diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/World/EditorActorLayer.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/World/EditorActorLayer.cs
index e199fe07c7..77dc11c30d 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/World/EditorActorLayer.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/World/EditorActorLayer.cs
@@ -283,5 +283,10 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Traits
 				foreach (var preview in previewsForCell.Value)
 					destinationBuffer.Add(Pair.New(previewsForCell.Key, preview.Owner.Color.RGB));
 		}
+
+		public EditorActorPreview this[string id]
+		{
+			get { return previews.FirstOrDefault(p => p.ID.ToLowerInvariant() == id); }
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Editor/ActorEditLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Editor/ActorEditLogic.cs
index 3fb6c68f07..d2453ad5dc 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Editor/ActorEditLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Editor/ActorEditLogic.cs
@@ -122,8 +122,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Widgets.Logic
 				var actorId = actorIDField.Text.ToLowerInvariant();
 				if (CurrentActor.ID.ToLowerInvariant() != actorId)
 				{
-					var found = world.Map.ActorDefinitions.Any(x => x.Key.ToLowerInvariant() == actorId);
-					if (found)
+					if (editorActorLayer[actorId] != null)
 					{
 						nextActorIDStatus = ActorIDStatus.Duplicate;
 						return;
@@ -143,8 +142,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Widgets.Logic
 
 		void SetActorID(World world, string actorId)
 		{
-			var actorDef = world.Map.ActorDefinitions.First(x => x.Key == CurrentActor.ID);
-			actorDef.Key = actorId;
 			CurrentActor.ID = actorId;
 			nextActorIDStatus = ActorIDStatus.Normal;
 		}