diff --git a/doc/user.pod b/doc/user.pod
index 1bb0da48..1bf6fa67 100644
--- a/doc/user.pod
+++ b/doc/user.pod
@@ -896,6 +896,8 @@ using the following functions.
 	#include <isl/id.h>
 	__isl_give isl_id *isl_id_alloc(isl_ctx *ctx,
 		__isl_keep const char *name, void *user);
+	__isl_give isl_id *isl_id_from_name(isl_ctx *ctx,
+		__isl_keep const char *name);
 	__isl_give isl_id *isl_id_set_free_user(
 		__isl_take isl_id *id,
 		void (*free_user)(void *user));
@@ -903,6 +905,7 @@ using the following functions.
 	__isl_null isl_id *isl_id_free(__isl_take isl_id *id);
 
 	void *isl_id_get_user(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
+	isl_bool isl_id_has_name(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
 	__isl_keep const char *isl_id_get_name(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
 
 	__isl_give isl_printer *isl_printer_print_id(
diff --git a/include/isl/id.h b/include/isl/id.h
index c025d513..8314a8c9 100644
--- a/include/isl/id.h
+++ b/include/isl/id.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-struct isl_id;
+struct __isl_export isl_id;
 typedef struct isl_id isl_id;
 
 ISL_DECLARE_LIST(id)
@@ -20,11 +20,17 @@ uint32_t isl_id_get_hash(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
 
 __isl_give isl_id *isl_id_alloc(isl_ctx *ctx,
 	__isl_keep const char *name, void *user);
+__isl_constructor
+__isl_give isl_id *isl_id_from_name(isl_ctx *ctx,
+	__isl_keep const char *name);
 __isl_give isl_id *isl_id_copy(isl_id *id);
 __isl_null isl_id *isl_id_free(__isl_take isl_id *id);
 
 void *isl_id_get_user(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
+__isl_export
 __isl_keep const char *isl_id_get_name(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
+__isl_export
+isl_bool isl_id_has_name(__isl_keep isl_id *id);
 
 __isl_give isl_id *isl_id_set_free_user(__isl_take isl_id *id,
 	void (*free_user)(void *user));
diff --git a/interface/isl_test_cpp.cpp b/interface/isl_test_cpp.cpp
index a6b1e631..942cb41f 100644
--- a/interface/isl_test_cpp.cpp
+++ b/interface/isl_test_cpp.cpp
@@ -314,6 +314,48 @@ void test_foreach(isl::ctx ctx)
 	assert(ret2 == isl::stat::error);
 }
 
+/* Test that identifiers are constructed correctly and their uniqueness
+ * property holds for both C and C++ interfaces.
+ *
+ * Verify that two identifiers with the same name and same user pointer are
+ * pointer-equal independently of how they were allocated. Check that
+ * identifier with an empty name is not equal to an identifier with a NULL
+ * name.
+ */
+void test_id(isl::ctx ctx)
+{
+	isl::id id1(ctx, "whatever");
+	isl::id id2(ctx, "whatever");
+	isl_id *id3 = isl_id_alloc(ctx.get(), "whatever", NULL);
+	int dummy;
+	isl_id *id4 = isl_id_alloc(ctx.get(), "whatever", &dummy);
+
+	assert(id1.get() == id2.get());
+	assert(id1.get() == id3);
+	assert(id2.get() == id3);
+	assert(id3 != id4);
+	assert(id1.get() != id4);
+
+	isl::id id5 = isl::manage(id3);
+	isl::id id6 = isl::manage(id4);
+	assert(id5.get() == id1.get());
+
+	assert(id1.has_name());
+	assert(id5.has_name());
+	assert(id6.has_name());
+	assert("whatever" == id1.get_name());
+	assert("whatever" == id5.get_name());
+	assert("whatever" == id6.get_name());
+
+	isl_id *nameless = isl_id_alloc(ctx.get(), NULL, &dummy);
+	isl::id id7 = isl::manage(nameless);
+	assert(!id7.has_name());
+
+	isl::id id8(ctx, "");
+	assert(id8.has_name());
+	assert(id8.get() != id7.get());
+}
+
 /* Test the isl C++ interface
  *
  * This includes:
@@ -322,6 +364,7 @@ void test_foreach(isl::ctx ctx)
  *  - Different parameter types
  *  - Different return types
  *  - Foreach functions
+ *  - Identifier allocation and equality
  */
 int main()
 {
@@ -332,6 +375,7 @@ int main()
 	test_parameters(ctx);
 	test_return(ctx);
 	test_foreach(ctx);
+	test_id(ctx);
 
 	isl_ctx_free(ctx);
 }
diff --git a/isl_id.c b/isl_id.c
index d5c7c711..4652384c 100644
--- a/isl_id.c
+++ b/isl_id.c
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ const char *isl_id_get_name(__isl_keep isl_id *id)
 	return id ? id->name : NULL;
 }
 
+isl_bool isl_id_has_name(__isl_keep isl_id *id)
+{
+	if (!id)
+		return isl_bool_error;
+
+	return id->name ? isl_bool_true : isl_bool_false;
+}
+
 static __isl_give isl_id *id_alloc(isl_ctx *ctx, const char *name, void *user)
 {
 	const char *copy = name ? strdup(name) : NULL;
@@ -122,6 +130,16 @@ __isl_give isl_id *isl_id_alloc(isl_ctx *ctx, const char *name, void *user)
 	return entry->data;
 }
 
+/* Construct an isl_id with a given "name" and a NULL user field.
+ */
+__isl_give isl_id *isl_id_from_name(isl_ctx *ctx, const char *name)
+{
+	if (!name)
+		return NULL;
+
+	return isl_id_alloc(ctx, name, NULL);
+}
+
 /* If the id has a negative refcount, then it is a static isl_id
  * which should not be changed.
  */