diff --git a/sys/netgraph/ng_base.c b/sys/netgraph/ng_base.c
--- a/sys/netgraph/ng_base.c
+++ b/sys/netgraph/ng_base.c
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
 static int	ng_con_part2(node_p node, item_p item, hook_p hook);
 static int	ng_con_part3(node_p node, item_p item, hook_p hook);
 static int	ng_mkpeer(node_p node, const char *name, const char *name2,
-		    char *type);
+		    char *type, ng_ID_t *);
 static void	ng_name_rehash(void);
 static void	ng_ID_rehash(void);
 
@@ -497,6 +497,13 @@
 	  &ng_generic_mkpeer_type,
 	  NULL
 	},
+	{
+	  NGM_GENERIC_COOKIE,
+	  NGM_MKPEERID,
+	  "mkpeerid",
+	  &ng_generic_mkpeer_type,
+	  &ng_parse_hint32_type
+	},
 	{
 	  NGM_GENERIC_COOKIE,
 	  NGM_CONNECT,
@@ -1542,7 +1549,8 @@
  * an unconnected node?
  */
 static int
-ng_mkpeer(node_p node, const char *name, const char *name2, char *type)
+ng_mkpeer(node_p node, const char *name, const char *name2, char *type,
+    ng_ID_t *nid)
 {
 	node_p	node2;
 	hook_p	hook1, hook2;
@@ -1596,6 +1604,8 @@
 	}
 	NG_HOOK_UNREF(hook1);
 	NG_HOOK_UNREF(hook2);
+	if (error == 0 && nid != NULL)
+		*nid = NG_NODE_ID(node2);
 	return (error);
 }
 
@@ -2525,6 +2535,13 @@
 	case NGM_SHUTDOWN:
 		ng_rmnode(here, NULL, NULL, 0);
 		break;
+	case NGM_MKPEERID:
+		/* set up resp then fallthough if ok */
+		NG_MKRESPONSE(resp, msg, sizeof(ng_ID_t), M_NOWAIT);
+		if (resp == NULL) {
+			error = ENOMEM;
+			break;
+		}
 	case NGM_MKPEER:
 	    {
 		struct ngm_mkpeer *const mkp = (struct ngm_mkpeer *) msg->data;
@@ -2537,7 +2554,8 @@
 		mkp->type[sizeof(mkp->type) - 1] = '\0';
 		mkp->ourhook[sizeof(mkp->ourhook) - 1] = '\0';
 		mkp->peerhook[sizeof(mkp->peerhook) - 1] = '\0';
-		error = ng_mkpeer(here, mkp->ourhook, mkp->peerhook, mkp->type);
+		error = ng_mkpeer(here, mkp->ourhook, mkp->peerhook, mkp->type,
+		    resp == NULL ? NULL : (ng_ID_t *)resp->data);
 		break;
 	    }
 	case NGM_CONNECT:
diff --git a/sys/netgraph/ng_message.h b/sys/netgraph/ng_message.h
--- a/sys/netgraph/ng_message.h
+++ b/sys/netgraph/ng_message.h
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@
 	NGM_ASCII2BINARY= (13|NGM_READONLY|NGM_HASREPLY),
 	/* (optional) Get/set text config. */
 	NGM_TEXT_CONFIG	= 14,
+	/* Create and attach a peer node also return the ID of created node */
+	NGM_MKPEERID	= (15|NGM_HASREPLY),
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/sys/netgraph/ng_socket.c b/sys/netgraph/ng_socket.c
--- a/sys/netgraph/ng_socket.c
+++ b/sys/netgraph/ng_socket.c
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@
 	 * message gets queued and applied later we will get panic.
 	 */
 	if (msg->header.typecookie == NGM_GENERIC_COOKIE &&
-	    msg->header.cmd == NGM_MKPEER) {
+	   (msg->header.cmd == NGM_MKPEER || msg->header.cmd == NGM_MKPEERID)) {
 		struct ngm_mkpeer *const mkp = (struct ngm_mkpeer *) msg->data;
 
 		if (ng_findtype(mkp->type) == NULL) {
diff --git a/usr.sbin/ngctl/mkpeer.c b/usr.sbin/ngctl/mkpeer.c
--- a/usr.sbin/ngctl/mkpeer.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/ngctl/mkpeer.c
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 #include <err.h>
 #include <netgraph.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "ngctl.h"
 
@@ -45,12 +47,14 @@
 
 const struct ngcmd mkpeer_cmd = {
 	MkPeerCmd,
-	"mkpeer [path] <type> <hook> <peerhook>",
+	"mkpeer [-i] [path] <type> <hook> <peerhook>",
 	"Create and connect a new node to the node at \"path\"",
 	"The mkpeer command atomically creates a new node of type \"type\""
 	" and connects it to the node at \"path\". The hooks used for the"
 	" connection are \"hook\" on the original node and \"peerhook\""
 	" on the new node."
+	" If the -i flag is given, return the node ID as a string that can"
+	" be used to reference the node."
 	" If \"path\" is omitted then \".\" is assumed.",
 	{ NULL }
 };
@@ -60,18 +64,36 @@
 {
 	struct ngm_mkpeer mkp;
 	const char *path = ".";
+	struct ng_mesg *resp = NULL;
+	int ch, cmd = NGM_MKPEER;
+
+	/* Get options */
+	optind = 1;
+	while ((ch = getopt(ac, av, "i")) != -1) {
+		switch (ch) {
+		case 'i':
+			cmd = NGM_MKPEERID;
+			break;
+		case '?':
+		default:
+			return (CMDRTN_USAGE);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	ac -= optind;
+	av += optind;
 
 	/* Get arguments */
 	switch (ac) {
-	case 5:
-		path = av[1];
+	case 4:
+		path = av[0];
 		ac--;
 		av++;
 		/* FALLTHROUGH */
-	case 4:
-		snprintf(mkp.type, sizeof(mkp.type), "%s", av[1]);
-		snprintf(mkp.ourhook, sizeof(mkp.ourhook), "%s", av[2]);
-		snprintf(mkp.peerhook, sizeof(mkp.peerhook), "%s", av[3]);
+	case 3:
+		snprintf(mkp.type, sizeof(mkp.type), "%s", av[0]);
+		snprintf(mkp.ourhook, sizeof(mkp.ourhook), "%s", av[1]);
+		snprintf(mkp.peerhook, sizeof(mkp.peerhook), "%s", av[2]);
 		break;
 	default:
 		return (CMDRTN_USAGE);
@@ -79,10 +101,20 @@
 
 	/* Send message */
 	if (NgSendMsg(csock, path, NGM_GENERIC_COOKIE,
-	    NGM_MKPEER, &mkp, sizeof(mkp)) < 0) {
+	    cmd, &mkp, sizeof(mkp)) < 0) {
 		warn("send msg");
 		return (CMDRTN_ERROR);
 	}
+	if (cmd == NGM_MKPEERID) {
+		if (NgAllocRecvMsg(csock, &resp, NULL) < 0) {
+			warn("recv msg");
+			return (CMDRTN_ERROR);
+		}
+		/* want this to be easy to capture in shell script */
+		printf("[%08x]\n", *((ng_ID_t *)resp->data));
+		free(resp);
+	}
+
 	return (CMDRTN_OK);
 }