diff --git a/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/helpers/each.js b/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/helpers/each.js
index 53eb7418fa3..cb2912dec87 100644
--- a/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/helpers/each.js
+++ b/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/helpers/each.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { get } from "ember-metal/property_get";
 import { forEach } from "ember-metal/enumerable_utils";
+import { guidFor } from "ember-metal/utils";
 import normalizeSelf from "ember-htmlbars/utils/normalize-self";
 import shouldDisplay from "ember-views/streams/should_display";
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ import shouldDisplay from "ember-views/streams/should_display";
   ```
 
   ```handlebars
-  {{#each developers as |person|}}
+  {{#each developers key="name" as |person|}}
     {{person.name}}
     {{! `this` is whatever it was outside the #each }}
   {{/each}}
@@ -28,11 +29,35 @@ import shouldDisplay from "ember-views/streams/should_display";
   ```
 
   ```handlebars
-  {{#each developerNames as |name|}}
+  {{#each developerNames key="@index" as |name|}}
     {{name}}
   {{/each}}
   ```
 
+  ### `key` param
+
+  The `key` hash parameter provides much needed insight into how the rendering
+  engine should determine if a given iteration of the loop matches a previous one.
+  This is mostly apparent during re-rendering when the array being iterated may
+  have changed (via sort, removal, addition, etc).
+
+  For example, using the following:
+
+  ```handlebars
+  {{#each model key="id" as |item|}}
+  {{/each}}
+  ```
+
+  Upon re-render, the rendering engine will match up the previously rendered items
+  (and reorder the generated DOM elements) based on each item's `id` property.
+
+  There are a few special values for `key`:
+
+    * `@index` - The index of the item in the array.
+    * `@item` - The item in the array itself.  This can only be used for arrays of strings
+      or numbers.
+    * `@guid` - Generate a unique identifier for each object (uses `Ember.guidFor`).
+
   ### {{else}} condition
 
   `{{#each}}` can have a matching `{{else}}`. The contents of this block will render
@@ -67,7 +92,25 @@ export default function eachHelper(params, hash, blocks) {
         self = normalizeSelf(item);
       }
 
-      var key = keyPath ? get(item, keyPath) : String(i);
+      var key;
+      switch (keyPath) {
+      case '@index':
+        key = i;
+        break;
+      case '@guid':
+        key = guidFor(item);
+        break;
+      case '@item':
+        key = item;
+        break;
+      default:
+        key = keyPath ? get(item, keyPath) : i;
+      }
+
+      if (typeof key === 'number') {
+        key = String(key);
+      }
+
       blocks.template.yieldItem(key, [item, i], self);
     });
   } else if (blocks.inverse.yield) {
diff --git a/packages/ember-htmlbars/tests/helpers/each_test.js b/packages/ember-htmlbars/tests/helpers/each_test.js
index e108ac32f1c..947b5681f98 100644
--- a/packages/ember-htmlbars/tests/helpers/each_test.js
+++ b/packages/ember-htmlbars/tests/helpers/each_test.js
@@ -1144,5 +1144,87 @@ QUnit.test("context switching deprecation is printed when no items are present",
   assertHTML(view, "Nothing");
 });
 
+QUnit.test('a string key can be used with {{each}}', function() {
+  runDestroy(view);
+  view = EmberView.create({
+    items: [
+      { id: 'foo' },
+      { id: 'bar' },
+      { id: 'baz' }
+    ],
+    template: compile("{{#each view.items key='id' as |item|}}{{item.id}}{{/each}}")
+  });
+
+  runAppend(view);
+
+  equal(view.$().text(), 'foobarbaz');
+});
+
+QUnit.test('a numeric key can be used with {{each}}', function() {
+  runDestroy(view);
+  view = EmberView.create({
+    items: [
+      { id: 1 },
+      { id: 2 },
+      { id: 3 }
+    ],
+    template: compile("{{#each view.items key='id' as |item|}}{{item.id}}{{/each}}")
+  });
+
+  runAppend(view);
+
+  equal(view.$().text(), '123');
+});
+
+QUnit.test('can specify `@index` to represent the items index in the array being iterated', function() {
+  runDestroy(view);
+  view = EmberView.create({
+    items: [
+      { id: 1 },
+      { id: 2 },
+      { id: 3 }
+    ],
+    template: compile("{{#each view.items key='@index' as |item|}}{{item.id}}{{/each}}")
+  });
+
+  runAppend(view);
+
+  equal(view.$().text(), '123');
+});
+
+QUnit.test('can specify `@guid` to represent the items GUID', function() {
+  runDestroy(view);
+  view = EmberView.create({
+    items: [
+      { id: 1 },
+      { id: 2 },
+      { id: 3 }
+    ],
+    template: compile("{{#each view.items key='@guid' as |item|}}{{item.id}}{{/each}}")
+  });
+
+  runAppend(view);
+
+  equal(view.$().text(), '123');
+});
+
+QUnit.test('can specify `@item` to represent primitive items', function() {
+  runDestroy(view);
+  view = EmberView.create({
+    items: [1, 2, 3],
+    template: compile("{{#each view.items key='@item' as |item|}}{{item}}{{/each}}")
+  });
+
+  runAppend(view);
+
+  equal(view.$().text(), '123');
+
+  run(function() {
+    set(view, 'items', ['foo', 'bar', 'baz']);
+  });
+
+  equal(view.$().text(), 'foobarbaz');
+});
+
 testEachWithItem("{{#each foo in bar}}", false);
 testEachWithItem("{{#each bar as |foo|}}", true);