diff --git a/mvcc/kv_test.go b/mvcc/kv_test.go
index d6f49ee14a9..2d7dc01ff7f 100644
--- a/mvcc/kv_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/kv_test.go
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ func TestWatchableKVWatch(t *testing.T) {
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
 	defer w.Close()
 
-	wid := w.Watch([]byte("foo"), []byte("fop"), 0)
+	wid, _ := w.Watch(0, []byte("foo"), []byte("fop"), 0)
 
 	wev := []mvccpb.Event{
 		{Type: mvccpb.PUT,
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ func TestWatchableKVWatch(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	w = s.NewWatchStream()
-	wid = w.Watch([]byte("foo1"), []byte("foo2"), 3)
+	wid, _ = w.Watch(0, []byte("foo1"), []byte("foo2"), 3)
 
 	select {
 	case resp := <-w.Chan():
diff --git a/mvcc/watchable_store_bench_test.go b/mvcc/watchable_store_bench_test.go
index 769d1bc38a8..198fea6bb42 100644
--- a/mvcc/watchable_store_bench_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/watchable_store_bench_test.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func BenchmarkWatchableStoreWatchSyncPut(b *testing.B) {
 	watchIDs := make([]WatchID, b.N)
 	for i := range watchIDs {
 		// non-0 value to keep watchers in unsynced
-		watchIDs[i] = w.Watch(k, nil, 1)
+		watchIDs[i], _ = w.Watch(0, k, nil, 1)
 	}
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func BenchmarkWatchableStoreUnsyncedCancel(b *testing.B) {
 	watchIDs := make([]WatchID, watcherN)
 	for i := 0; i < watcherN; i++ {
 		// non-0 value to keep watchers in unsynced
-		watchIDs[i] = w.Watch(testKey, nil, 1)
+		watchIDs[i], _ = w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 1)
 	}
 
 	// random-cancel N watchers to make it not biased towards
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func BenchmarkWatchableStoreSyncedCancel(b *testing.B) {
 	watchIDs := make([]WatchID, watcherN)
 	for i := 0; i < watcherN; i++ {
 		// 0 for startRev to keep watchers in synced
-		watchIDs[i] = w.Watch(testKey, nil, 0)
+		watchIDs[i], _ = w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 0)
 	}
 
 	// randomly cancel watchers to make it not biased towards
diff --git a/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go b/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go
index 52e1b90c0c0..c36a541a5f3 100644
--- a/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestWatch(t *testing.T) {
 	s.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
 
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
-	w.Watch(testKey, nil, 0)
+	w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 0)
 
 	if !s.synced.contains(string(testKey)) {
 		// the key must have had an entry in synced
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func TestNewWatcherCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	s.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
 
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
-	wt := w.Watch(testKey, nil, 0)
+	wt, _ := w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 0)
 
 	if err := w.Cancel(wt); err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func TestCancelUnsynced(t *testing.T) {
 	watchIDs := make([]WatchID, watcherN)
 	for i := 0; i < watcherN; i++ {
 		// use 1 to keep watchers in unsynced
-		watchIDs[i] = w.Watch(testKey, nil, 1)
+		watchIDs[i], _ = w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 1)
 	}
 
 	for _, idx := range watchIDs {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func TestSyncWatchers(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i := 0; i < watcherN; i++ {
 		// specify rev as 1 to keep watchers in unsynced
-		w.Watch(testKey, nil, 1)
+		w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 1)
 	}
 
 	// Before running s.syncWatchers() synced should be empty because we manually
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func TestWatchCompacted(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
-	wt := w.Watch(testKey, nil, compactRev-1)
+	wt, _ := w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, compactRev-1)
 
 	select {
 	case resp := <-w.Chan():
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ func TestWatchFutureRev(t *testing.T) {
 
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
 	wrev := int64(10)
-	w.Watch(testKey, nil, wrev)
+	w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, wrev)
 
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
 		rev := s.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ func TestWatchRestore(t *testing.T) {
 	defer cleanup(newStore, newBackend, newPath)
 
 	w := newStore.NewWatchStream()
-	w.Watch(testKey, nil, rev-1)
+	w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, rev-1)
 
 	newStore.Restore(b)
 	select {
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ func TestWatchBatchUnsynced(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
-	w.Watch(v, nil, 1)
+	w.Watch(0, v, nil, 1)
 	for i := 0; i < batches; i++ {
 		if resp := <-w.Chan(); len(resp.Events) != watchBatchMaxRevs {
 			t.Fatalf("len(events) = %d, want %d", len(resp.Events), watchBatchMaxRevs)
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ func TestWatchVictims(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < numWatches; i++ {
 		go func() {
 			w := s.NewWatchStream()
-			w.Watch(testKey, nil, 1)
+			w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 1)
 			defer func() {
 				w.Close()
 				wg.Done()
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ func TestStressWatchCancelClose(t *testing.T) {
 			w := s.NewWatchStream()
 			ids := make([]WatchID, 10)
 			for i := range ids {
-				ids[i] = w.Watch(testKey, nil, 0)
+				ids[i], _ = w.Watch(0, testKey, nil, 0)
 			}
 			<-readyc
 			wg.Add(1 + len(ids)/2)
diff --git a/mvcc/watcher.go b/mvcc/watcher.go
index bc0c6322fd1..886b87d5a47 100644
--- a/mvcc/watcher.go
+++ b/mvcc/watcher.go
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/mvcc/mvccpb"
 )
 
+// AutoWatchID is the watcher ID passed in WatchStream.Watch when no
+// user-provided ID is available. If pass, an ID will automatically be assigned.
+const AutoWatchID WatchID = 0
+
 var (
-	ErrWatcherNotExist = errors.New("mvcc: watcher does not exist")
+	ErrWatcherNotExist    = errors.New("mvcc: watcher does not exist")
+	ErrEmptyWatcherRange  = errors.New("mvcc: watcher range is empty")
+	ErrWatcherDuplicateID = errors.New("mvcc: duplicate watch ID provided on the WatchStream")
 )
 
 type WatchID int64
@@ -36,12 +42,13 @@ type WatchStream interface {
 	// happened on the given key or range [key, end) from the given startRev.
 	//
 	// The whole event history can be watched unless compacted.
-	// If `startRev` <=0, watch observes events after currentRev.
+	// If "startRev" <=0, watch observes events after currentRev.
 	//
-	// The returned `id` is the ID of this watcher. It appears as WatchID
+	// The returned "id" is the ID of this watcher. It appears as WatchID
 	// in events that are sent to the created watcher through stream channel.
-	//
-	Watch(key, end []byte, startRev int64, fcs ...FilterFunc) WatchID
+	// The watch ID is used when it's not equal to AutoWatchID. Otherwise,
+	// an auto-generated watch ID is returned.
+	Watch(id WatchID, key, end []byte, startRev int64, fcs ...FilterFunc) (WatchID, error)
 
 	// Chan returns a chan. All watch response will be sent to the returned chan.
 	Chan() <-chan WatchResponse
@@ -98,28 +105,34 @@ type watchStream struct {
 }
 
 // Watch creates a new watcher in the stream and returns its WatchID.
-// TODO: return error if ws is closed?
-func (ws *watchStream) Watch(key, end []byte, startRev int64, fcs ...FilterFunc) WatchID {
+func (ws *watchStream) Watch(id WatchID, key, end []byte, startRev int64, fcs ...FilterFunc) (WatchID, error) {
 	// prevent wrong range where key >= end lexicographically
 	// watch request with 'WithFromKey' has empty-byte range end
 	if len(end) != 0 && bytes.Compare(key, end) != -1 {
-		return -1
+		return -1, ErrEmptyWatcherRange
 	}
 
 	ws.mu.Lock()
 	defer ws.mu.Unlock()
 	if ws.closed {
-		return -1
+		return -1, ErrEmptyWatcherRange
 	}
 
-	id := ws.nextID
-	ws.nextID++
+	if id == AutoWatchID {
+		for ws.watchers[ws.nextID] != nil {
+			ws.nextID++
+		}
+		id = ws.nextID
+		ws.nextID++
+	} else if _, ok := ws.watchers[id]; ok {
+		return -1, ErrWatcherDuplicateID
+	}
 
 	w, c := ws.watchable.watch(key, end, startRev, id, ws.ch, fcs...)
 
 	ws.cancels[id] = c
 	ws.watchers[id] = w
-	return id
+	return id, nil
 }
 
 func (ws *watchStream) Chan() <-chan WatchResponse {
diff --git a/mvcc/watcher_bench_test.go b/mvcc/watcher_bench_test.go
index 8a4242f3f20..86cbea7df2e 100644
--- a/mvcc/watcher_bench_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/watcher_bench_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ func BenchmarkKVWatcherMemoryUsage(b *testing.B) {
 	b.ReportAllocs()
 	b.StartTimer()
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		w.Watch([]byte(fmt.Sprint("foo", i)), nil, 0)
+		w.Watch(0, []byte(fmt.Sprint("foo", i)), nil, 0)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/mvcc/watcher_test.go b/mvcc/watcher_test.go
index 3d259d1f160..f08e7db099b 100644
--- a/mvcc/watcher_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/watcher_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestWatcherWatchID(t *testing.T) {
 	idm := make(map[WatchID]struct{})
 
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
-		id := w.Watch([]byte("foo"), nil, 0)
+		id, _ := w.Watch(0, []byte("foo"), nil, 0)
 		if _, ok := idm[id]; ok {
 			t.Errorf("#%d: id %d exists", i, id)
 		}
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestWatcherWatchID(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// unsynced watchers
 	for i := 10; i < 20; i++ {
-		id := w.Watch([]byte("foo2"), nil, 1)
+		id, _ := w.Watch(0, []byte("foo2"), nil, 1)
 		if _, ok := idm[id]; ok {
 			t.Errorf("#%d: id %d exists", i, id)
 		}
@@ -79,6 +79,41 @@ func TestWatcherWatchID(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestWatcherRequestsCustomID(t *testing.T) {
+	b, tmpPath := backend.NewDefaultTmpBackend()
+	s := WatchableKV(newWatchableStore(b, &lease.FakeLessor{}, nil))
+	defer cleanup(s, b, tmpPath)
+
+	w := s.NewWatchStream()
+	defer w.Close()
+
+	// - Request specifically ID #1
+	// - Try to duplicate it, get an error
+	// - Make sure the auto-assignment skips over things we manually assigned
+
+	tt := []struct {
+		GivenID     WatchID
+		ExpectedID  WatchID
+		ExpectedErr error
+	}{
+		{1, 1, nil},
+		{1, 0, ErrWatcherDuplicateID},
+		{0, 0, nil},
+		{0, 2, nil},
+	}
+
+	for i, tcase := range tt {
+		id, err := w.Watch(tcase.GivenID, []byte("foo"), nil, 0)
+		if tcase.ExpectedErr != nil || err != nil {
+			if err != tcase.ExpectedErr {
+				t.Errorf("expected get error %q in test case %q, got %q", tcase.ExpectedErr, i, err)
+			}
+		} else if tcase.ExpectedID != id {
+			t.Errorf("expected to create ID %d, got %d in test case %d", tcase.ExpectedID, id, i)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // TestWatcherWatchPrefix tests if Watch operation correctly watches
 // and returns events with matching prefixes.
 func TestWatcherWatchPrefix(t *testing.T) {
@@ -95,7 +130,7 @@ func TestWatcherWatchPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	keyWatch, keyEnd, keyPut := []byte("foo"), []byte("fop"), []byte("foobar")
 
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
-		id := w.Watch(keyWatch, keyEnd, 0)
+		id, _ := w.Watch(0, keyWatch, keyEnd, 0)
 		if _, ok := idm[id]; ok {
 			t.Errorf("#%d: unexpected duplicated id %x", i, id)
 		}
@@ -127,7 +162,7 @@ func TestWatcherWatchPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// unsynced watchers
 	for i := 10; i < 15; i++ {
-		id := w.Watch(keyWatch1, keyEnd1, 1)
+		id, _ := w.Watch(0, keyWatch1, keyEnd1, 1)
 		if _, ok := idm[id]; ok {
 			t.Errorf("#%d: id %d exists", i, id)
 		}
@@ -163,14 +198,14 @@ func TestWatcherWatchWrongRange(t *testing.T) {
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
 	defer w.Close()
 
-	if id := w.Watch([]byte("foa"), []byte("foa"), 1); id != -1 {
-		t.Fatalf("key == end range given; id expected -1, got %d", id)
+	if _, err := w.Watch(0, []byte("foa"), []byte("foa"), 1); err != ErrEmptyWatcherRange {
+		t.Fatalf("key == end range given; expected ErrEmptyWatcherRange, got %+v", err)
 	}
-	if id := w.Watch([]byte("fob"), []byte("foa"), 1); id != -1 {
-		t.Fatalf("key > end range given; id expected -1, got %d", id)
+	if _, err := w.Watch(0, []byte("fob"), []byte("foa"), 1); err != ErrEmptyWatcherRange {
+		t.Fatalf("key > end range given; expected ErrEmptyWatcherRange, got %+v", err)
 	}
 	// watch request with 'WithFromKey' has empty-byte range end
-	if id := w.Watch([]byte("foo"), []byte{}, 1); id != 0 {
+	if id, _ := w.Watch(0, []byte("foo"), []byte{}, 1); id != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("\x00 is range given; id expected 0, got %d", id)
 	}
 }
@@ -192,7 +227,7 @@ func TestWatchDeleteRange(t *testing.T) {
 
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
 	from, to := []byte(testKeyPrefix), []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%s_%d", testKeyPrefix, 99))
-	w.Watch(from, to, 0)
+	w.Watch(0, from, to, 0)
 
 	s.DeleteRange(from, to)
 
@@ -222,7 +257,7 @@ func TestWatchStreamCancelWatcherByID(t *testing.T) {
 	w := s.NewWatchStream()
 	defer w.Close()
 
-	id := w.Watch([]byte("foo"), nil, 0)
+	id, _ := w.Watch(0, []byte("foo"), nil, 0)
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		cancelID WatchID
@@ -284,7 +319,7 @@ func TestWatcherRequestProgress(t *testing.T) {
 	default:
 	}
 
-	id := w.Watch(notTestKey, nil, 1)
+	id, _ := w.Watch(0, notTestKey, nil, 1)
 	w.RequestProgress(id)
 	select {
 	case resp := <-w.Chan():
@@ -295,7 +330,7 @@ func TestWatcherRequestProgress(t *testing.T) {
 	s.syncWatchers()
 
 	w.RequestProgress(id)
-	wrs := WatchResponse{WatchID: 0, Revision: 2}
+	wrs := WatchResponse{WatchID: id, Revision: 2}
 	select {
 	case resp := <-w.Chan():
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(resp, wrs) {
@@ -318,7 +353,7 @@ func TestWatcherWatchWithFilter(t *testing.T) {
 		return e.Type == mvccpb.PUT
 	}
 
-	w.Watch([]byte("foo"), nil, 0, filterPut)
+	w.Watch(0, []byte("foo"), nil, 0, filterPut)
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 
 	go func() {