 	return id;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Releases the object Id, letting it be used as the next id in getNextId().
+ * This method DOES NOT remove any elements from the DOM, it is expected
+ * that client code will do this.
+ *
+ * @param {String} The id to release.
+ * @return {boolean} Returns true if the id was valid to be released,
+ *   false otherwise.
+ */
+svgedit.document.Document.prototype.releaseId = function(id) {
+	// confirm if this is a valid id for this Document, else return false
+	var front = this.idPrefix + (this.nonce_ ? this.nonce_ +'_' : '');
+	if (typeof id != typeof '' || id.indexOf(front) != 0) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	// extract the obj_num of this id
+	var num = parseInt(id.substr(front.length));
+
+	// if we didn't get a positive number or we already released this number
+	// then return false.
+	if (typeof num != typeof 1 || num <= 0 || this.releasedNums.indexOf(num) != -1) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	
+	// push the released number into the released queue
+	this.releasedNums.push(num);
+
+	return true;
+};
+
 })();
diff --git a/editor/svgcanvas.js b/editor/svgcanvas.js
index ea9d5bd2..3a7990c3 100644
--- a/editor/svgcanvas.js
+++ b/editor/svgcanvas.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 // 7) sanitize.js
 // 8) history.js
 // 9) select.js
+// 10) document.js
 
 if(!window.console) {
 	window.console = {};
@@ -162,6 +163,18 @@ $(svgcontent).attr({
 	"xmlns:xlink": xlinkns
 }).appendTo(svgroot);
 
+// Prefix string for element IDs
+var idprefix = "svg_";
+
+// Function: setIdPrefix
+// Changes the ID prefix to the given value
+//
+// Parameters: 
+// p - String with the new prefix 
+canvas.setIdPrefix = function(p) {
+	idprefix = p;
+};
+
 // nonce to uniquify id's
 var nonce = Math.floor(Math.random() * 100001);
 
@@ -171,6 +184,16 @@ var randomize_ids = false;
 // Set nonce if randomize_ids = true
 if (randomize_ids) svgcontent.setAttributeNS(se_ns, 'se:nonce', nonce);
 
+// Current svgedit.document.Document object
+// @type {svgedit.document.Document}
+var current_doc = new svgedit.document.Document(svgcontent, idprefix);
+
+// Function: getCurrentDoc
+// Returns the current Document JS object.
+// @return {svgedit.document.Document}
+canvas.getCurrentDoc = function() {
+	return current_doc;
+};
 
 // Float displaying the current zoom level (1 = 100%, .5 = 50%, etc)
 var current_zoom = 1;
@@ -536,9 +559,6 @@ var all_layers = [],
 	// Boolean indicating whether or not a draw action has been started
 	started = false,
 	
-	// Integer with internal ID number for the latest element
-	obj_num = 0,
-	
 	// String with an element's initial transform attribute value
 	start_transform = null,
 	
@@ -981,31 +1001,17 @@ var getId, getNextId, call;
 	// Object to contain editor event names and callback functions
 	var events = {};
 
-	// Prefix string for element IDs
-	var idprefix = "svg_";
-
 	// Function: getId
 	// Returns the last created DOM element ID string
 	getId = c.getId = function() {
-		if (randomize_ids) {
-			return idprefix + nonce +'_' + obj_num;
-		} else {
-			return idprefix + obj_num;
-		}
+		return current_doc.getId();
 	};
 	
 	// Function: getNextId
 	// Creates and returns a unique ID string for a DOM element
 	getNextId = c.getNextId = function() {
-		// always increment the obj_num every time we call getNextId()
-		obj_num++;
-
-		// ensure the ID does not exist
-		var id = getId();
-		while (getElem(id)) {
-			obj_num++;
-			id = getId();
-		}
+		var id = current_doc.getNextId();
+		console.log("getNextId() returned " + id);
 		return id;
 	};
 	
@@ -1036,14 +1042,6 @@ var getId, getNextId, call;
 		return old;
 	};
 	
-	// Function: setIdPrefix
-	// Changes the ID prefix to the given value
-	//
-	// Parameters: 
-	// p - String with the new prefix 
-	c.setIdPrefix = function(p) {
-		idprefix = p;
-	};
 }(canvas));
 
 // Function: canvas.prepareSvg
@@ -3259,7 +3257,6 @@ var getMouseTarget = this.getMouseTarget = function(evt) {
 
 		// TODO: Make true when in multi-unit mode
 		var useUnit = false; // (curConfig.baseUnit !== 'px');
-		
 		started = false;
 		switch (current_mode)
 		{
@@ -3476,6 +3473,7 @@ var getMouseTarget = this.getMouseTarget = function(evt) {
 		});
 		
 		if (!keep && element != null) {
+			current_doc.releaseId(getId());
 			element.parentNode.removeChild(element);
 			element = null;
 			
@@ -6693,7 +6691,10 @@ this.setSvgString = function(xmlString) {
 			svgcontent.setAttributeNS(xmlnsns, 'xmlns:se', se_ns);
 			svgcontent.setAttributeNS(se_ns, 'se:nonce', nonce); 
 			if (extensions["Arrows"])  call("setarrownonce", nonce) ;
-		}         
+		}
+		
+		current_doc = new svgedit.document.Document(svgcontent, idprefix);
+
 		// change image href vals if possible
 		content.find('image').each(function() {
 			var image = this;
diff --git a/test/document_test.html b/test/document_test.html
index 6d7ceda5..b3157705 100644
--- a/test/document_test.html
+++ b/test/document_test.html
@@ -153,6 +153,24 @@
 
 		while(svg_n.firstChild) {svg_n.removeChild(svg.firstChild);}
 	});
+	
+	test('Test releaseId()', function() {
+		expect(6);
+
+		var doc = new svgedit.document.Document(svg);
+
+		var firstId = doc.getNextId();
+		var secondId = doc.getNextId();
+
+		var result = doc.releaseId(firstId);
+		ok(result);
+		equals(doc.getNextId(), firstId);
+		equals(doc.getNextId(), "svg_3");
+		
+		ok(!doc.releaseId("bad-id"));
+		ok(doc.releaseId(firstId));
+		ok(!doc.releaseId(firstId));
+	});
   });
   </script>
 </head>