diff --git a/controller/Database.py b/controller/Database.py
index 0fb3a33..c6ea4b7 100644
--- a/controller/Database.py
+++ b/controller/Database.py
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@ class Database( object ):
 
     object_id = unicode( obj.object_id ).encode( "utf8" )
     revision_id = unicode( obj.revision_id() ).encode( "utf8" )
-    secondary_id = obj.secondary_id and unicode( obj.secondary_id ).encode( "utf8" ) or None
+    secondary_id = obj.secondary_id and unicode( obj.full_secondary_id() ).encode( "utf8" ) or None
 
     # update the cache with this saved object
     self.__cache[ object_id ] = obj
     self.__cache[ revision_id ] = copy( obj )
-    if obj.secondary_id:
+    if secondary_id:
       self.__cache[ secondary_id ] = obj
 
     # set the pickler up to save persistent ids for every object except for the obj passed in, which
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class Database( object ):
     self.__db.put( revision_id, pickled )
 
     # write the pickled object id (only) to the database under its secondary id
-    if obj.secondary_id:
+    if secondary_id:
       buffer = StringIO()
       pickler = cPickle.Pickler( buffer, protocol = -1 )
       pickler.persistent_id = lambda o: self.__persistent_id( o )
diff --git a/controller/Notebooks.py b/controller/Notebooks.py
index 756b19b..1389707 100644
--- a/controller/Notebooks.py
+++ b/controller/Notebooks.py
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ class Notebooks( object ):
   @async
   def check_access( self, notebook_id, user_id, callback ):
     # check if the anonymous user has access to this notebook
-    self.__database.load( u"anonymous", self.__scheduler.thread )
+    self.__database.load( u"User anonymous", self.__scheduler.thread )
     anonymous = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
 
     access = False
diff --git a/controller/Users.py b/controller/Users.py
index bb8f58f..9d52b85 100644
--- a/controller/Users.py
+++ b/controller/Users.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class Users( object ):
     if password != password_repeat:
       raise Signup_error( u"The passwords you entered do not match. Please try again." )
 
-    self.__database.load( username, self.__scheduler.thread )
+    self.__database.load( "User %s" % username, self.__scheduler.thread )
     user = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
 
     if user is not None:
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class Users( object ):
     login_button = unicode,
   )
   def login( self, username, password, login_button ):
-    self.__database.load( username, self.__scheduler.thread )
+    self.__database.load( "User %s" % username, self.__scheduler.thread )
     user = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
 
     if user is None or user.check_password( password ) is False:
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ class Users( object ):
   )
   def current( self, user_id ):
     # if there's no logged-in user, default to the anonymous user
-    self.__database.load( user_id or u"anonymous", self.__scheduler.thread )
+    self.__database.load( user_id or u"User anonymous", self.__scheduler.thread )
     user = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
 
     if not user:
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ class Users( object ):
 
     # in addition to this user's own notebooks, add to that list the anonymous user's notebooks
     if user_id:
-      self.__database.load( u"anonymous", self.__scheduler.thread )
+      self.__database.load( u"User anonymous", self.__scheduler.thread )
       anonymous = ( yield Scheduler.SLEEP )
       notebooks = anonymous.notebooks
     else:
diff --git a/model/Persistent.py b/model/Persistent.py
index 27c21de..d344b22 100644
--- a/model/Persistent.py
+++ b/model/Persistent.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ class Persistent( object ):
   def make_revision_id( object_id, revision ):
     return "%s %s" % ( object_id, revision )
 
+  def full_secondary_id( self ):
+    return "%s %s" % ( type( self ).__name__, self.secondary_id )
+
   def to_dict( self ):
     return dict(
       object_id = self.__object_id,