diff --git a/examples/advanced/scripts/ExampleGraph.js b/examples/advanced/scripts/ExampleGraph.js
index f003479d..0ed88afd 100644
--- a/examples/advanced/scripts/ExampleGraph.js
+++ b/examples/advanced/scripts/ExampleGraph.js
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 import React, { PureComponent } from 'react';
 
-import Graph, { isEdge, removeElements, getOutgoers, MiniMap, Controls } from '../../../src';
+import Graph, { isEdge, removeElements, addEdge, getOutgoers, MiniMap, Controls } from '../../../src';
 
 import SpecialNode from './SpecialNode';
 import InputNode from './InputNode';
 
 const onNodeDragStop = node => console.log('drag stop', node);
-let edgeId = 0;
-const getEdgeId = () => `edge__${edgeId++}`;
 
 class App extends PureComponent {
   constructor() {
@@ -74,9 +72,6 @@ class App extends PureComponent {
         { id: 'e6-7', source: '6', target: '7', style: { stroke: '#FFCC00' }},
       ]
     };
-
-    this.onElementClick = this.onElementClick.bind(this);
-    this.onConnect = this.onConnect.bind(this);
   }
 
   onLoad(graphInstance) {
@@ -120,14 +115,13 @@ class App extends PureComponent {
 
   onElementsRemove(elementsToRemove) {
     this.setState(prevState => ({
-      elements: removeElements(prevState.elements, elementsToRemove)
+      elements: removeElements(elementsToRemove, prevState.elements)
     }));
   }
 
   onConnect(params) {
-    console.log('connect', params);
     this.setState(prevState => ({
-      elements: prevState.elements.concat({ id: getEdgeId(), ...params })
+      elements: addEdge(params, prevState.elements)
     }));
   }
 
@@ -135,9 +129,9 @@ class App extends PureComponent {
     return (
       <Graph
         elements={this.state.elements}
-        onElementClick={this.onElementClick}
+        onElementClick={element => this.onElementClick(element)}
         onElementsRemove={elements => this.onElementsRemove(elements)}
-        onConnect={this.onConnect}
+        onConnect={params => this.onConnect(params)}
         onNodeDragStop={onNodeDragStop}
         style={{ width: '100%', height: '100%' }}
         onLoad={graphInstance => this.onLoad(graphInstance)}
diff --git a/examples/basic/scripts/ExampleGraph.js b/examples/basic/scripts/ExampleGraph.js
index 9b98b7bd..735bf849 100644
--- a/examples/basic/scripts/ExampleGraph.js
+++ b/examples/basic/scripts/ExampleGraph.js
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 import React, { PureComponent } from 'react';
 
-import Graph, { removeElements, getOutgoers } from '../../../src';
+import Graph, { removeElements, addEdge, getOutgoers } from '../../../src';
 
 const onNodeDragStop = node => console.log('drag stop', node);
 
-let edgeId = 0;
-const getEdgeId = () => `edge__${edgeId++}`;
-
 class App extends PureComponent {
   constructor() {
     super();
@@ -22,9 +19,6 @@ class App extends PureComponent {
         { id: 'e1-3', source: '1', target: '3' },
       ]
     };
-
-    this.onElementClick = this.onElementClick.bind(this);
-    this.onConnect = this.onConnect.bind(this);
   }
 
   onLoad(graphInstance) {
@@ -43,14 +37,14 @@ class App extends PureComponent {
 
   onElementsRemove(elementsToRemove) {
     this.setState(prevState => ({
-      elements: removeElements(prevState.elements, elementsToRemove)
+      elements: removeElements(elementsToRemove, prevState.elements)
     }));
   }
 
   onConnect(params) {
     console.log('connect', params);
     this.setState(prevState => ({
-      elements: prevState.elements.concat({ id: getEdgeId(), ...params })
+      elements: addEdge(params, prevState.elements)
     }));
   }
 
@@ -59,9 +53,9 @@ class App extends PureComponent {
       <Graph
         elements={this.state.elements}
         onLoad={graphInstance => this.onLoad(graphInstance)}
-        onElementClick={this.onElementClick}
+        onElementClick={element => this.onElementClick(element)}
         onElementsRemove={elements => this.onElementsRemove(elements)}
-        onConnect={this.onConnect}
+        onConnect={params => this.onConnect(params)}
         onNodeDragStop={onNodeDragStop}
         style={{ width: '100%', height: '100%' }}
         showBackground={false}
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 1a71539a..085859da 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ export {
   isNode,
   isEdge,
   removeElements,
+  addEdge,
   getOutgoers
 } from './utils/graph';
diff --git a/src/utils/graph.js b/src/utils/graph.js
index a7427099..c6c4cd57 100644
--- a/src/utils/graph.js
+++ b/src/utils/graph.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { zoomIdentity } from 'd3-zoom';
+
 import store from '../store';
+import { isDefined } from './index';
 
 export const isEdge = element => element.source && element.target;
 
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ export const getOutgoers = (node, elements) => {
   return elements.filter(e => outgoerIds.includes(e.id));
 };
 
-export const removeElements = (elements, elementsToRemove) => {
+export const removeElements = (elementsToRemove, elements) => {
   const nodeIdsToRemove = elementsToRemove.map(n => n.id);
 
   return elements.filter(e => {
@@ -26,6 +28,21 @@ export const removeElements = (elements, elementsToRemove) => {
   });
 };
 
+function getEdgeId(params) {
+  return `reactflow__edge-${params.source}-${params.target}`;
+}
+
+export const addEdge = (edgeParams, elements) => {
+  if (!edgeParams.source || !edgeParams.target) {
+    throw new Error('Can not create edge. An edge needs a source and a target');
+  }
+
+  return elements.concat({
+    ...edgeParams,
+    id: isDefined(edgeParams.id) ? edgeParams.id : getEdgeId(edgeParams)
+  });
+}
+
 const pointToRendererPoint = ({ x, y }, transform) => {
   const rendererX = (x - transform[0]) * (1 / [transform[2]]);
   const rendererY = (y - transform[1]) * (1 / [transform[2]]);
diff --git a/src/utils/index.js b/src/utils/index.js
index db8f54ec..2600fd4e 100644
--- a/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/src/utils/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 export const isFunction = obj => !!(obj && obj.constructor && obj.call && obj.apply);
 
+export const isDefined = obj => typeof obj !== 'undefined';
+
 export const inInputDOMNode = e => e && e.target && ['INPUT', 'SELECT', 'TEXTAREA'].includes(e.target.nodeName);
 
 export const getDimensions = (node = {}) => ({