diff --git a/umap/migrations/0018_datalayer_uuid.py b/umap/migrations/0018_datalayer_uuid.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f5f2add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/umap/migrations/0018_datalayer_uuid.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.2.8 on 2024-02-19 17:40
+
+import uuid
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+def gen_uuid(apps, schema_editor):
+    DataLayer = apps.get_model("umap", "DataLayer")
+    for row in DataLayer.objects.all():
+        row.uuid = uuid.uuid4()
+        row.save(update_fields=["uuid"])
+
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("umap", "0017_migrate_to_openstreetmap_oauth2"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="datalayer",
+            name="uuid",
+            field=models.UUIDField(default=uuid.uuid4, editable=False, null=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.RunPython(gen_uuid, reverse_code=migrations.RunPython.noop),
+        migrations.AlterField("datalayer", name="id", field=models.CharField(max_length=100)),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="datalayer",
+            name="uuid",
+            field=models.UUIDField(default=uuid.uuid4, editable=False, unique=True, primary_key=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/umap/models.py b/umap/models.py
index 4bff5f75..9bda2979 100644
--- a/umap/models.py
+++ b/umap/models.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 import time
+import uuid
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
@@ -373,7 +374,7 @@ class DataLayer(NamedModel):
         (EDITORS, _("Editors only")),
         (OWNER, _("Owner only")),
     )
-
+    uuid = models.UUIDField(unique=True, default=uuid.uuid4, editable=False)
     map = models.ForeignKey(Map, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
     description = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True, verbose_name=_("description"))
     geojson = models.FileField(upload_to=upload_to, blank=True, null=True)