diff --git a/sanitiser/_ids.js b/sanitiser/_ids.js
index 73f9d68a..47c95ad6 100644
--- a/sanitiser/_ids.js
+++ b/sanitiser/_ids.js
@@ -45,7 +45,13 @@ function sanitizeId(rawId, messages) {
     return;
   }
 
-  var types = type_mapping.source_and_layer_to_type(source, layer);
+  //TODO: remove this once we have a better set of layers for Geonames
+  var types;
+  if (source === 'gn' || source === 'geonames') {
+    types = ['geoname'];
+  } else {
+    types = type_mapping.source_and_layer_to_type(source, layer);
+  }
 
   return {
     id: id,
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitiser/_ids.js b/test/unit/sanitiser/_ids.js
index 98237180..40af368f 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitiser/_ids.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitiser/_ids.js
@@ -122,6 +122,34 @@ module.exports.tests.valid_ids = function(test, common) {
   });
 };
 
+module.exports.tests.geonames = function(test, common) {
+  test('geonames venue maps correctly as normal', function(t) {
+    var raw = { ids: 'geonames:venue:15' };
+    var clean = {};
+
+    var messages = sanitize( raw, clean);
+
+    var expected_clean = { ids: [ { id: '15', types: [ 'geoname' ] } ] };
+    t.deepEqual( messages.errors, [], 'no errors' );
+    t.deepEqual( messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings' );
+    t.deepEqual(clean, expected_clean, 'clean set correctly');
+    t.end();
+  });
+
+  test('arbitrary geonames layer maps to geoname type', function(t) {
+    var raw = { ids: 'geonames:address:16' }; // geonames technically has no address records!
+    var clean = {};
+
+    var messages = sanitize( raw, clean);
+
+    var expected_clean = { ids: [ { id: '16', types: [ 'geoname' ] } ] };
+    t.deepEqual( messages.errors, [], 'no errors' );
+    t.deepEqual( messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings' );
+    t.deepEqual(clean, expected_clean, 'clean set correctly');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
 module.exports.tests.multiple_ids = function(test, common) {
   test('multiple ids', function(t) {
     var raw = { ids: 'geonames:venue:1,osm:venue:2' };