diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ea8eaca..ff9c616 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,3 +7,6 @@
 /.tox
 /dist
 /build
+.tox
+.vagrant
+Vagrantfile
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rq/job.py b/rq/job.py
index bd91f13..6979180 100644
--- a/rq/job.py
+++ b/rq/job.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
                         unicode_literals)
 
+import types
 import inspect
 import warnings
 from functools import partial
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ class Job(object):
     # Job construction
     @classmethod
     def create(cls, func, args=None, kwargs=None, connection=None,
-               result_ttl=None, status=None, description=None, depends_on=None, timeout=None):
+               result_ttl=None, status=None, description=None, depends_on=None, timeout=None,
+               id=None):
         """Creates a new Job instance for the given function, arguments, and
         keyword arguments.
         """
@@ -107,6 +109,8 @@ class Job(object):
             raise TypeError('{0!r} is not a valid kwargs dict.'.format(kwargs))
 
         job = cls(connection=connection)
+        if id is not None:
+            job.set_id(id)
 
         # Set the core job tuple properties
         job._instance = None
@@ -326,6 +330,8 @@ class Job(object):
 
     def set_id(self, value):
         """Sets a job ID for the given job."""
+        if not isinstance(value, string_types):
+            raise TypeError('id must be a string, not {0}.'.format(type(value)))
         self._id = value
 
     id = property(get_id, set_id)
diff --git a/rq/queue.py b/rq/queue.py
index 621942a..a87f709 100644
--- a/rq/queue.py
+++ b/rq/queue.py
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ class Queue(object):
         connection.rpush(self.key, job_id)
 
     def enqueue_call(self, func, args=None, kwargs=None, timeout=None,
-                     result_ttl=None, description=None, depends_on=None):
+                     result_ttl=None, description=None, depends_on=None,
+                     job_id=None):
         """Creates a job to represent the delayed function call and enqueues
         it.
 
@@ -177,7 +178,8 @@ class Queue(object):
         # TODO: job with dependency shouldn't have "queued" as status
         job = self.job_class.create(func, args, kwargs, connection=self.connection,
                                     result_ttl=result_ttl, status=Status.QUEUED,
-                                    description=description, depends_on=depends_on, timeout=timeout)
+                                    description=description, depends_on=depends_on, timeout=timeout,
+                                    id=job_id)
 
         # If job depends on an unfinished job, register itself on it's
         # parent's dependents instead of enqueueing it.
@@ -223,6 +225,7 @@ class Queue(object):
         description = kwargs.pop('description', None)
         result_ttl = kwargs.pop('result_ttl', None)
         depends_on = kwargs.pop('depends_on', None)
+        job_id = kwargs.pop('job_id', None)
 
         if 'args' in kwargs or 'kwargs' in kwargs:
             assert args == (), 'Extra positional arguments cannot be used when using explicit args and kwargs.'  # noqa
@@ -231,7 +234,8 @@ class Queue(object):
 
         return self.enqueue_call(func=f, args=args, kwargs=kwargs,
                                  timeout=timeout, result_ttl=result_ttl,
-                                 description=description, depends_on=depends_on)
+                                 description=description, depends_on=depends_on,
+                                 job_id=job_id)
 
     def enqueue_job(self, job, set_meta_data=True):
         """Enqueues a job for delayed execution.
diff --git a/tests/test_job.py b/tests/test_job.py
index 7e990c0..78e41e2 100644
--- a/tests/test_job.py
+++ b/tests/test_job.py
@@ -339,3 +339,12 @@ class TestJob(RQTestCase):
         self.assertFalse(self.testconn.exists(job.dependents_key))
 
         self.assertNotIn(job.id, queue.get_job_ids())
+
+    def test_create_job_with_id(self):
+        """test creating jobs with a custom ID"""
+        queue = Queue(connection=self.testconn)
+        job = queue.enqueue(say_hello, job_id="1234")
+        self.assertEqual(job.id, "1234")
+        job.perform()
+        
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, queue.enqueue, say_hello, job_id=1234)