diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 379567091..ac13c39c2 100755
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import sys
 import os
 import time
 import itertools
+import re
 
 from beets import ui
 from beets.ui import print_, decargs
@@ -387,10 +388,20 @@ def manual_search(singleton):
     return artist.strip(), name.strip()
 
 def manual_id(singleton):
-    """Input a MusicBrainz ID, either for an album or a track.
+    """Input a MusicBrainz ID, either for an album ("release") or a
+    track ("recording"). If no valid ID is entered, returns None.
     """
-    prompt = 'Enter MusicBrainz %s ID: ' % ('track' if singleton else 'album')
-    return raw_input(prompt).decode(sys.stdin.encoding).strip()
+    prompt = 'Enter MusicBrainz %s ID: ' % \
+             ('recording' if singleton else 'release')
+    entry = raw_input(prompt).decode(sys.stdin.encoding).strip()
+
+    # Find the first thing that looks like a UUID/MBID.
+    match = re.search('[a-f0-9]{8}(-[a-f0-9]{4}){3}-[a-f0-9]{12}', entry)
+    if match:
+       return match.group()
+    else:
+        log.error('Invalid MBID.')
+        return None
 
 def choose_match(task, config):
     """Given an initial autotagging of items, go through an interactive
@@ -436,12 +447,13 @@ def choose_match(task, config):
         elif choice is importer.action.MANUAL_ID:
             # Try a manually-entered ID.
             search_id = manual_id(False)
-            try:
-                _, _, candidates, rec = \
-                    autotag.tag_album(task.items, config.timid,
-                                      search_id=search_id)
-            except autotag.AutotagError:
-                candidates, rec = None, None
+            if search_id:
+                try:
+                    _, _, candidates, rec = \
+                        autotag.tag_album(task.items, config.timid,
+                                        search_id=search_id)
+                except autotag.AutotagError:
+                    candidates, rec = None, None
         else:
             # We have a candidate! Finish tagging. Here, choice is
             # an (info, items) pair as desired.
@@ -482,8 +494,9 @@ def choose_item(task, config):
         elif choice == importer.action.MANUAL_ID:
             # Ask for a track ID.
             search_id = manual_id(True)
-            candidates, rec = autotag.tag_item(task.item, config.timid,
-                                               search_id=search_id)
+            if search_id:
+                candidates, rec = autotag.tag_item(task.item, config.timid,
+                                                search_id=search_id)
         else:
             # Chose a candidate.
             assert not isinstance(choice, importer.action)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index acaf991ea..4ada25502 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ Changelog
 * The new :doc:`/plugins/lastgenre` automatically assigns genres to imported
   albums and items based on Last.fm tags and an internal whitelist. (Thanks to
   `KraYmer`_.)
+* When entering an ID manually during tagging, beets now searches for anything
+  that looks like an MBID in the entered string. This means that full
+  MusicBrainz URLs now work as IDs at the prompt. (Thanks to derwin.)
 
 .. _KraYmer: https://github.com/KraYmer
 
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index 7d8db3782..9895b97a6 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ import unittest
 import os
 import shutil
 import textwrap
+import logging
 from StringIO import StringIO
 
-import _common
 from beets import library
 from beets import ui
 from beets.ui import commands
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ from beets import autotag
 from beets import importer
 from beets.mediafile import MediaFile
 
+import _common
+
 class ListTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.io = _common.DummyIO()
@@ -502,7 +504,7 @@ class ConfigTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 library: /xxx/yyy/not/a/real/path
             """), func)
 
-class UtilTest(unittest.TestCase):
+class ShowdiffTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.io = _common.DummyIO()
         self.io.install()
@@ -554,6 +556,30 @@ class UtilTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(complete_diff, partial_diff)
 
+AN_ID = "28e32c71-1450-463e-92bf-e0a46446fc11"
+class ManualIDTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        _common.log.setLevel(logging.CRITICAL)
+        self.io = _common.DummyIO()
+        self.io.install()
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.io.restore()
+
+    def test_id_accepted(self):
+        self.io.addinput(AN_ID)
+        out = commands.manual_id(False)
+        self.assertEqual(out, AN_ID)
+
+    def test_non_id_returns_none(self):
+        self.io.addinput("blah blah")
+        out = commands.manual_id(False)
+        self.assertEqual(out, None)
+
+    def test_url_finds_id(self):
+        self.io.addinput("http://musicbrainz.org/entity/%s?something" % AN_ID)
+        out = commands.manual_id(False)
+        self.assertEqual(out, AN_ID)
+
 def suite():
     return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)