diff --git a/classes/form/context/array_render_context.php b/classes/form/context/array_render_context.php
index 7b2d2990..1d33bb3f 100644
--- a/classes/form/context/array_render_context.php
+++ b/classes/form/context/array_render_context.php
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class array_render_context extends render_context {
      * Initializes a new array-based context.
      *
      * @param render_context $parent context containing this group
-     * @param string $prefix         prefix for the names of elements in this context
+     * @param string $prefix prefix for the names of elements in this context
      */
     public function __construct(render_context $parent, string $prefix) {
         $this->parent = $parent;
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ public function __construct(render_context $parent, string $prefix) {
     /**
      * Create, add and return an element.
      *
-     * @param string $type   the type name of the element, as per the Moodle docs.
-     * @param string $name   the name of the generated form element.
+     * @param string $type the type name of the element, as per the Moodle docs.
+     * @param string $name the name of the generated form element.
      * @param mixed ...$args remaining arguments specific to the element type.
      * @return object the created element. Really an instance of {@see \HTML_QuickForm_element}, but the return type of
      *                       {@see \MoodleQuickForm::addElement()} is also an object.
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public function set_type(string $name, string $type): void {
     /**
      * Sets the default of an element which has been (or will be) added independently.
      *
-     * @param string $name   the name of the target element.
+     * @param string $name the name of the target element.
      * @param mixed $default default value for the element.
      * @see \MoodleQuickForm::setDefault()
      */
@@ -122,14 +122,14 @@ public function set_default(string $name, $default): void {
      *
      * Must be called *after* the element was added using {@see add_element}.
      *
-     * @param string $name            the name of the target element.
-     * @param string|null $message    message to display for invalid data.
-     * @param string $type            rule type, use getRegisteredRules() to get types.
-     * @param string|null $format     required for extra rule data.
+     * @param string $name the name of the target element.
+     * @param string|null $message message to display for invalid data.
+     * @param string $type rule type, use getRegisteredRules() to get types.
+     * @param string|null $format required for extra rule data.
      * @param string|null $validation where to perform validation: "server", "client".
-     * @param bool $reset             client-side validation: reset the form element to its original value if there is
+     * @param bool $reset client-side validation: reset the form element to its original value if there is
      *                                an error?
-     * @param bool $force             force the rule to be applied, even if the target form element does not exist.
+     * @param bool $force force the rule to be applied, even if the target form element does not exist.
      * @see \MoodleQuickForm::addRule()
      */
     public function add_rule(string $name, ?string $message, string $type, ?string $format = null,
@@ -144,9 +144,9 @@ public function add_rule(string $name, ?string $message, string $type, ?string $
      * Adds a condition which will disable the named element if met.
      *
      * @param string $dependant name of the element which has the dependency on another element
-     * @param string $dependency  absolute name of the element which is depended on
-     * @param string $operator  one of a fixed set of conditions, as in {@see MoodleQuickForm::disabledIf}
-     * @param mixed $value      for conditions requiring it, the value to compare with. Ignored otherwise.
+     * @param string $dependency absolute name of the element which is depended on
+     * @param string $operator one of a fixed set of conditions, as in {@see MoodleQuickForm::disabledIf}
+     * @param mixed $value for conditions requiring it, the value to compare with. Ignored otherwise.
      * @see \MoodleQuickForm::disabledIf()
      */
     public function disable_if(string $dependant, string $dependency, string $operator, $value = null): void {
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ public function disable_if(string $dependant, string $dependency, string $operat
      * Adds a condition which will hide the named element if met.
      *
      * @param string $dependant name of the element which has the dependency on another element
-     * @param string $dependency  absolute name of the element which is depended on
-     * @param string $operator  one of a fixed set of conditions, as in {@see MoodleQuickForm::hideIf}
-     * @param mixed $value      for conditions requiring it, the value to compare with. Ignored otherwise.
+     * @param string $dependency absolute name of the element which is depended on
+     * @param string $operator one of a fixed set of conditions, as in {@see MoodleQuickForm::hideIf}
+     * @param mixed $value for conditions requiring it, the value to compare with. Ignored otherwise.
      * @see \MoodleQuickForm::hideIf()
      */
     public function hide_if(string $dependant, string $dependency, string $operator, $value = null): void {
@@ -187,4 +187,13 @@ public function next_unique_int(): int {
     public function contextualize(?string $text): ?string {
         return $this->parent->contextualize($text);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generate a new UUID. Probably uses {@see uuid}, but may be overridden for tests.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function generate_uuid(): string {
+        return $this->parent->generate_uuid();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/classes/form/context/mform_render_context.php b/classes/form/context/mform_render_context.php
index d15552e0..0559f4a0 100644
--- a/classes/form/context/mform_render_context.php
+++ b/classes/form/context/mform_render_context.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 namespace qtype_questionpy\form\context;
 
+use Closure;
 use qtype_questionpy\utils;
 
 /**
diff --git a/classes/form/context/render_context.php b/classes/form/context/render_context.php
index 8fc6f827..67893798 100644
--- a/classes/form/context/render_context.php
+++ b/classes/form/context/render_context.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 namespace qtype_questionpy\form\context;
 
+use core\uuid;
 use moodleform;
 use MoodleQuickForm;
 use qtype_questionpy\utils;
@@ -212,4 +213,11 @@ public function reference_to_absolute(string $reference): string {
      * @return string|null input string with format specifiers replaced
      */
     abstract public function contextualize(?string $text): ?string;
+
+    /**
+     * Generate a new UUID. Probably uses {@see uuid}, but may be overridden for tests.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    abstract public function generate_uuid(): string;
 }
diff --git a/classes/form/context/root_render_context.php b/classes/form/context/root_render_context.php
index 7165df4f..64c8531c 100644
--- a/classes/form/context/root_render_context.php
+++ b/classes/form/context/root_render_context.php
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 namespace qtype_questionpy\form\context;
 
+use core\uuid;
+
 /**
  * Uppermost render context.
  *
@@ -28,6 +30,9 @@ class root_render_context extends mform_render_context {
     /** @var int the next int which will be returned by {@see next_unique_int} */
     private int $nextuniqueint = 1;
 
+    /** @var callable can be set from tests to supply mock UUIDs */
+    public $uuidgen = [uuid::class, 'generate'];
+
     /**
      * Get a unique and deterministic integer for use in generated element names and IDs.
      *
@@ -48,4 +53,13 @@ public function next_unique_int(): int {
     public function contextualize(?string $text): ?string {
         return $text;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generate a new UUID. Probably uses {@see uuid}, but may be overridden for tests.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function generate_uuid(): string {
+        return ($this->uuidgen)();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/classes/form/context/section_render_context.php b/classes/form/context/section_render_context.php
index 0c885d20..46505436 100644
--- a/classes/form/context/section_render_context.php
+++ b/classes/form/context/section_render_context.php
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class section_render_context extends mform_render_context {
      * Initializes a new {@see section_render_context}.
      *
      * @param render_context $parent context containing this section
-     * @param string $name           the name part which will be appended to `$parent`'s prefix
+     * @param string $name the name part which will be appended to `$parent`'s prefix
      */
     public function __construct(render_context $parent, string $name) {
         $this->parent = $parent;
@@ -69,4 +69,13 @@ public function next_unique_int(): int {
     public function contextualize(?string $text): ?string {
         return $this->parent->contextualize($text);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generate a new UUID. Probably uses {@see uuid}, but may be overridden for tests.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function generate_uuid(): string {
+        return $this->parent->generate_uuid();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/classes/form/elements/form_element.php b/classes/form/elements/form_element.php
index 852b3aee..fcc3ca0e 100644
--- a/classes/form/elements/form_element.php
+++ b/classes/form/elements/form_element.php
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  * @copyright  2022 TU Berlin, innoCampus {@link https://www.questionpy.org}
  * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
  */
-#[array_polymorphic('kind', variants: [
+#[array_polymorphic(discriminator: 'kind', variants: [
     'checkbox' => checkbox_element::class,
     'checkbox_group' => checkbox_group_element::class,
     'group' => group_element::class,
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     'static_text' => static_text_element::class,
     'input' => text_input_element::class,
     'textarea' => text_area_element::class,
+    'id' => generated_id_element::class,
 ], fallbackvariant: fallback_element::class)]
 abstract class form_element implements qpy_renderable {
 }
diff --git a/classes/form/elements/generated_id_element.php b/classes/form/elements/generated_id_element.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11d3c2ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/classes/form/elements/generated_id_element.php
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of the QuestionPy Moodle plugin - https://questionpy.org
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+namespace qtype_questionpy\form\elements;
+
+use core\uuid;
+use qtype_questionpy\form\context\render_context;
+
+
+/**
+ * Generates a unique ID which won't change across form saves.
+ *
+ * @package    qtype_questionpy
+ * @author     Maximilian Haye
+ * @copyright  2024 TU Berlin, innoCampus {@link https://www.questionpy.org}
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class generated_id_element extends form_element {
+    /**
+     * Trivial constructor.
+     *
+     * @param string $name
+     */
+    public function __construct(
+        /** @var string $name */
+        public string $name
+    ) {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Render this item to the given context.
+     *
+     * @param render_context $context target context
+     * @package qtype_questionpy
+     */
+    public function render_to(render_context $context): void {
+        $mangledname = $context->mangle_name($this->name);
+        $value = $context->moodleform->optional_param(
+            $mangledname,
+            null,
+            PARAM_ALPHANUMEXT
+        ) ?? $context->data[$this->name] ?? $context->generate_uuid();
+
+        $context->add_element('hidden', $mangledname, $value);
+        $context->set_type($this->name, PARAM_ALPHANUMEXT);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/data_provider.php b/tests/data_provider.php
index a35b4c97..f7b1b130 100644
--- a/tests/data_provider.php
+++ b/tests/data_provider.php
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 use qtype_questionpy\form\conditions\is_not_checked;
 use qtype_questionpy\form\elements\checkbox_element;
 use qtype_questionpy\form\elements\checkbox_group_element;
+use qtype_questionpy\form\elements\generated_id_element;
 use qtype_questionpy\form\elements\group_element;
 use qtype_questionpy\form\elements\hidden_element;
 use qtype_questionpy\form\elements\option;
@@ -143,5 +144,6 @@ function element_provider(): array {
         ['static_text', new static_text_element('my_text', 'Label', 'Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.')],
         ['input', new text_input_element('my_field', 'Label', true, 'default', 'placeholder')],
         ['textarea', new text_area_element('my_field', 'Label', true, 'default', 'placeholder')],
+        ['id', new generated_id_element('my_id')],
     ];
 }
diff --git a/tests/form/elements/html/id.html b/tests/form/elements/html/id.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..32c6c09a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/form/elements/html/id.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
+<html><body><form id="my_form" autocomplete="off" action="" method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" class="mform">
+	<div style="display: none;"><input name="qpy_form[my_id]" type="hidden" value="24daab97-7eeb-422d-a2f3-f4e770fb11f6">
+<input name="sesskey" type="hidden" value="sesskey">
+<input name="_qf__qtype_questionpy_form_elements_test_moodleform" type="hidden" value="1">
+</div>
+
+
+</form></body></html>
diff --git a/tests/form/elements/json/id.json b/tests/form/elements/json/id.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9f3332b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/form/elements/json/id.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "kind": "id",
+  "name": "my_id"
+}
diff --git a/tests/form/elements/test_moodleform.php b/tests/form/elements/test_moodleform.php
index 76b62380..cfb19fae 100644
--- a/tests/form/elements/test_moodleform.php
+++ b/tests/form/elements/test_moodleform.php
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public function __construct(qpy_renderable $element) {
      */
     protected function definition() {
         $context = new root_render_context($this, $this->_form, 'qpy_form', []);
+        $context->uuidgen = fn() => '24daab97-7eeb-422d-a2f3-f4e770fb11f6';
         $this->element->render_to($context);
     }
 }