diff --git a/pymongo/objectid.py b/pymongo/objectid.py
index 36a463e1a..0196e8eec 100644
--- a/pymongo/objectid.py
+++ b/pymongo/objectid.py
@@ -65,6 +65,25 @@ class ObjectId(object):
         else:
             raise TypeError("id must be an instance of (str, ObjectId), not %s" % type(oid))
 
+    def url_encode(self):
+        """Get a string representation of this ObjectId safe for use in a url.
+
+        The reverse can be achieved using `url_decode()`.
+        """
+        return self.__id.encode("hex")
+
+    @classmethod
+    def url_decode(cls, encoded_oid):
+        """Create an ObjectId from an encoded hex string.
+
+        The reverse can be achieved using `url_encode()`.
+
+        :Parameters:
+        - `encoded_oid`: string encoding of an ObjectId (as created
+          by `url_encode()`)
+        """
+        return cls(encoded_oid.decode("hex"))
+
     def __str__(self):
         return self.__id
 
diff --git a/test/test_objectid.py b/test/test_objectid.py
index 10f0555ca..b3869dab7 100644
--- a/test/test_objectid.py
+++ b/test/test_objectid.py
@@ -50,5 +50,14 @@ class TestObjectId(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertNotEqual(ObjectId(), ObjectId())
         self.assertNotEqual(ObjectId("123456789012"), "123456789012")
 
+    def test_url(self):
+        a = ObjectId("123456789012")
+        self.assertEqual(a.url_encode(), "313233343536373839303132")
+        self.assertEqual(a, ObjectId.url_decode("313233343536373839303132"))
+
+        b = ObjectId()
+        encoded = b.url_encode()
+        self.assertEqual(b, ObjectId.url_decode(encoded))
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()