diff --git a/DOCS/client-api-changes.rst b/DOCS/client-api-changes.rst
index 2ccbc24e76..136e6a832e 100644
--- a/DOCS/client-api-changes.rst
+++ b/DOCS/client-api-changes.rst
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ API changes
  1.108  - Deprecate MPV_EVENT_IDLE
         - add mpv_event_start_file, mpv_event_end_file.playlist_entry_id
         - add mpv_event_to_node()
+        - add mpv_client_id()
  1.107  - Remove the deprecated qthelper.hpp. This was obviously not part of the
           libmpv API, only an "additionally" provided helper, thus this is not
           considered an API change. If you are maintaining a project that relies
diff --git a/libmpv/client.h b/libmpv/client.h
index 4fe8ea1866..4889e75f49 100644
--- a/libmpv/client.h
+++ b/libmpv/client.h
@@ -391,6 +391,24 @@ void mpv_free(void *data);
  */
 const char *mpv_client_name(mpv_handle *ctx);
 
+/**
+ * Return the ID of this client handle. Every client has its own unique ID. This
+ * ID is never reused by the core, even if the mpv_handle at hand gets destroyed
+ * and new handles get allocated.
+ *
+ * IDs are never 0 or negative.
+ *
+ * Some mpv APIs (not necessarily all) accept a name in the form "@<id>" in
+ * addition of the proper mpv_client_name(), where "<id>" is the ID in decimal
+ * form (e.g. "@123"). For example, the "script-message-to" command takes the
+ * client name as first argument, but also accepts the client ID formatted in
+ * this manner.
+ *
+ * @return The client name. The string is read-only and is valid until the
+ *         mpv_handle is destroyed.
+ */
+int64_t mpv_client_id(mpv_handle *ctx);
+
 /**
  * Create a new mpv instance and an associated client API handle to control
  * the mpv instance. This instance is in a pre-initialized state,
diff --git a/libmpv/mpv.def b/libmpv/mpv.def
index 6e20a668de..50a713531f 100644
--- a/libmpv/mpv.def
+++ b/libmpv/mpv.def
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 mpv_abort_async_command
 mpv_client_api_version
+mpv_client_id
 mpv_client_name
 mpv_command
 mpv_command_async
diff --git a/player/client.c b/player/client.c
index 648ff1173c..41645b5d95 100644
--- a/player/client.c
+++ b/player/client.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ struct mp_client_api {
     // used to safely unlock mp_client_api.lock while iterating the list of
     // clients.
     uint64_t clients_list_change_ts;
+    int64_t id_alloc;
 
     struct mp_custom_protocol *custom_protocols;
     int num_custom_protocols;
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ struct mpv_handle {
     struct mp_log *log;
     struct MPContext *mpctx;
     struct mp_client_api *clients;
+    int64_t id;
 
     // -- not thread-safe
     struct mpv_event *cur_event;
@@ -223,13 +225,32 @@ bool mp_clients_all_initialized(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     return all_ok;
 }
 
+static struct mpv_handle *find_client_id(struct mp_client_api *clients, int64_t id)
+{
+    for (int n = 0; n < clients->num_clients; n++) {
+        if (clients->clients[n]->id == id)
+            return clients->clients[n];
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 static struct mpv_handle *find_client(struct mp_client_api *clients,
                                       const char *name)
 {
+    if (name[0] == '@') {
+        char *end;
+        errno = 0;
+        long long int id = strtoll(name + 1, &end, 10);
+        if (errno || end[0])
+            return NULL;
+        return find_client_id(clients, id);
+    }
+
     for (int n = 0; n < clients->num_clients; n++) {
         if (strcmp(clients->clients[n]->name, name) == 0)
             return clients->clients[n];
     }
+
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -271,6 +292,7 @@ struct mpv_handle *mp_new_client(struct mp_client_api *clients, const char *name
         .log = mp_log_new(client, clients->mpctx->log, nname),
         .mpctx = clients->mpctx,
         .clients = clients,
+        .id = ++(clients->id_alloc),
         .cur_event = talloc_zero(client, struct mpv_event),
         .events = talloc_array(client, mpv_event, num_events),
         .max_events = num_events,
@@ -308,6 +330,11 @@ const char *mpv_client_name(mpv_handle *ctx)
     return ctx->name;
 }
 
+int64_t mpv_client_id(mpv_handle *ctx)
+{
+    return ctx->id;
+}
+
 struct mp_log *mp_client_get_log(struct mpv_handle *ctx)
 {
     return ctx->log;