diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 493d2d5a..59db3258 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 
+:total_entries parameter added to initialize_grid (will_paginate)
+
 Localization
 
 assert_keys wherever possible
diff --git a/lib/wice_grid.rb b/lib/wice_grid.rb
index 5c55761a..2805a9f4 100644
--- a/lib/wice_grid.rb
+++ b/lib/wice_grid.rb
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ def initialize(klass, controller, opts = {})  #:nodoc:
         :order_direction      => Defaults::ORDER_DIRECTION,
         :page                 => 1,
         :per_page             => Defaults::PER_PAGE,
-        :saved_query          => nil
+        :saved_query          => nil,
+        :total_entries        => nil
       }
 
       # validate parameters
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ def initialize(klass, controller, opts = {})  #:nodoc:
         @status[:order] = @options[:order]
 
       end
+      @status[:total_entries] = @options[:total_entries]
       @status[:per_page] = @options[:per_page]
       @status[:page] = @options[:page]
       @status[:conditions] = @options[:conditions]
@@ -187,7 +189,6 @@ def form_ar_options(opts = {})  #:nodoc:
 
       @ar_options[:conditions] = @status[:conditions]
 
-
       if @table_column_matrix.generated_conditions.size == 0
         @status.delete(:f)
       end
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ def form_ar_options(opts = {})  #:nodoc:
       if self.output_html?
         @ar_options[:per_page] = @status[:pp] || @status[:per_page]
         @ar_options[:page] = @status[:page]
+        @ar_options[:total_entries] = @status[:total_entries] if @status[:total_entries]
       end
 
       @ar_options[:joins]   = @options[:joins]
@@ -213,7 +215,6 @@ def form_ar_options(opts = {})  #:nodoc:
 
     def read  #:nodoc:
       form_ar_options
-      # Wice.log(@ar_options.to_yaml)
       @resultset = self.output_csv? ?  @klass.find(:all, @ar_options) : @klass.paginate(@ar_options)
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/wice_grid_controller.rb b/lib/wice_grid_controller.rb
index 576ebe08..1c973cfb 100644
--- a/lib/wice_grid_controller.rb
+++ b/lib/wice_grid_controller.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ def save_wice_grid_queries
     #   Read section "Saving Queries How-To" in README for more details.
     # * <tt>:after</tt> - defined a name of a controller method which would be called by the grid after all user input has been processed,
     #   with a single parameter which is a Proc object. Once called, the object returns a list of all records of the current selection
-    #  throughout all pages. See section "Integration With The Application" in the README.
+    #   throughout all pages. See section "Integration With The Application" in the README.
+    # * <tt>:total_entries</tt> - If not specified, <tt>will_paginate</tt> will run a <tt>select count</tt>
+    #   query to calculate the total number of entries. If specified, the value is passed on to <tt>:total_entries</tt> of 
+    #   will_paginate's <tt>paginate</tt> method.    
     #
     # Defaults for parameters <tt>:per_page</tt>, <tt>:order_direction</tt>, <tt>:name</tt>, and <tt>:erb_mode</tt>
     # can be changed in <tt>lib/wice_grid_config.rb</tt>, this is convenient if you want to set a project wide setting