diff --git a/README b/README
index 01b21e5..33a3d25 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ B. Test & contribute to django-uuslug: (for developers)
 
 Unicode Test Example
 =====================
-from uuslug import uuslug as slugify
+from uuslug import slugify
 
 s = "This is a test ---"
 r = slugify(s)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Uniqueness Test Example
 Override your object's save method with something like this (models.py)
 
 from django.db import models
-from uuslug import uuslug as slugify
+from uuslug import uuslug
 
 class CoolSlug(models.Model):
     name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
@@ -73,9 +73,14 @@ class CoolSlug(models.Model):
         return self.name
     
     def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        self.slug = slugify(self.name, instance=self)
+        self.slug = uuslug(self.name, instance=self)
         super(CoolSlug, self).save(*args, **kwargs)
 
+
+You can specify the start number, e.g.: the second slug should start with "-2" instead of "-1":
+    self.slug = uuslug(self.name, instance=self, start_no=2)
+
+
 Test:
 =====
  
diff --git a/uuslug/__init__.py b/uuslug/__init__.py
index 1b0beac..1ca81f8 100644
--- a/uuslug/__init__.py
+++ b/uuslug/__init__.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ pkg_resources.require("Unidecode")
 from unidecode import unidecode
 
 # only allow the import of our public APIs (UU-SLUG = Uniqure & Unicode Slug)
-__all__ = ['uuslug']
+__all__ = ['slugify', 'uuslug']
 
 
 # character entity reference
@@ -34,46 +34,10 @@ REPLACE1_REXP = re.compile(r'[\']+')
 REPLACE2_REXP = re.compile(r'[^-a-z0-9]+')
 REMOVE_REXP = re.compile('-{2,}')
 
-
-def uuslug(s, entities=True, decimal=True, hexadecimal=True,
-   instance=None, slug_field='slug', filter_dict=None):
-    """This method tries a little harder than django's django.template.defaultfilters.slugify.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    s : string
-        Explanation
-    entities: boolean, optional
-        Explanation
-    decimal : boolean, optional
-        Explanation
-    hexadecimal : boolean, optional
-        Explanation
-    instance : Model object or None, optional
-        Explanation
-    slug_field : string, optional
-        Explanation
-    filter_dict : dictionary, optional
-        Explanation
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    slug : string
-        Explanation
-
-    Examples
-    --------
-    Example usage in save method for model:
-    
-    import uuslug as slugify
-    self.slug = slugify(self.name, instance=self)
-
-    Notes
-    -----
-
-    From http://www.djangosnippets.org/snippets/369/
+def slugify(s, entities=True, decimal=True, hexadecimal=True):
+    """
+    make a slug from the given string
     """
-
     if type(s) != UnicodeType:
         s = unicode(s, 'utf-8', 'ignore')
 
@@ -110,19 +74,62 @@ def uuslug(s, entities=True, decimal=True, hexadecimal=True,
     #remove redundant -
     s = REMOVE_REXP.sub('-', s).strip('-')
 
-    slug = s
-    if instance:
-        def get_query():
-            if hasattr(instance, 'objects'):
-                raise Exception("Error: you must pass an instance to uuslug, not a model.")
-            query = instance.__class__.objects.filter(**{slug_field: slug})
-            if filter_dict:
-                query = query.filter(**filter_dict)
-            if instance.pk:
-                query = query.exclude(pk=instance.pk)
-            return query
-        counter = 1
-        while get_query():
-            slug = "%s-%s" % (s, counter)
-            counter += 1
-    return slug
+    return s
+
+
+def uuslug(s, instance, entities=True, decimal=True, hexadecimal=True,
+    slug_field='slug', filter_dict=None, start_no=1):
+    """This method tries a little harder than django's django.template.defaultfilters.slugify.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    s : string
+        Explanation
+    entities: boolean, optional
+        Explanation
+    decimal : boolean, optional
+        Explanation
+    hexadecimal : boolean, optional
+        Explanation
+    instance : Model object or None, optional
+        Explanation
+    slug_field : string, optional
+        Explanation
+    filter_dict : dictionary, optional
+        Explanation
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    slug : string
+        Explanation
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Example usage in save method for model:
+    
+    import uuslug as slugify
+    self.slug = slugify(self.name, instance=self)
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+
+    From http://www.djangosnippets.org/snippets/369/
+    """
+    if hasattr(instance, 'objects'):
+        raise Exception("Error: you must pass an instance to uuslug, not a model.")
+
+    queryset = instance.__class__.objects.all()#.only("pk", slug_field)
+    if filter_dict:
+        queryset = queryset.filter(**filter_dict)
+    if instance.pk:
+        queryset = queryset.exclude(pk=instance.pk)
+
+    slug1 = slugify(s, entities=entities, decimal=decimal, hexadecimal=hexadecimal)
+    slug2 = slug1
+
+    counter = start_no
+    while queryset.filter(**{slug_field: slug2}).exists():
+        slug2 = "%s-%s" % (slug1, counter)
+        counter += 1
+
+    return slug2
diff --git a/uuslug/models.py b/uuslug/models.py
index b2ed54c..a772a32 100644
--- a/uuslug/models.py
+++ b/uuslug/models.py
@@ -3,17 +3,30 @@ import os
 # create a database table only in unit test mode
 if os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] == 'uuslug.testsettings':
     from django.db import models
-    from uuslug import uuslug as slugify
-    
+    from uuslug import uuslug
+
+
     class CoolSlug(models.Model):
         name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
         slug = models.CharField(max_length=200)
-        
+
         def __unicode__(self):
             return self.name
-        
+
         def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
-            self.slug = slugify(self.name, instance=self)
+            self.slug = uuslug(self.name, instance=self)
             super(CoolSlug, self).save(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
+    class AnotherSlug(models.Model):
+        name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
+        slug = models.CharField(max_length=200)
+
+        def __unicode__(self):
+            return self.name
+
+        def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            self.slug = uuslug(self.name, instance=self, start_no=2)
+            super(AnotherSlug, self).save(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
diff --git a/uuslug/tests/test_uuslug.py b/uuslug/tests/test_uuslug.py
index ca2412b..5c96b98 100644
--- a/uuslug/tests/test_uuslug.py
+++ b/uuslug/tests/test_uuslug.py
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# coding: utf-8
+
 """Unit tests for uslug"""
-from django.test import TestCase
+
+from django.db import models, connection
 from django.template import Context, Template
-from uuslug.models import CoolSlug 
-from uuslug import uuslug as slugify
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.db import connections, DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS, reset_queries
+from django.core.signals import request_started
+
+# http://pypi.python.org/pypi/django-tools/
+#from django_tools.unittest_utils.print_sql import PrintQueries
+
+from uuslug.models import CoolSlug, AnotherSlug
+from uuslug import slugify
+
 
 class SlugUnicodeTestCase(TestCase):
     """Tests for Slug - Unicode"""
@@ -25,19 +35,51 @@ class SlugUnicodeTestCase(TestCase):
         r = slugify(s)
         self.assertEquals(r, "ying-shi-ma")
 
+
+
 class SlugUniqueTestCase(TestCase):
     """Tests for Slug - Unique"""
-
     def test_manager(self):
         name = "john"
-        c = CoolSlug.objects.create(name=name)
-        c.save()
-        self.assertEquals(c.slug, name)
-       
-        c1 = CoolSlug.objects.create(name=name)
-        c1.save()
-        self.assertEquals(c1.slug, name+"-1")
 
+        #with PrintQueries("create first john"): # display the SQL queries
+        with self.assertNumQueries(2):
+            # 1. query: SELECT test, if slug 'john' exists
+            # 2. query: INSERT values
+            obj = CoolSlug.objects.create(name=name)
+        self.assertEquals(obj.slug, "john")
 
+        #with PrintQueries("create second john"): # display the SQL queries
+        with self.assertNumQueries(3):
+            # 1. query: SELECT test, if slug 'john' exists
+            # 2. query: SELECT test, if slug 'john-1' exists
+            # 3. query: INSERT values
+            obj = CoolSlug.objects.create(name=name)
+        self.assertEquals(obj.slug, "john-1")
 
+    def test_start_no(self):
+        name = 'Foo Bar'#'C\'est déjà l\'été.'
 
+        #with PrintQueries("create first 'Foo Bar'"): # display the SQL queries
+        with self.assertNumQueries(2):
+            # 1. query: SELECT test, if slug 'foo-bar' exists
+            # 2. query: INSERT values
+            obj = AnotherSlug.objects.create(name=name)
+        self.assertEquals(obj.slug, "foo-bar")
+
+        #with PrintQueries("create second 'Foo Bar'"): # display the SQL queries
+        with self.assertNumQueries(3):
+            # 1. query: SELECT test, if slug 'foo-bar' exists
+            # 2. query: SELECT test, if slug 'foo-bar-2' exists
+            # 3. query: INSERT values
+            obj = AnotherSlug.objects.create(name=name)
+        self.assertEquals(obj.slug, "foo-bar-2")
+
+        #with PrintQueries("create third 'Foo Bar'"): # display the SQL queries
+        with self.assertNumQueries(4):
+            # 1. query: SELECT test, if slug 'foo-bar' exists
+            # 2. query: SELECT test, if slug 'foo-bar-2' exists
+            # 3. query: SELECT test, if slug 'foo-bar-3' exists
+            # 4. query: INSERT values
+            obj = AnotherSlug.objects.create(name=name)
+        self.assertEquals(obj.slug, "foo-bar-3")