diff --git a/sdk/python/core/tests/test_sanity_delete.py b/sdk/python/core/tests/test_sanity_delete.py
index 6dc09fb3d..383b779db 100644
--- a/sdk/python/core/tests/test_sanity_delete.py
+++ b/sdk/python/core/tests/test_sanity_delete.py
@@ -148,6 +148,23 @@ def test_delete_on_leaflist(self):
         del runner_left.ytypes.built_in_t.llstring[3]
         self.assertEqual(is_equal(runner_read, runner_create), True)
 
+    def test_delete_on_list_with_identitykey(self):
+        runner = ysanity.Runner()
+        
+        a1 = ysanity.Runner.OneList.IdentityList()
+        a1.config.id = ysanity.ChildIdentityIdentity()
+        a1.id_ref =  a1.config.id
+        runner.one_list.identity_list.extend([a1])
+        
+        self.crud.create(self.ncc, runner)
+        
+        empty_runner = ysanity.Runner()
+        runner_read = self.crud.read(self.ncc, empty_runner)
+        self.crud.delete(self.ncc, runner_read.one_list.identity_list)
+        runner_read = self.crud.read(self.ncc, empty_runner)
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(runner_read.one_list.identity_list), 0)
+
     def test_delete_operation_on_container(self):
         # create runner with a container
         runner_create = ysanity.Runner()
diff --git a/sdk/python/core/ydk/providers/_provider_plugin.py b/sdk/python/core/ydk/providers/_provider_plugin.py
index 89caeafa5..2c9115b1f 100644
--- a/sdk/python/core/ydk/providers/_provider_plugin.py
+++ b/sdk/python/core/ydk/providers/_provider_plugin.py
@@ -349,6 +349,12 @@ def _match_list_key(self, root, entity):
             key_value = getattr(entity, key.presentation_name)
             if key.mtype == REFERENCE_ENUM_CLASS:
                 key_value = key_value.name.replace('_', '-').lower()
+            elif key.mtype == REFERENCE_IDENTITY_CLASS:
+                identity_inst = getattr(entity, key.presentation_name)
+                if _yang_ns._namespaces[key.module_name] == _yang_ns._namespaces[identity_inst._meta_info().module_name]:
+                    key_value = identity_inst._meta_info().yang_name
+                else:
+                    key_value = 'idx:%s' % identity_inst._meta_info().yang_name
             key_value = str(key_value)
             for ch in chs:
                 if key.name == ch.tag and key_value == ch.text:
diff --git a/yang/ydktest/ydktest-sanity@2015-11-17.yang b/yang/ydktest/ydktest-sanity@2015-11-17.yang
index 6f557b0a2..e72dbd647 100644
--- a/yang/ydktest/ydktest-sanity@2015-11-17.yang
+++ b/yang/ydktest/ydktest-sanity@2015-11-17.yang
@@ -453,7 +453,29 @@ module ydktest-sanity {
           type string;
         }
       }
+      
+      list identity-list {
+        description "one list data";
+        key "id-ref";
+        max-elements 5;
+        leaf id-ref {
+          description "leafref key";
+          type leafref {
+            path "../config/id";
+          }
+        }
+
+        container config {
+          leaf id{
+            description "base id id ref";
+            type identityref {
+              base base-identity;
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
+  
   }