diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
index 151befdc9602..14775e288a6e 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ static bool dsq_is_rq_owned(struct scx_dispatch_q *dsq)
 	}
 }
 
+/* Cursor for unique scx_sched instance ids. id 0 is reserved. */
+static atomic64_t scx_sched_id_cursor = ATOMIC64_INIT(0);
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
 /*
  * The sub sched being enabled. Used by scx_disable_and_exit_task() to exit
@@ -6502,6 +6505,7 @@ struct scx_sched *scx_alloc_and_add_sched(struct scx_enable_cmd *cmd,
 		       level * sizeof(parent->ancestors[0]));
 	sch->ancestors[level] = sch;
 	sch->level = level;
+	sch->id = atomic64_inc_return(&scx_sched_id_cursor);
 
 	if (ops->timeout_ms)
 		sch->watchdog_timeout = msecs_to_jiffies(ops->timeout_ms);
diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h b/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h
index e735812e77a5..ad98e3469b12 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h
@@ -1445,6 +1445,9 @@ struct scx_sched {
 
 	struct list_head	all;
 
+	/* unique instance id, monotonic and never reused */
+	u64			id;
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
 	struct rhash_head	hash_node;