diff --git a/blueprintcompiler/language/gobject_object.py b/blueprintcompiler/language/gobject_object.py
index 1dbbce5..9eeae3d 100644
--- a/blueprintcompiler/language/gobject_object.py
+++ b/blueprintcompiler/language/gobject_object.py
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ from .response_id import ExtResponse
 from .types import ClassName, ConcreteClassName
 
 
+RESERVED_IDS = {"this", "self", "template", "true", "false", "null", "none"}
+
+
 class ObjectContent(AstNode):
     grammar = ["{", Until(OBJECT_CONTENT_HOOKS, "}")]
 
@@ -73,6 +76,11 @@ class Object(AstNode):
             if child.response_id
         ]
 
+    @validate("id")
+    def object_id_not_reserved(self):
+        if self.id in RESERVED_IDS:
+            raise CompileWarning(f"{self.id} may be a confusing object ID")
+
 
 def validate_parent_type(node, ns: str, name: str, err_msg: str):
     parent = node.root.gir.get_type(name, ns)
diff --git a/blueprintcompiler/language/gtk_menu.py b/blueprintcompiler/language/gtk_menu.py
index 707b072..b9de906 100644
--- a/blueprintcompiler/language/gtk_menu.py
+++ b/blueprintcompiler/language/gtk_menu.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from blueprintcompiler.language.values import StringValue
 
 from .common import *
 from .contexts import ValueTypeCtx
+from .gobject_object import RESERVED_IDS
 
 
 class Menu(AstNode):
@@ -47,6 +48,11 @@ class Menu(AstNode):
         if self.tokens["tag"] == "menu" and self.tokens["id"] is None:
             raise CompileError("Menu requires an ID")
 
+    @validate("id")
+    def object_id_not_reserved(self):
+        if self.id in RESERVED_IDS:
+            raise CompileWarning(f"{self.id} may be a confusing object ID")
+
 
 class MenuAttribute(AstNode):
     tag_name = "attribute"