diff --git a/src/graph_engine.jl b/src/graph_engine.jl
index 9df58478..d07450e0 100644
--- a/src/graph_engine.jl
+++ b/src/graph_engine.jl
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ Base.broadcastable(label::NodeLabel) = Ref(label)
 
 getname(label::NodeLabel) = label.name
 getname(labels::ResizableArray{T, V, N} where {T <: NodeLabel, V, N}) = getname(first(labels))
+getid(label::NodeLabel) = label.global_counter
 iterate(label::NodeLabel) = (label, nothing)
 iterate(label::NodeLabel, any) = nothing
 
@@ -765,9 +766,10 @@ mutable struct NodeData
     const context    :: Context
     const properties :: Union{VariableNodeProperties, FactorNodeProperties{NodeData}}
     const extra      :: UnorderedDictionary{Symbol, Any}
+    const id         :: Int
 end
 
-NodeData(context, properties) = NodeData(context, properties, UnorderedDictionary{Symbol, Any}())
+NodeData(context, properties, id) = NodeData(context, properties, UnorderedDictionary{Symbol, Any}(), id)
 
 function Base.show(io::IO, nodedata::NodeData)
     context = getcontext(nodedata)
@@ -1529,7 +1531,7 @@ end
 function __add_variable_node!(model::Model, context::Context, options::NodeCreationOptions, name::Symbol, index)
     # In theory plugins are able to overwrite this
     potential_label = generate_nodelabel(model, name)
-    potential_nodedata = NodeData(context, convert(VariableNodeProperties, name, index, options))
+    potential_nodedata = NodeData(context, convert(VariableNodeProperties, name, index, options), getid(potential_label))
     label, nodedata = preprocess_plugins(
         UnionPluginType(VariableNodePlugin(), FactorAndVariableNodesPlugin()), model, context, potential_label, potential_nodedata, options
     )
@@ -1643,7 +1645,7 @@ function add_atomic_factor_node!(model::Model, context::Context, options::NodeCr
     factornode_id = generate_factor_nodelabel(context, fform)
 
     potential_label = generate_nodelabel(model, fform)
-    potential_nodedata = NodeData(context, convert(FactorNodeProperties, fform, options))
+    potential_nodedata = NodeData(context, convert(FactorNodeProperties, fform, options), getid(potential_label))
 
     label, nodedata = preprocess_plugins(
         UnionPluginType(FactorNodePlugin(), FactorAndVariableNodesPlugin()), model, context, potential_label, potential_nodedata, options
diff --git a/test/graph_engine_tests.jl b/test/graph_engine_tests.jl
index 678f7a0b..4e768f2f 100644
--- a/test/graph_engine_tests.jl
+++ b/test/graph_engine_tests.jl
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ end
 
     @testset "FactorNodeProperties" begin
         properties = FactorNodeProperties(fform = String)
-        nodedata = NodeData(context, properties)
+        nodedata = NodeData(context, properties, 1)
 
         @test getcontext(nodedata) === context
         @test getproperties(nodedata) === properties
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ end
 
     @testset "VariableNodeProperties" begin
         properties = VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = 1)
-        nodedata = NodeData(context, properties)
+        nodedata = NodeData(context, properties, 1)
 
         @test getcontext(nodedata) === context
         @test getproperties(nodedata) === properties
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ end
     context = getcontext(model)
 
     @testset for properties in (FactorNodeProperties(fform = String), VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = 1))
-        nodedata = NodeData(context, properties)
+        nodedata = NodeData(context, properties, 1)
 
         @test !hasextra(nodedata, :a)
         @test getextra(nodedata, :a, 2) === 2
@@ -552,7 +552,10 @@ end
 
     function GraphPPL.preprocess_plugin(::AnArbitraryPluginForChangingOptions, model, context, label, nodedata, options)
         # Here we replace the original options entirely
-        return label, NodeData(context, convert(VariableNodeProperties, :x, nothing, NodeCreationOptions(kind = :constant, value = 1.0)))
+        return label,
+        NodeData(
+            context, convert(VariableNodeProperties, :x, nothing, NodeCreationOptions(kind = :constant, value = 1.0)), GraphPPL.getid(label)
+        )
     end
 
     for model_fn in ModelsInTheZooWithoutArguments
@@ -933,13 +936,13 @@ end
 
     model = create_test_model()
     ctx = getcontext(model)
-    model[NodeLabel(:μ, 1)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :μ, index = nothing))
+    model[NodeLabel(:μ, 1)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :μ, index = nothing), 1)
     @test nv(model) == 1 && ne(model) == 0
 
-    model[NodeLabel(:x, 2)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing))
+    model[NodeLabel(:x, 2)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing), 2)
     @test nv(model) == 2 && ne(model) == 0
 
-    model[NodeLabel(sum, 3)] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum))
+    model[NodeLabel(sum, 3)] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum), 3)
     @test nv(model) == 3 && ne(model) == 0
 
     @test_throws MethodError model[0] = 1
@@ -959,8 +962,8 @@ end
     μ = NodeLabel(:μ, 1)
     xref = NodeLabel(:x, 2)
 
-    model[μ] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :μ, index = nothing))
-    model[xref] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing))
+    model[μ] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :μ, index = nothing), 1)
+    model[xref] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing), 2)
     model[μ, xref] = EdgeLabel(:interface, 1)
 
     @test ne(model) == 1
@@ -990,7 +993,7 @@ end
     model = create_test_model()
     ctx = getcontext(model)
     label = NodeLabel(:x, 1)
-    model[label] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing))
+    model[label] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing), 1)
     @test isa(model[label], NodeData)
     @test isa(getproperties(model[label]), VariableNodeProperties)
     @test_throws KeyError model[NodeLabel(:x, 10)]
@@ -1024,8 +1027,8 @@ end
     @test nv(model) == 0
     @test ne(model) == 0
 
-    model[NodeLabel(:a, 1)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :a, index = nothing))
-    model[NodeLabel(:b, 2)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :b, index = nothing))
+    model[NodeLabel(:a, 1)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :a, index = nothing), 1)
+    model[NodeLabel(:b, 2)] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :b, index = nothing), 2)
     @test !isempty(model)
     @test nv(model) == 2
     @test ne(model) == 0
@@ -1059,8 +1062,8 @@ end
     ctx = getcontext(model)
     a = NodeLabel(:a, 1)
     b = NodeLabel(:b, 2)
-    model[a] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :a, index = nothing))
-    model[b] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum))
+    model[a] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :a, index = nothing), 1)
+    model[b] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum), 2)
     @test !has_edge(model, a, b)
     @test !has_edge(model, b, a)
     add_edge!(model, b, getproperties(model[b]), a, :edge, 1)
@@ -1069,7 +1072,7 @@ end
     @test length(edges(model)) == 1
 
     c = NodeLabel(:c, 2)
-    model[c] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum))
+    model[c] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum), 2)
     @test !has_edge(model, a, c)
     @test !has_edge(model, c, a)
     add_edge!(model, c, getproperties(model[c]), a, :edge, 2)
@@ -1109,8 +1112,8 @@ end
 
     a = NodeLabel(:a, 1)
     b = NodeLabel(:b, 2)
-    model[a] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum))
-    model[b] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :b, index = nothing))
+    model[a] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum), 1)
+    model[b] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :b, index = nothing), 2)
     add_edge!(model, a, getproperties(model[a]), b, :edge, 1)
     @test collect(neighbors(model, NodeLabel(:a, 1))) == [NodeLabel(:b, 2)]
 
@@ -1120,9 +1123,9 @@ end
     b = ResizableArray(NodeLabel, Val(1))
     for i in 1:3
         a[i] = NodeLabel(:a, i)
-        model[a[i]] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum))
+        model[a[i]] = NodeData(ctx, FactorNodeProperties(fform = sum), i)
         b[i] = NodeLabel(:b, i)
-        model[b[i]] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :b, index = i))
+        model[b[i]] = NodeData(ctx, VariableNodeProperties(name = :b, index = i), i)
         add_edge!(model, a[i], getproperties(model[a[i]]), b[i], :edge, i)
     end
     for n in b
diff --git a/test/plugins/variational_constraints/variational_constraints_engine_tests.jl b/test/plugins/variational_constraints/variational_constraints_engine_tests.jl
index b69db741..3a4d907d 100644
--- a/test/plugins/variational_constraints/variational_constraints_engine_tests.jl
+++ b/test/plugins/variational_constraints/variational_constraints_engine_tests.jl
@@ -862,35 +862,35 @@ end
     ])
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:w, 2:3, context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2), 2)
     @test node_data ∈ variable
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:w, 2:3, context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(GraphPPL.Context(), VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(GraphPPL.Context(), VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2), 2)
     @test !(node_data ∈ variable)
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:w, 2, context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2), 2)
     @test node_data ∈ variable
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:w, SplittedRange(2, 3), context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2), 2)
     @test node_data ∈ variable
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:w, SplittedRange(10, 15), context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :w, index = 2), 2)
     @test !(node_data ∈ variable)
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:x, nothing, context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = 2))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = 2), 2)
     @test node_data ∈ variable
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:x, nothing, context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :x, index = nothing), 1)
     @test node_data ∈ variable
 
     variable = ResolvedIndexedVariable(:prec, 3, context)
-    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :prec, index = (1, 3)))
+    node_data = GraphPPL.NodeData(context, VariableNodeProperties(name = :prec, index = (1, 3)), 2)
     @test node_data ∈ variable
 end