diff --git a/js/id/core/history.js b/js/id/core/history.js
index e4f76aae8..f71365d37 100644
--- a/js/id/core/history.js
+++ b/js/id/core/history.js
@@ -174,7 +174,9 @@ iD.History = function(context) {
         toJSON: function() {
             if (stack.length <= 1) return;
 
-            var allEntities = {};
+            var allEntities = {},
+                baseEntities = {},
+                base = stack[0];
 
             var s = stack.map(function(i) {
                 var modified = [], deleted = [];
@@ -187,6 +189,10 @@ iD.History = function(context) {
                     } else {
                         deleted.push(id);
                     }
+                    // make sure that the originals of changed or deleted entities get merged
+                    // into the base of the stack after restoring the data from JSON.
+                    if (id in base.graph.entities && !base.graph.entities.hasOwnProperty(id))
+                        baseEntities[id] = base.graph.entities[id];
                 });
 
                 var x = {};
@@ -200,8 +206,9 @@ iD.History = function(context) {
             });
 
             return JSON.stringify({
-                version: 2,
+                version: 3,
                 entities: _.values(allEntities),
+                baseEntities: _.values(baseEntities),
                 stack: s,
                 nextIDs: iD.Entity.id.next,
                 index: index
@@ -214,13 +221,22 @@ iD.History = function(context) {
             iD.Entity.id.next = h.nextIDs;
             index = h.index;
 
-            if (h.version === 2) {
+            if (h.version === 2 || h.version === 3) {
                 var allEntities = {};
 
                 h.entities.forEach(function(entity) {
                     allEntities[iD.Entity.key(entity)] = iD.Entity(entity);
                 });
 
+                if (h.version === 3) {
+                    // this merges originals for changed entities into the base of
+                    // the stack even if the current stack doesn't have them (for
+                    // example when iD has been restarted in a different region)
+                    var baseEntities = h.baseEntities.map(iD.Entity);
+                    stack[0].graph.rebase(baseEntities, _.pluck(stack, 'graph'));
+                    tree.rebase(baseEntities);
+                }
+
                 stack = h.stack.map(function(d) {
                     var entities = {}, entity;
 
@@ -292,8 +308,6 @@ iD.History = function(context) {
 
             var json = context.storage(getKey('saved_history'));
             if (json) history.fromJSON(json);
-
-            context.storage(getKey('saved_history', null));
         },
 
         _getKey: getKey
diff --git a/test/spec/core/history.js b/test/spec/core/history.js
index 0df9fc5d8..064e286ec 100644
--- a/test/spec/core/history.js
+++ b/test/spec/core/history.js
@@ -229,13 +229,19 @@ describe("iD.History", function () {
     });
 
     describe("#toJSON", function() {
-        it("generates v2 JSON", function() {
-            var node = iD.Node({id: 'n-1'});
-            history.merge([iD.Node({id: 'n1'})]);
-            history.perform(iD.actions.AddEntity(node));
+        it("generates v3 JSON", function() {
+            var node_1 = iD.Node({id: 'n-1'}),
+                node1 = iD.Node({id: 'n1'}),
+                node2 = iD.Node({id: 'n2'}),
+                node3 = iD.Node({id: 'n3'});
+            history.merge([node1, node2, node3]);
+            history.perform(iD.actions.AddEntity(node_1)); // addition
+            history.perform(iD.actions.ChangeTags('n2', {k: 'v'})); // modification
+            history.perform(iD.actions.DeleteNode('n3')); // deletion
             var json = JSON.parse(history.toJSON());
-            expect(json.version).to.eql(2);
-            expect(json.entities).to.eql([node]);
+            expect(json.version).to.eql(3);
+            expect(json.entities).to.eql([node_1, node2.update({tags: {k: 'v'}})]);
+            expect(json.baseEntities).to.eql([node2, node3]);
         });
     });
 
@@ -350,5 +356,71 @@ describe("iD.History", function () {
             expect(history.imageryUsed()).to.eql(["Bing"]);
             expect(iD.Entity.id.next).to.eql({node: -1, way: -2, relation: -3});
         });
+
+        it("restores from v3 JSON (creation)", function() {
+            var json = {
+                "version": 3,
+                "entities": [
+                    {"loc": [1, 2], "id": "n-1"}
+                ],
+                "baseEntities": [],
+                "stack": [
+                    {},
+                    {"modified": ["n-1v0"], "imageryUsed": ["Bing"], "annotation": "Added a point."}
+                ],
+                "nextIDs": {"node": -2, "way": -1, "relation": -1},
+                "index": 1
+            };
+            history.fromJSON(JSON.stringify(json));
+            expect(history.graph().entity('n-1')).to.eql(iD.Node({id: 'n-1', loc: [1, 2]}));
+            expect(history.undoAnnotation()).to.eql("Added a point.");
+            expect(history.imageryUsed()).to.eql(["Bing"]);
+            expect(iD.Entity.id.next).to.eql({node: -2, way: -1, relation: -1});
+            expect(history.difference().created().length).to.eql(1);
+        });
+
+        it("restores from v3 JSON (modification)", function() {
+            var json = {
+                "version": 3,
+                "entities": [
+                    {"loc": [1, 2], "id": "n-1"},
+                    {"loc": [2, 3], "id": "n-1", "v": 1}
+                ],
+                "baseEntities": [{"loc": [1, 2], "id": "n-1"}],
+                "stack": [
+                    {},
+                    {"modified": ["n-1v0"], "imageryUsed": ["Bing"], "annotation": "Added a point."},
+                    {"modified": ["n-1v1"], "imageryUsed": ["Bing"], "annotation": "Moved a point."}
+                ],
+                "nextIDs": {"node": -2, "way": -1, "relation": -1},
+                "index": 2
+            };
+            history.fromJSON(JSON.stringify(json));
+            expect(history.graph().entity('n-1')).to.eql(iD.Node({id: 'n-1', loc: [2, 3], v: 1}));
+            expect(history.undoAnnotation()).to.eql("Moved a point.");
+            expect(history.imageryUsed()).to.eql(["Bing"]);
+            expect(iD.Entity.id.next).to.eql({node: -2, way: -1, relation: -1});
+            expect(history.difference().modified().length).to.eql(1);
+        });
+
+        it("restores from v3 JSON (deletion)", function() {
+            var json = {
+                "version": 3,
+                "entities": [],
+                "baseEntities": [{"loc": [1, 2], "id": "n1"}],
+                "stack": [
+                    {},
+                    {"deleted": ["n1"], "imageryUsed": ["Bing"], "annotation": "Deleted a point."}
+                ],
+                "nextIDs": {"node": -1, "way": -2, "relation": -3},
+                "index": 1
+            };
+            history.fromJSON(JSON.stringify(json));
+            expect(history.graph().hasEntity('n1')).to.be.undefined;
+            expect(history.undoAnnotation()).to.eql("Deleted a point.");
+            expect(history.imageryUsed()).to.eql(["Bing"]);
+            expect(iD.Entity.id.next).to.eql({node: -1, way: -2, relation: -3});
+            expect(history.difference().deleted().length).to.eql(1);
+        });
     });
 });