diff --git a/connect/README.md b/connect/README.md
index 8d29ae584..b95a85864 100644
--- a/connect/README.md
+++ b/connect/README.md
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ const messageId = await message({
 
 > Optional: Pass `returnAssignmentSlot: true` to `message` to get the scheduled slot of this message
 
+> Optional: Pass `returnMessageId: true` with `returnAssignmentSlot: true` to return both values as `{ slot, id }`
+
 > You can pass a 32 byte `anchor` to `message` which will be set on the DataItem
 
 #### `signMessage`
diff --git a/connect/package.json b/connect/package.json
index 25a6cb982..0818028d3 100644
--- a/connect/package.json
+++ b/connect/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@permaweb/aoconnect",
-  "version": "0.0.94",
+  "version": "0.0.95",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/permaweb/ao.git",
diff --git a/connect/src/client/ao-core.js b/connect/src/client/ao-core.js
index ebf4aa102..0dc8116ee 100644
--- a/connect/src/client/ao-core.js
+++ b/connect/src/client/ao-core.js
@@ -44,6 +44,26 @@ const getTags = (args) =>
 
 const getData = (args) => args.data ?? '1984'
 
+const getMessageId = (response, parsedResponse) =>
+  parsedResponse.id ??
+  parsedResponse.messageId ??
+  parsedResponse.message?.id ??
+  response.headers?.get?.('id') ??
+  response.headers?.get?.('message')
+
+const getMessageResponse = ({ response, parsedResponse, returnAssignmentSlot, returnMessageId }) => {
+  const slot = parsedResponse.slot
+
+  if (returnMessageId) {
+    const id = getMessageId(response, parsedResponse)
+    if (!id) throw new Error('Message id not found in response')
+    if (returnAssignmentSlot) return { slot, id }
+    return id
+  }
+
+  return slot
+}
+
 export function requestWith(deps) {
   return async (args) => {
     try {
@@ -126,7 +146,14 @@ export function messageWith(deps) {
         const parsedResponse = await response.json()
 
         if (args.opts?.fullResponse) return normalizeOutput(parsedResponse)
-        else return parsedResponse.slot
+        else {
+          return getMessageResponse({
+            response,
+            parsedResponse,
+            returnAssignmentSlot: args.returnAssignmentSlot,
+            returnMessageId: args.returnMessageId
+          })
+        }
       }
       else throw new Error('Error sending message')
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/connect/src/client/ao-core.unit.test.js b/connect/src/client/ao-core.unit.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a21fa530f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/connect/src/client/ao-core.unit.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { describe, test } from 'node:test'
+import * as assert from 'node:assert'
+
+import { messageWith } from './ao-core.js'
+
+function responseWith (body, headers = {}) {
+  return {
+    ok: true,
+    headers: {
+      get: (name) => headers[name] ?? headers[name.toLowerCase()] ?? null
+    },
+    json: async () => body
+  }
+}
+
+function createMessage (body, headers) {
+  return messageWith({
+    aoCore: {
+      request: async () => responseWith(body, headers)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+describe('ao-core message', () => {
+  test('returns the assignment slot by default', async () => {
+    const message = createMessage({ slot: 42, id: 'message-123' })
+
+    const res = await message({ process: 'process-asdf' })
+
+    assert.equal(res, 42)
+  })
+
+  test('returns the message id when returnMessageId is true', async () => {
+    const message = createMessage({ slot: 42, id: 'message-123' })
+
+    const res = await message({
+      process: 'process-asdf',
+      returnMessageId: true
+    })
+
+    assert.equal(res, 'message-123')
+  })
+
+  test('returns slot and id when returnAssignmentSlot and returnMessageId are true', async () => {
+    const message = createMessage({ slot: 42, id: 'message-123' })
+
+    const res = await message({
+      process: 'process-asdf',
+      returnAssignmentSlot: true,
+      returnMessageId: true
+    })
+
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(res, {
+      slot: 42,
+      id: 'message-123'
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/connect/src/dal.js b/connect/src/dal.js
index f15e46f29..2ec3371fc 100644
--- a/connect/src/dal.js
+++ b/connect/src/dal.js
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ export const deployMessageSchema = z.function()
     tags: z.array(tagSchema),
     anchor: z.string().optional(),
     signer: z.any().nullish(),
-    returnAssignmentSlot: z.boolean().optional()
+    returnAssignmentSlot: z.boolean().optional(),
+    returnMessageId: z.boolean().optional()
   }))
   .returns(z.promise(
     z.object({
diff --git a/connect/src/lib/message/index.js b/connect/src/lib/message/index.js
index 433777f27..1353a1a6f 100644
--- a/connect/src/lib/message/index.js
+++ b/connect/src/lib/message/index.js
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ import { prepareMessageWith, sendSignedMessageWith, uploadMessageWith } from './
  * @property {{ name: string, value: string }[]} [tags]
  * @property {string} [anchor]
  * @property {Types['signer']} [signer]
+ * @property {boolean} [returnAssignmentSlot]
+ * @property {boolean} [returnMessageId]
  *
  * @callback SendMessage
  * @param {SendMessageArgs} args
- * @returns {Promise<string>} the id of the data item that represents this message
+ * @returns {Promise<string | { slot: string, id: string }>} the id of the data item that represents this message, the assignment slot, or both
  *
  * @param {Env1} - the environment
  * @returns {SendMessage}
@@ -26,10 +28,20 @@ import { prepareMessageWith, sendSignedMessageWith, uploadMessageWith } from './
 export function messageWith (env) {
   const uploadMessage = uploadMessageWith(env)
 
-  return ({ process, data, tags, anchor, signer, returnAssignmentSlot }) => {
-    return of({ id: process, data, tags, anchor, signer, returnAssignmentSlot })
+  return ({ process, data, tags, anchor, signer, returnAssignmentSlot, returnMessageId }) => {
+    return of({ id: process, data, tags, anchor, signer, returnAssignmentSlot, returnMessageId })
       .chain(uploadMessage)
-      .map((ctx) => returnAssignmentSlot ? ctx.assignmentSlot.toString() : ctx.messageId)
+      .map((ctx) => {
+        const id = ctx.messageId
+
+        if (returnAssignmentSlot) {
+          const slot = ctx.assignmentSlot.toString()
+          if (returnMessageId) return { slot, id }
+          return slot
+        }
+
+        return id
+      })
       .bimap(errFrom, identity)
       .toPromise()
   }
@@ -57,4 +69,4 @@ export function signedMessageWith (env) {
       .bimap(errFrom, identity)
       .toPromise()
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/connect/src/lib/message/index.test.js b/connect/src/lib/message/index.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2ebbae044
--- /dev/null
+++ b/connect/src/lib/message/index.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { describe, test } from 'node:test'
+import * as assert from 'node:assert'
+
+import { createLogger } from '../../logger.js'
+import { messageWith } from './index.js'
+
+const logger = createLogger('message')
+
+function createMessage (deployMessage) {
+  return messageWith({ deployMessage, logger })
+}
+
+describe('message', () => {
+  test('returns the message id by default', async () => {
+    const message = createMessage(async ({ returnMessageId }) => {
+      assert.equal(returnMessageId, undefined)
+      return { messageId: 'data-item-123', assignmentSlot: '42' }
+    })
+
+    const res = await message({
+      process: 'process-asdf',
+      signer: () => {}
+    })
+
+    assert.equal(res, 'data-item-123')
+  })
+
+  test('returns the assignment slot when returnAssignmentSlot is true', async () => {
+    const message = createMessage(async ({ returnAssignmentSlot }) => {
+      assert.equal(returnAssignmentSlot, true)
+      return { messageId: 'data-item-123', assignmentSlot: '42' }
+    })
+
+    const res = await message({
+      process: 'process-asdf',
+      signer: () => {},
+      returnAssignmentSlot: true
+    })
+
+    assert.equal(res, '42')
+  })
+
+  test('returns slot and id when returnAssignmentSlot and returnMessageId are true', async () => {
+    const message = createMessage(async ({ returnAssignmentSlot, returnMessageId }) => {
+      assert.equal(returnAssignmentSlot, true)
+      assert.equal(returnMessageId, true)
+      return { messageId: 'data-item-123', assignmentSlot: '42' }
+    })
+
+    const res = await message({
+      process: 'process-asdf',
+      signer: () => {},
+      returnAssignmentSlot: true,
+      returnMessageId: true
+    })
+
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(res, {
+      slot: '42',
+      id: 'data-item-123'
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/connect/src/lib/message/upload-message.js b/connect/src/lib/message/upload-message.js
index eacdb6a53..e8416b50b 100644
--- a/connect/src/lib/message/upload-message.js
+++ b/connect/src/lib/message/upload-message.js
@@ -115,14 +115,15 @@ export function uploadMessageWith (env) {
     return of(ctx)
       .chain(buildTags)
       .chain(buildData)
-      .chain(fromPromise(({ id, data, tags, anchor, signer, returnAssignmentSlot }) => {
+      .chain(fromPromise(({ id, data, tags, anchor, signer, returnAssignmentSlot, returnMessageId }) => {
         return deployMessage({
           processId: id,
           data,
           tags,
           anchor,
           signer: signerSchema.implement(signer || env.signer),
-          returnAssignmentSlot
+          returnAssignmentSlot,
+          returnMessageId
         })
       }))
       .map(res => ({