diff --git a/io_test.go b/io_test.go
index d9ac4e5..7382194 100644
--- a/io_test.go
+++ b/io_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (er *evilReader) Read(buf []byte) (int, error) {
 }
 
 func TestEvilReader(t *testing.T) {
-	emptyHash, err := Sum(nil, ID, 0)
+	emptyHash, err := Sum(nil, IDENTITY, 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/multihash.go b/multihash.go
index d3cad1b..ffb0944 100644
--- a/multihash.go
+++ b/multihash.go
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ func (e ErrInconsistentLen) Error() string {
 
 // constants
 const (
-	ID         = 0x00
+	IDENTITY = 0x00
+	// Deprecated: use IDENTITY
+	ID         = IDENTITY
 	SHA1       = 0x11
 	SHA2_256   = 0x12
 	SHA2_512   = 0x13
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ func init() {
 
 // Names maps the name of a hash to the code
 var Names = map[string]uint64{
-	"identity":     ID,
+	"identity":     IDENTITY,
 	"sha1":         SHA1,
 	"sha2-256":     SHA2_256,
 	"sha2-512":     SHA2_512,
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ var Names = map[string]uint64{
 
 // Codes maps a hash code to it's name
 var Codes = map[uint64]string{
-	ID:           "identity",
+	IDENTITY:     "identity",
 	SHA1:         "sha1",
 	SHA2_256:     "sha2-256",
 	SHA2_512:     "sha2-512",
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ var Codes = map[uint64]string{
 
 // DefaultLengths maps a hash code to it's default length
 var DefaultLengths = map[uint64]int{
-	ID:           -1,
+	IDENTITY:     -1,
 	SHA1:         20,
 	SHA2_256:     32,
 	SHA2_512:     64,
diff --git a/sum.go b/sum.go
index 249cb75..c68e160 100644
--- a/sum.go
+++ b/sum.go
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ func sumSHA3_224(data []byte, length int) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func registerStdlibHashFuncs() {
-	RegisterHashFunc(ID, sumID)
+	RegisterHashFunc(IDENTITY, sumID)
 	RegisterHashFunc(SHA1, sumSHA1)
 	RegisterHashFunc(SHA2_512, sumSHA512)
 	RegisterHashFunc(MD5, sumMD5)