Abstract. We define a criterion for a homogeneous, complete metric structure X that implies that the automorphism group Aut(X) satisfies all the main consequences of the existence of ample generics: it has the automatic continuity property, the small index property, and uncountable cofinality for non-open subgroups. Then we verify it for the Urysohn space Í, the Lebesgue probability measure algebra MALG, and the Hilbert space ℓ2, thus proving that Iso(Í), Aut(MALG), U (ℓ2), and O(ℓ2) share these properties. We also formulate a condition for X which implies that every homomorphism of Aut(X) into a separable group K with a left-invariant, complete metric, is trivial, and we verify it for Í, and ℓ2.