diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 18cff07..0ed518d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ var BUILDTIME string
 
 var sortmap map[string]string
 var forge *forgepb.Forge // forgepb figures out how to run protoc correctly if it's needed
+var marshalKeys []string
+var uniqueKeys []string
 
 func main() {
 	pp := arg.MustParse(&argv)
@@ -90,6 +93,12 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
+	// parse sort & marshal options from the .proto file
+	if err := findAutogenpb(sortmap); err != nil {
+		log.Info("autogenpb parse error:", err)
+		os.Exit(-1)
+	}
+
 	// try to make foo.pb.go with protoc if it's not here
 	sortmap["protoc"] = protobase + ".pb.go"
 	if !shell.Exists(sortmap["protoc"]) {
@@ -103,7 +112,7 @@ func main() {
 	// exit here
 	if !shell.Exists(sortmap["protoc"]) {
 		log.Info("protoc build error.", sortmap["protoc"], "failed to be created with protoc and proto-gen-go")
-		os.Exit(-1)
+		badExit(errors.New("failed to be created with protoc and proto-gen-go"))
 	}
 
 	// add mutex
@@ -118,14 +127,28 @@ func main() {
 	if argv.NoSort {
 		log.Info("not making sort.pb.go file (--no-sort == true)")
 	} else {
+		if len(uniqueKeys) != 0 {
+		}
 		makeSortfile()
 	}
 
 	if argv.NoMarshal {
 		log.Info("not making marshal.pb.go file (--no-marshal == true)")
 	} else {
+		if len(marshalKeys) != 0 {
+		}
 		// make the foo.marshal.pb.go file
 		marshal(sortmap)
 	}
 
 }
+
+func okExit(s string) {
+	log.Info("autogenpb ok", s)
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
+
+func badExit(err error) {
+	log.Info("autogenpb error:", err)
+	os.Exit(-1)
+}
diff --git a/marshal.go b/marshal.go
index 346115b..d7166fa 100644
--- a/marshal.go
+++ b/marshal.go
@@ -28,13 +28,15 @@ func marshal(names map[string]string) {
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, ")")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
 
-	if len(argv.Marshal) == 0 {
-		marshalThing(w, names["Base"])
-		marshalThing(w, names["Bases"])
-	} else {
-		for _, v := range argv.Marshal {
-			marshalThing(w, v)
-		}
+	for _, v := range marshalKeys {
+		log.Info("found marshal key in .proto", v)
+		marshalThing(w, v)
+	}
+
+	//	marshalThing(w, names["Base"])
+	//	marshalThing(w, names["Bases"])
+	for _, v := range argv.Marshal {
+		marshalThing(w, v)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/parseProtoFile.go b/parseProtoFile.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..682234d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parseProtoFile.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package main
+
+// auto run protoc with the correct args
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+	"golang.org/x/text/cases"
+	"golang.org/x/text/language"
+)
+
+// finds autogenpb:marshal and autogenpb:unique in the .proto file
+//
+//	adds fields to []marshal and []unique
+func findAutogenpb(names map[string]string) error {
+	log.Info("starting findAutogenpb() on", names["protofile"])
+	// read in the .proto file
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(names["protofile"])
+	if err != nil {
+		// log.Info("open config file :", err)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// look for included proto files
+	lines := strings.Split(string(data), "\n")
+	for _, line := range lines {
+		// log.Info("line:", line)
+		parts := strings.Fields(line)
+		if strings.Contains(line, "autogenpb:marshal") {
+			newm := parts[1]
+			log.Info("found marshal", newm)
+			marshalKeys = append(marshalKeys, newm)
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(line, "autogenpb:unique") {
+			newu := parts[1]
+			newu = cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(newu)
+			log.Info("found unique field", newu)
+			uniqueKeys = append(uniqueKeys, newu)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/sort.go b/sort.go
index 4409eba..56b2fdd 100644
--- a/sort.go
+++ b/sort.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+
+	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 func makeSortfile() {
@@ -22,6 +24,21 @@ func makeSortfile() {
 		iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce unique key argv.Append
 	}
 
+	for _, s := range uniqueKeys {
+		log.Info("found unique key in .proto", s)
+		sortmap["sortBy"] = s
+		sortmap["sortKey"] = s
+
+		iterSortBy(f, sortmap)
+
+		sortmap["append"] = sortmap["sortKey"]
+		iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce unique key argv.Append
+
+		iterDelete(f, sortmap)
+		iterReplace(f, sortmap)
+		iterFind(f, sortmap)
+	}
+
 	for _, s := range argv.Sort {
 		sortparts := strings.Split(s, ",")
 		sortmap["sortBy"] = sortparts[0]
@@ -133,7 +150,7 @@ func iterSortAll(w io.Writer, names map[string]string) {
 }
 
 func iterSortBy(w io.Writer, names map[string]string) {
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (all *"+names["Bases"]+") Sort"+names["sortBy"]+"() *"+names["Base"]+"Iterator {")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (all *"+names["Bases"]+") SortBy"+names["sortBy"]+"() *"+names["Base"]+"Iterator {")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	packs := all.selectAll"+names["Base"]+"()")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	sort.Sort("+names["Base"]+""+names["sortBy"]+"(packs))")