diff --git a/include/openmc/cell.h b/include/openmc/cell.h
index bef55690a..0738fe9aa 100644
--- a/include/openmc/cell.h
+++ b/include/openmc/cell.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class DAGUniverse : public Universe {
 
 public:
   explicit DAGUniverse(pugi::xml_node node);
-  explicit DAGUniverse(const std::string& filename);
+  explicit DAGUniverse(const std::string& filename, bool auto_ids = false);
 
   void initialize(); //!< Sets up the DAGMC instance and OpenMC internals
 
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ public:
   std::shared_ptr<moab::DagMC> dagmc_instance_; //! DAGMC Instance for this universe
   int32_t cell_idx_offset_;
   int32_t surf_idx_offset_;
+  bool adjust_ids_;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/openmc/universe.py b/openmc/universe.py
index f71aec664..f7ae0390a 100644
--- a/openmc/universe.py
+++ b/openmc/universe.py
@@ -652,12 +652,16 @@ class DAGMCUniverse(UniverseBase):
         Name of the universe
     filename : str
         Path to the DAGMC file used to represent this universe.
+    auto_ids : bool
+        Set IDs automatically on initialization (True) or report overlaps
+        in ID space between CSG and DAGMC (False)
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, filename, universe_id=None, name=''):
+    def __init__(self, filename, universe_id=None, name='', auto_ids=False):
         super().__init__(universe_id, name)
         # Initialize class attributes
         self.filename = filename
+        self.auto_ids = auto_ids
 
     def __repr__(self):
         fmt_str = '{: <16}=\t{}\n'
@@ -672,9 +676,18 @@ class DAGMCUniverse(UniverseBase):
 
     @filename.setter
     def filename(self, val):
-        cv.check_type('DAGMC file', val, str)
+        cv.check_type('DAGMC filename', val, str)
         self._filename = val
 
+    @property
+    def auto_ids(self):
+        return self._auto_ids
+
+    @auto_ids.setter
+    def auto_ids(self, val):
+        cv.check_type('DAGMC auto ids', val, bool)
+        self._auto_ids = val
+
     def clone(self, clone_materials=True, clone_regions=True, memo=None):
         pass
 
@@ -693,5 +706,7 @@ class DAGMCUniverse(UniverseBase):
         dagmc_element = ET.Element('dagmc')
         dagmc_element.set('id', str(self.id))
         dagmc_element.set('name', self.name)
+        if self.auto_ids:
+            dagmc_element.set('auto_ids', 'true')
         dagmc_element.set('filename', self.filename)
         xml_element.append(dagmc_element)
diff --git a/src/cell.cpp b/src/cell.cpp
index eba407ed9..39f736157 100644
--- a/src/cell.cpp
+++ b/src/cell.cpp
@@ -1026,7 +1026,6 @@ void read_cells(pugi::xml_node node)
     model::cells.push_back(make_unique<CSGCell>(cell_node));
   }
 
-  read_dagmc_universes(node);
 
   // Fill the cell map.
   for (int i = 0; i < model::cells.size(); i++) {
@@ -1039,6 +1038,8 @@ void read_cells(pugi::xml_node node)
     }
   }
 
+  read_dagmc_universes(node);
+
   // Populate the Universe vector and map.
   for (int i = 0; i < model::cells.size(); i++) {
     int32_t uid = model::cells[i]->universe_;
diff --git a/src/dagmc.cpp b/src/dagmc.cpp
index 8768eac1b..6e9aac266 100644
--- a/src/dagmc.cpp
+++ b/src/dagmc.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,46 @@ std::string dagmc_file() {
   return filename;
 }
 
+std::string dagmc_ids_for_dim(std::shared_ptr<moab::DagMC>& dagmc_instance,
+                              int dim) {
+  // generate a vector of ids
+  std::vector<int> id_vec;
+  int n_cells = dagmc_instance->num_entities(dim);
+  for (int i = 1; i <= n_cells; i++) {
+    id_vec.push_back(dagmc_instance->id_by_index(dim, i));
+  }
+
+  // sort the vector of ids
+  std::sort(id_vec.begin(), id_vec.end());
+
+  // generate a string representation of the range
+  std::stringstream out;
+
+  int i = 0;
+  int start_id = id_vec[0];
+  int stop_id;
+  while (i < n_cells) {
+    stop_id = id_vec[i];
+
+    if (id_vec[i + 1] > stop_id + 1) {
+      if (start_id != stop_id) {
+        // there are several IDs in a row, print condensed version
+        out << start_id << "-" << stop_id;
+      } else {
+        // only one ID in this contiguous block
+        out << start_id;
+      }
+      if (i < n_cells - 1) { out << ", "; }
+      start_id = id_vec[++i];
+      stop_id = start_id;
+    }
+
+    i++;
+  }
+
+  return out.str();
+}
+
 bool get_uwuw_materials_xml(std::string& s) {
   std::string filename = dagmc_file();
   UWUW uwuw(filename.c_str());
@@ -168,10 +208,15 @@ DAGUniverse::DAGUniverse(pugi::xml_node node) {
     fatal_error("Must specify a file for the DAGMC universe");
   }
 
+  adjust_ids_ = false;
+  if (check_for_node(node, "auto_ids")) {
+    adjust_ids_ = get_node_value_bool(node, "auto_ids");
+  }
   initialize();
 }
 
-DAGUniverse::DAGUniverse(const std::string& filename): filename_(filename) {
+DAGUniverse::DAGUniverse(const std::string& filename, bool auto_ids)
+: filename_(filename), adjust_ids_(auto_ids) {
   // determine the next universe id
   int32_t next_univ_id = 0;
   for (const auto& u : model::universes) {
@@ -249,13 +294,21 @@ void DAGUniverse::initialize() {
     // set cell ids using global IDs
     DAGCell* c = new DAGCell();
     c->dag_index_ = i + 1;
-    std::cout << "Cell id: " << next_cell_id << std::endl;
-    c->id_ = next_cell_id++;
-    // c->id_ = model::DAG->id_by_index(3, c->dag_index_);
+    c->id_ = adjust_ids_ ? next_cell_id++ : dagmc_instance_->id_by_index(3, c->dag_index_);
     c->dagmc_ptr_ = dagmc_instance_;
     c->universe_ = id_; // set to zero for now
     c->fill_ = C_NONE; // no fill, single universe
 
+
+   auto in_map = model::cell_map.find(c->id_);
+    if (in_map == model::cell_map.end()) {
+      model::cell_map[c->id_] = model::cells.size();
+    } else {
+      warning(fmt::format("DAGMC Cell IDs: {}", dagmc_ids_for_dim(dagmc_instance_, 3)));
+      fatal_error(fmt::format("Cell ID {} exists in both DAGMC Universe {} "
+                              "and the CSG geometry.", c->id_, this->id_));
+    }
+
     model::cells.emplace_back(c);
 
     // MATERIALS
@@ -334,8 +387,7 @@ void DAGUniverse::initialize() {
     // set cell ids using global IDs
     DAGSurface* s = new DAGSurface();
     s->dag_index_ = i+1;
-    s->id_ = next_surf_id++;
-    // s->id_ = dagmc_instance_->id_by_index(2, i+1);
+    s->id_ = adjust_ids_ ? next_surf_id++ : dagmc_instance_->id_by_index(2, i+1);
     s->dagmc_ptr_ = dagmc_instance_;
 
     // set BCs
@@ -372,8 +424,9 @@ void DAGUniverse::initialize() {
     if (in_map == model::surface_map.end()) {
       model::surface_map[s->id_] = model::surfaces.size();
     } else {
-            fatal_error(fmt::format(
-        "Two or more surfaces use the same unique ID: {}", s->id_));
+      warning(fmt::format("DAGMC Surface IDs: {}", dagmc_ids_for_dim(dagmc_instance_, 2)));
+      fatal_error(fmt::format("Surface ID {} exists in both Universe {} "
+                              "and the CSG geometry.", s->id_, this->id_));
     }
     model::surfaces.emplace_back(s);
 
@@ -427,12 +480,10 @@ int32_t create_dagmc_universe(const std::string& filename) {
   moab::EntityHandle graveyard = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < n_cells; i++) {
     moab::EntityHandle vol_handle = model::DAG->entity_by_index(3, i+1);
-
     // set cell ids using global IDs
     DAGCell* c = new DAGCell();
     c->dag_index_ = i+1;
     c->id_ = model::DAG->id_by_index(3, c->dag_index_);
-    std::cout << "Cell id: " << c->id_ << std::endl;
     c->dagmc_ptr_ = model::DAG;
     c->universe_ = dagmc_univ_id; // set to zero for now
     c->fill_ = C_NONE; // no fill, single universe