diff --git a/Aquaria/Game.cpp b/Aquaria/Game.cpp
index e959ab1..9419eb3 100644
--- a/Aquaria/Game.cpp
+++ b/Aquaria/Game.cpp
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ Game::Game() : StateObject()
 	doScreenTrans = false;
 	noSceneTransitionFadeout = false;
 	fullTilesetReload = false;
+	highestLoadedEntityID = 0;
 }
 
 Game::~Game()
@@ -943,7 +944,7 @@ EntitySaveData *Game::getEntitySaveDataForEntity(Entity *e)
 int Game::findUnusedEntityID(bool temporary) const
 {
 	const int inc = temporary ? -1 : 1;
-	int id = 0;
+	int id = temporary ? 0 : highestLoadedEntityID + 1; // never touch entity IDs that were in use in the map xml
 retry:
 	id += inc;
 	FOR_ENTITIES(i)
@@ -1845,9 +1846,11 @@ bool Game::loadSceneXML(std::string scene)
 void Game::spawnEntities(const EntitySaveData *sav, size_t n)
 {
 	std::vector<size_t> conflicting, usable;
+	int highest = 0;
 	for(size_t i = 0; i < n; ++i)
 	{
 		const EntitySaveData& es = sav[i];
+		highest = std::max(es.id, highest);
 
 		// check for ID conflicts
 		int id = es.id;
@@ -1870,6 +1873,8 @@ void Game::spawnEntities(const EntitySaveData *sav, size_t n)
 			conflicting.push_back(i);
 	}
 
+	highestLoadedEntityID = highest;
+
 	{
 		std::ostringstream os;
 		os << "Game::spawnEntities: Spawning " << usable.size() << " entities";
@@ -1888,7 +1893,7 @@ void Game::spawnEntities(const EntitySaveData *sav, size_t n)
 	}
 
 	// spawn and renumber the rest
-	int lastid = 0;
+	int lastid = highest;
 	for(size_t i = 0; i < conflicting.size(); ++i)
 	{
 		// find an unused ID
diff --git a/Aquaria/Game.h b/Aquaria/Game.h
index 729ba1b..5cb2298 100644
--- a/Aquaria/Game.h
+++ b/Aquaria/Game.h
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ public:
 	void onContinuityReset();
 
 protected:
+	unsigned highestLoadedEntityID;
 
 	void toggleHelpScreen(bool on, const std::string &label="");
 	void onToggleHelpScreen();