diff --git a/src/Sluggable/SluggableListener.php b/src/Sluggable/SluggableListener.php
index f0b8590807..a1bda53a95 100644
--- a/src/Sluggable/SluggableListener.php
+++ b/src/Sluggable/SluggableListener.php
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ public function prePersist(EventArgs $args)
         if ($config = $this->getConfiguration($om, $meta->getName())) {
             foreach ($config['slugs'] as $slugField => $options) {
                 if ($meta->isIdentifier($slugField)) {
-                    $meta->getReflectionProperty($slugField)->setValue($object, '__id__');
+                    $meta->getReflectionProperty($slugField)->setValue($object, uniqid('__sluggable_placeholder__'));
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ private function generateSlug(SluggableAdapter $ea, object $object): void
             $slug = $meta->getReflectionProperty($slugField)->getValue($object);
 
             // if slug should not be updated, skip it
-            if (!$options['updatable'] && !$isInsert && (!isset($changeSet[$slugField]) || '__id__' === $slug)) {
+            if (!$options['updatable'] && !$isInsert && (!isset($changeSet[$slugField]) || 0 === strpos($slug, '__sluggable_placeholder__'))) {
                 continue;
             }
             // must fetch the old slug from changeset, since $object holds the new version
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ private function generateSlug(SluggableAdapter $ea, object $object): void
             $needToChangeSlug = false;
 
             // if slug is null, regenerate it, or needs an update
-            if (null === $slug || '__id__' === $slug || !isset($changeSet[$slugField])) {
+            if (null === $slug || 0 === strpos($slug, '__sluggable_placeholder__') || !isset($changeSet[$slugField])) {
                 $slug = '';
 
                 foreach ($options['fields'] as $sluggableField) {