diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3be3730..a2f8e6b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -86,18 +86,17 @@ func main() {
 	iterTop(f, sortmap)
 	iterNext(f, sortmap)
 
-	// setup Append() functions
-	if argv.Append == "" {
-		iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce no unique keys
-	} else {
-		iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce no unique keys
-		sortmap["append"] = argv.Append
-		iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce unique key argv.Append
-	}
-
 	// setup Sort() functions
 	if len(argv.Sort) == 0 {
 		// don't do any sorting
+		// setup Append() functions
+		if argv.Append == "" {
+			iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce no unique keys
+		} else {
+			iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce no unique keys
+			sortmap["append"] = argv.Append
+			iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce unique key argv.Append
+		}
 	} else {
 		sortparts := strings.Split(argv.Sort[0], ",")
 		sortmap["sortBy"] = sortparts[0]
@@ -105,6 +104,16 @@ func main() {
 
 		iterSort(f, sortmap)
 
+		if argv.Append == "" {
+			iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce no unique keys
+		} else {
+			iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce no unique keys
+			sortmap["append"] = argv.Append
+			iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce unique key argv.Append
+		}
+		sortmap["append"] = sortmap["sortKey"]
+		iterAppend(f, sortmap) // Append() enforce unique key argv.Append
+
 		// add ReplaceKey()
 		iterDelete(f, sortmap)
 		iterReplace(f, sortmap)
@@ -255,7 +264,7 @@ func iterAppend(w io.Writer, names map[string]string) {
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (all *"+names["Bases"]+") Append(newP *"+names["Base"]+") bool {")
 	} else {
 		// fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (all *"+names["Bases"]+") Append(newP *"+names["Base"]+") bool { // todo: make unique name here")
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (all *"+names["Bases"]+") AppendUnique(newP *"+names["Base"]+") bool {")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "func (all *"+names["Bases"]+") AppendUnique"+names["append"]+"(newP *"+names["Base"]+") bool {")
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	"+names["lock"]+".Lock()")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "	defer "+names["lock"]+".Unlock()")
diff --git a/testautogen/Makefile b/testautogen/Makefile
index a1bf723..476e3d0 100644
--- a/testautogen/Makefile
+++ b/testautogen/Makefile
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ test: vet
 all: clean test.pb.go forgeConfig.pb.go run
 
 run:
-	../autogenpb --proto test.proto --lobase gitTag --upbase GitTag --sort "ByPath,Refname" --marshal GitTags --append Refname
-	../autogenpb --proto forgeConfig.proto --sort "ByPath,GoPath" --append GoPath
+	../autogenpb --proto test.proto --lobase gitTag --upbase GitTag --sort "ByPath,Refname" --marshal GitTags --append Subject
+	../autogenpb --proto forgeConfig.proto --sort "ByPath,GoPath" # --append GoPath
 
 vet:
 	@GO111MODULE=off go vet