diff --git a/config/eloquent-driver.php b/config/eloquent-driver.php
index 0ba4e51e..bbcf2d32 100644
--- a/config/eloquent-driver.php
+++ b/config/eloquent-driver.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
         'driver' => 'file',
         'model' => \Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\AssetModel::class,
         'asset' => \Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\Asset::class,
+        'use_model_keys_for_ids' => false,
     ],
 
     'blueprints' => [
diff --git a/src/Assets/Asset.php b/src/Assets/Asset.php
index e4b20586..f95b185b 100644
--- a/src/Assets/Asset.php
+++ b/src/Assets/Asset.php
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 
 class Asset extends FileAsset
 {
-    protected $model;
-
     use HasDirtyState {
         syncOriginal as traitSyncOriginal;
     }
@@ -26,6 +24,9 @@ public function syncOriginal()
     }
 
     protected $existsOnDisk = false;
+
+    protected $model;
+
     protected $removedData = [];
 
     public static function fromModel(Model $model)
@@ -61,6 +62,20 @@ public function meta($key = null)
             return $meta;
         }
 
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            if ($this->model) {
+                return $this->model->meta;
+            }
+
+            $meta = $this->generateMeta();
+
+            if (! $meta['data']) {
+                $meta['data'] = [];
+            }
+
+            return $meta;
+        }
+
         if ($meta = $this->model()?->meta) {
             return $meta;
         }
@@ -139,7 +154,7 @@ public static function makeModelFromContract(AssetContract $source, $meta = [])
 
         $model = false;
 
-        if (method_exists($source, 'model')) {
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false) || method_exists($source, 'model')) {
             $model = $source->model();
         }
 
@@ -197,6 +212,19 @@ public function metaPath()
         return $this->path();
     }
 
+    public function id($id = null)
+    {
+        if ($id || ! config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            return parent::id($id);
+        }
+
+        if (! $this->model) {
+            throw new \Exception('ID is not available until asset is saved');
+        }
+
+        return $this->model->getKey();
+    }
+
     public function getCurrentDirtyStateAttributes(): array
     {
         return array_merge([
diff --git a/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php b/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php
index 6338773b..4fc7339f 100644
--- a/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php
+++ b/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php
@@ -13,12 +13,25 @@ class AssetRepository extends BaseRepository
 {
     public function findById($id): ?AssetContract
     {
+        $blinkKey = "eloquent-asset-{$id}";
+
         [$container, $path] = explode('::', $id);
 
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false) && (str_contains($path, '.') === false)) {
+            $item = Blink::once($blinkKey, fn () => $this->query()->where('id', $path)->first());
+
+            if (! $item) {
+                Blink::forget($blinkKey);
+
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $item;
+        }
+
         $filename = Str::afterLast($path, '/');
         $folder = str_contains($path, '/') ? Str::beforeLast($path, '/') : '/';
 
-        $blinkKey = "eloquent-asset-{$id}";
         $item = Blink::once($blinkKey, function () use ($container, $filename, $folder) {
             return $this->query()
                 ->where('container', $container)
@@ -38,6 +51,11 @@ public function findById($id): ?AssetContract
 
     public function findByUrl(string $url)
     {
+        // handle find('model-key'), with no container
+        if (! str_contains('.', $url)) {
+            return $this->findById('::'.$url);
+        }
+
         if (! $container = $this->resolveContainerFromUrl($url)) {
             return null;
         }
diff --git a/src/Commands/UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys.php b/src/Commands/UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6685130f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Commands/UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys.php
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Statamic\Eloquent\Commands;
+
+use Illuminate\Console\Command;
+use Statamic\Assets\AssetReferenceUpdater;
+use Statamic\Console\RunsInPlease;
+use Statamic\Contracts\Assets\AssetContainer;
+use Statamic\Facades;
+
+class UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys extends Command
+{
+    use RunsInPlease;
+
+    /**
+     * The name and signature of the console command.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $signature = 'statamic:eloquent:update-asset-references-to-use-model-keys {--container=all}';
+
+    /**
+     * The console command description.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $description = 'Update container::path references to container::asset_model_key';
+
+    /**
+     * Execute the console command.
+     */
+    public function handle()
+    {
+        Facades\AssetContainer::all()
+            ->reject(fn ($container) => $this->option('container') != 'all' && $this->option('container') != $container->handle())
+            ->each(fn ($container) => $this->processContainer($container));
+
+        $this->info('Complete');
+    }
+
+    private function processContainer(AssetContainer $container)
+    {
+        $this->info("Container: {$container->handle()}");
+
+        $container->queryAssets()->get()->each(function ($item) use ($container) {
+            return AssetReferenceUpdater::item($item)
+                ->filterByContainer($container)
+                ->updateReferences($item->path(), $item->id());
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ServiceProvider.php b/src/ServiceProvider.php
index 0ea43580..3fc3a620 100644
--- a/src/ServiceProvider.php
+++ b/src/ServiceProvider.php
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Taxonomies\TermRepository;
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Tokens\TokenRepository;
 use Statamic\Facades\Stache;
+use Statamic\Listeners\UpdateAssetReferences;
 use Statamic\Providers\AddonServiceProvider;
 use Statamic\Statamic;
 
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ public function boot()
             Commands\ImportTaxonomies::class,
             Commands\ImportSites::class,
             Commands\SyncAssets::class,
+            Commands\UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys::class,
         ]);
 
         $this->addAboutCommandInfo();
@@ -270,6 +272,11 @@ private function registerAssets()
 
         Statamic::repository(AssetRepositoryContract::class, AssetRepository::class);
 
+        // we dont need asset references to run on asset save if we are linking by id, as the references dont update
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            UpdateAssetReferences::disable();
+        }
+
         Stache::exclude('assets');
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php b/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php
index bce1142a..18d08783 100644
--- a/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php
+++ b/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Cache;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Event;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;
+use Orchestra\Testbench\Attributes\DefineEnvironment;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\Asset;
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\AssetModel;
@@ -256,4 +257,53 @@ public function can_save_an_asset_made_on_the_container()
 
         $this->assertCount(6, AssetModel::all());
     }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function not_referencing_by_id_gives_a_container_and_path_id()
+    {
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('test::f.jpg');
+
+        $this->assertNotSame($asset->id(), $asset->model()->getKey());
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('::', $asset->id());
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DefineEnvironment('setUseModelKeysConfig')]
+    public function referencing_by_id_gives_a_model_id()
+    {
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('test::f.jpg');
+
+        $this->assertSame($asset->id(), $asset->model()->getKey());
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DefineEnvironment('setUseModelKeysConfig')]
+    public function an_error_is_thrown_when_getting_id_before_asset_is_saved()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(\Exception::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('ID is not available until asset is saved');
+
+        Storage::disk('test')->put('new.jpg', '');
+        Facades\Asset::make()->container('test')->path('new.jpg')->id();
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DefineEnvironment('setUseModelKeysConfig')]
+    public function using_find_with_an_id_returns_an_asset()
+    {
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('test::6');
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(Asset::class, $asset);
+        $this->assertSame('f.jpg', $asset->basename());
+
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('6');
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(Asset::class, $asset);
+        $this->assertSame('f.jpg', $asset->basename());
+    }
+
+    protected function setUseModelKeysConfig($app)
+    {
+        $app['config']->set('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', true);
+    }
 }