diff --git a/lib/connectors/memory.js b/lib/connectors/memory.js
index 0e2c817a..ae8b260d 100644
--- a/lib/connectors/memory.js
+++ b/lib/connectors/memory.js
@@ -220,8 +220,11 @@ Memory.prototype._createSync = function(model, data, fn) {
     this.collection(model, {});
   }
 
-  if (this.collection(model)[id])
-    return fn(new Error(g.f('Duplicate entry for %s.%s', model, idName)));
+  if (this.collection(model)[id]) {
+    var error = new Error(g.f('Duplicate entry for %s.%s', model, idName));
+    error.statusCode = error.status = 409;
+    return fn(error);
+  }
 
   this.collection(model)[id] = serialize(data);
   fn(null, id);
diff --git a/test/memory.test.js b/test/memory.test.js
index 3fd69bc5..f72ddefb 100644
--- a/test/memory.test.js
+++ b/test/memory.test.js
@@ -660,6 +660,26 @@ describe('Memory connector', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  it('should refuse to create object with duplicate id', function(done) {
+    var ds = new DataSource({connector: 'memory'});
+    var Product = ds.define('ProductTest', {name: String}, {forceId: false});
+    ds.automigrate('ProductTest', function(err) {
+      if (err) return done(err);
+
+      Product.create({name: 'a-name'}, function(err, p) {
+        if (err) return done(err);
+        Product.create({id: p.id, name: 'duplicate'}, function(err) {
+          if (!err) {
+            return done(new Error('Create should have rejected duplicate id.'));
+          }
+          err.message.should.match(/duplicate/i);
+          err.statusCode.should.equal(409);
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('automigrate', function() {
     var ds;
     beforeEach(function() {