diff --git a/lib/couchrest/extended_document.rb b/lib/couchrest/extended_document.rb
index 808c530..84c86d1 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/extended_document.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/extended_document.rb
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ module CouchRest
       elsif m.to_s =~ /^find_(by_.+)/
         view_name = $1
         if has_view?(view_name)
-          return find_first_from_view(view_name, *args)
+          return first_from_view(view_name, *args)
         end
       end
       super
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/class_proxy.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/class_proxy.rb
index adc208d..ab8daf6 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/class_proxy.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/class_proxy.rb
@@ -94,9 +94,10 @@ module CouchRest
           docs
         end
         
-        def find_first_from_view(name, *args)
-          (args[1] ||= {})[:database] = @database
-          doc = @klass.find_first_from_view(name, args)
+        def first_from_view(name, *args)
+          # add to first hash available, or add to end
+          (args.last.is_a?(Hash) ? args.last : (args << {}).last)[:database] = @database
+          doc = @klass.first_from_view(name, *args)
           doc.database = @database if doc && doc.respond_to?(:database)
           doc
         end
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/views.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/views.rb
index a5ea221..f4b55a8 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/views.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/views.rb
@@ -102,15 +102,24 @@ module CouchRest
           fetch_view_with_docs(db, name, query, raw, &block)
         end
 
-        # Find the first entry that matches the provided key.
-        # Request like:
+        # Find the first entry in the view. If the second parameter is a string
+        # it will be used as the key for the request, for example:
         #
-        #     Course.find_first_from_view('teachers', 'Fred')
+        #     Course.first_from_view('by_teacher', 'Fred')
         #
-        def find_first_from_view(name, *args)
-          key = args[0]
-          query = args[1] || {}
-          query.update(:limit => 1, :key => key)
+        # More advanced requests can be performed by providing a hash:
+        #
+        #     Course.first_from_view('by_teacher', :startkey => 'bbb', :endkey => 'eee')
+        #
+        def first_from_view(name, *args)
+          query = {:limit => 1}
+          case args.first
+          when String, Array
+            query.update(args[1]) unless args[1].nil?
+            query[:key] = args.first
+          when Hash
+            query.update(args.first)
+          end
           view(name, query).first
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8d5f92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+require File.expand_path("../../spec_helper", __FILE__)
+
+class UnattachedDoc < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
+  # Note: no use_database here
+  property :title
+  property :questions
+  property :professor
+  view_by :title
+end
+
+
+describe "Proxy Class" do
+
+  before(:all) do
+    reset_test_db!
+    # setup the class default doc to save the design doc
+    UnattachedDoc.use_database nil # just to be sure it is really unattached
+    @us = UnattachedDoc.on(DB)
+    %w{aaa bbb ddd eee}.each do |title|
+      u = @us.new(:title => title)
+      u.save
+      @first_id ||= u.id
+    end
+  end
+
+  it "should query all" do
+    rs = @us.all
+    rs.length.should == 4
+  end
+  it "should count" do
+    @us.count.should == 4
+  end
+  it "should make the design doc upon first query" do
+    @us.by_title
+    doc = @us.design_doc
+    doc['views']['all']['map'].should include('UnattachedDoc')
+  end
+  it "should merge query params" do
+    rs = @us.by_title :startkey=>"bbb", :endkey=>"eee"
+    rs.length.should == 3
+  end
+  it "should query via view" do
+    view = @us.view :by_title
+    designed = @us.by_title
+    view.should == designed
+  end
+  
+  it "should query via first_from_view" do
+    UnattachedDoc.should_receive(:first_from_view).with('by_title', 'bbb', {:database => DB})
+    @us.first_from_view('by_title', 'bbb')
+  end
+
+  it "should query via first_from_view with complex options" do
+    UnattachedDoc.should_receive(:first_from_view).with('by_title', {:key => 'bbb', :database => DB})
+    @us.first_from_view('by_title', :key => 'bbb')
+  end
+
+  it "should query via first_from_view with complex extra options" do
+    UnattachedDoc.should_receive(:first_from_view).with('by_title', 'bbb', {:limit => 1, :database => DB})
+    @us.first_from_view('by_title', 'bbb', :limit => 1)
+  end
+
+
+  it "should yield" do
+    things = []
+    @us.view(:by_title) do |thing|
+      things << thing
+    end
+    things[0]["doc"]["title"].should =='aaa'
+  end
+  it "should yield with by_key method" do
+    things = []
+    @us.by_title do |thing|
+      things << thing
+    end
+    things[0]["doc"]["title"].should =='aaa'
+  end
+  it "should get from specific database" do
+    u = @us.get(@first_id)
+    u.title.should == "aaa"
+  end
+  it "should get first" do
+    u = @us.first
+    u.title.should =~ /\A...\z/
+  end
+  it "should set database on first retreived document" do
+    u = @us.first
+    u.database.should === DB
+  end
+  it "should set database on all retreived documents" do
+    @us.all.each do |u|
+      u.database.should === DB
+    end
+  end
+  it "should set database on each retreived document" do
+    rs = @us.by_title :startkey=>"bbb", :endkey=>"eee"
+    rs.length.should == 3
+    rs.each do |u|
+      u.database.should === DB
+    end
+  end
+  it "should set database on document retreived by id" do
+    u = @us.get(@first_id)
+    u.database.should === DB
+  end
+  it "should not attempt to set database on raw results using :all" do
+    @us.all(:raw => true).each do |u|
+      u.respond_to?(:database).should be_false
+    end
+  end
+  it "should not attempt to set database on raw results using view" do
+    @us.by_title(:raw => true).each do |u|
+      u.respond_to?(:database).should be_false
+    end
+  end
+  # Sam Lown 2010-04-07
+  # Removed as unclear why this should happen as before my changes 
+  # this happend by accident, not explicitly.
+  # If requested, this feature should be added as a specific method.
+  #
+  #it "should clean up design docs left around on specific database" do
+  #  @us.by_title
+  #  original_id = @us.model_design_doc['_rev']
+  #  Unattached.view_by :professor
+  #  @us.by_professor
+  #  @us.model_design_doc['_rev'].should_not == original_id
+  #end
+end
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/extended_doc_view_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/extended_doc_view_spec.rb
index 124347b..53115f6 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/extended_doc_view_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/extended_doc_view_spec.rb
@@ -152,6 +152,21 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument views" do
       lambda { Course.find_by_foobar('123') }.should raise_error(NoMethodError)
     end
 
+    it "should perform a search directly with specific key" do
+      course = Course.first_from_view('by_title', 'bbb')
+      course.title.should eql('bbb')
+    end
+
+    it "should perform a search directly with specific key with options" do
+      course = Course.first_from_view('by_title', 'bbb', :reverse => true)
+      course.title.should eql('bbb')
+    end
+
+    it "should perform a search directly with range" do
+      course = Course.first_from_view('by_title', :startkey => 'bbb', :endkey => 'eee')
+      course.title.should eql('bbb')
+    end
+
   end
   
   describe "a ducktype view" do
@@ -255,105 +270,6 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument views" do
     end
   end
   
-  describe "class proxy" do
-    before(:all) do
-      reset_test_db!
-      # setup the class default doc to save the design doc
-      Unattached.use_database nil # just to be sure it is really unattached
-      @us = Unattached.on(DB)
-      %w{aaa bbb ddd eee}.each do |title|
-        u = @us.new(:title => title)
-        u.save
-        @first_id ||= u.id
-      end
-    end
-    it "should query all" do
-      rs = @us.all
-      rs.length.should == 4
-    end
-    it "should count" do
-      @us.count.should == 4
-    end
-    it "should make the design doc upon first query" do
-      @us.by_title
-      doc = @us.design_doc
-      doc['views']['all']['map'].should include('Unattached')
-    end
-    it "should merge query params" do
-      rs = @us.by_title :startkey=>"bbb", :endkey=>"eee"
-      rs.length.should == 3
-    end
-    it "should query via view" do
-      view = @us.view :by_title
-      designed = @us.by_title
-      view.should == designed
-    end
-    it "should yield" do
-      things = []
-      @us.view(:by_title) do |thing|
-        things << thing
-      end
-      things[0]["doc"]["title"].should =='aaa'
-    end
-    it "should yield with by_key method" do
-      things = []
-      @us.by_title do |thing|
-        things << thing
-      end
-      things[0]["doc"]["title"].should =='aaa'
-    end
-    it "should get from specific database" do
-      u = @us.get(@first_id)
-      u.title.should == "aaa"
-    end
-    it "should get first" do
-      u = @us.first
-      u.title.should =~ /\A...\z/
-    end
-    it "should set database on first retreived document" do
-      u = @us.first
-      u.database.should === DB
-    end
-    it "should set database on all retreived documents" do
-      @us.all.each do |u|
-        u.database.should === DB
-      end
-    end
-    it "should set database on each retreived document" do
-      rs = @us.by_title :startkey=>"bbb", :endkey=>"eee"
-      rs.length.should == 3
-      rs.each do |u|
-        u.database.should === DB
-      end
-    end
-    it "should set database on document retreived by id" do
-      u = @us.get(@first_id)
-      u.database.should === DB
-    end
-    it "should not attempt to set database on raw results using :all" do
-      @us.all(:raw => true).each do |u|
-        u.respond_to?(:database).should be_false
-      end
-    end
-    it "should not attempt to set database on raw results using view" do
-      @us.by_title(:raw => true).each do |u|
-        u.respond_to?(:database).should be_false
-      end
-    end
-    # Sam Lown 2010-04-07
-    # Removed as unclear why this should happen as before my changes 
-    # this happend by accident, not explicitly.
-    # If requested, this feature should be added as a specific method.
-    #
-    #it "should clean up design docs left around on specific database" do
-    #  @us.by_title
-    #  original_id = @us.model_design_doc['_rev']
-    #  Unattached.view_by :professor
-    #  @us.by_professor
-    #  @us.model_design_doc['_rev'].should_not == original_id
-    #end
-  end
-  
   describe "a model with a compound key view" do
     before(:all) do
       Article.by_user_id_and_date.each{|a| a.destroy(true)}