diff --git a/examples/example-vmname.tf b/examples/example-vmname.tf
index 76b2a14..228a341 100644
--- a/examples/example-vmname.tf
+++ b/examples/example-vmname.tf
@@ -54,16 +54,34 @@ module "example-server-multi" {
 #
 //Example of appending domain name to vm name
 
-variable "domain" {
-  default = "somedomain.com"
+module "example-server-fqdnvmname" {
+  source       = "Terraform-VMWare-Modules/vm/vsphere"
+  version      = "Latest X.X.X"
+  vmtemp       = "TemplateName"
+  instances    = 2
+  vmname       = "advancevm"
+  vmnameformat = "%03d"
+  domain       = "somedomain.com"
+  fqdnvmname   = true
+  vmrp         = "esxi/Resources"
+  network = {
+    "Name of the Port Group in vSphere" = ["10.13.113.2", ""]
+  }
+  dc        = "Datacenter"
+  datastore = "Data Store name(use datastore_cluster for datastore cluster)"
 }
-module "example-server-multi" {
+# Vmname Output -> advancevm001.somedomain.com, advancevm002.somedomain.com
+#
+//Example of using a starting number other than "1" for the vmname with multiple instances
+
+module "example-server-vmstartcount" {
   source       = "Terraform-VMWare-Modules/vm/vsphere"
   version      = "Latest X.X.X"
   vmtemp       = "TemplateName"
   instances    = 2
+  vmstartcount = 5
   vmname       = "advancevm"
-  vmnameformat = "%03d.${var.domain}"
+  vmnameformat = "%03d"
   vmrp         = "esxi/Resources"
   network = {
     "Name of the Port Group in vSphere" = ["10.13.113.2", ""]
@@ -71,4 +89,5 @@ module "example-server-multi" {
   dc        = "Datacenter"
   datastore = "Data Store name(use datastore_cluster for datastore cluster)"
 }
-# Vmname Output -> advancevm001.somedomain.com, advancevm002dev.somedomain.com
+# Vmname Output -> advancevm005, advancevm006
+
diff --git a/main.tf b/main.tf
index 0fc1bcc..f261727 100644
--- a/main.tf
+++ b/main.tf
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ locals {
 resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "vm" {
   count      = var.instances
   depends_on = [var.vm_depends_on]
-  name       = var.staticvmname != null ? var.staticvmname : format("${var.vmname}${var.vmnameformat}", count.index + 1)
+  name       = "${var.staticvmname != null ? var.staticvmname : format("${var.vmname}${var.vmnameformat}", count.index + var.vmstartcount)}${var.fqdnvmname == true ? ".${var.domain}" : ""}"
 
   resource_pool_id        = var.vmrp != "" ? data.vsphere_resource_pool.pool[0].id : var.vmrpid
   folder                  = var.vmfolder
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "vm" {
       dynamic "linux_options" {
         for_each = var.is_windows_image ? [] : [1]
         content {
-          host_name    = var.staticvmname != null ? var.staticvmname : format("${var.vmname}${var.vmnameformat}", count.index + 1)
+          host_name    = var.staticvmname != null ? var.staticvmname : format("${var.vmname}${var.vmnameformat}", count.index + var.vmstartcount)
           domain       = var.domain
           hw_clock_utc = var.hw_clock_utc
         }
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "vm" {
       dynamic "windows_options" {
         for_each = var.is_windows_image ? [1] : []
         content {
-          computer_name         = var.staticvmname != null ? var.staticvmname : format("${var.vmname}${var.vmnameformat}", count.index + 1)
+          computer_name         = var.staticvmname != null ? var.staticvmname : format("${var.vmname}${var.vmnameformat}", count.index + var.vmstartcount)
           admin_password        = var.local_adminpass
           workgroup             = var.workgroup
           join_domain           = var.windomain
diff --git a/tests/sanity/main.tf b/tests/sanity/main.tf
index b938959..2687554 100644
--- a/tests/sanity/main.tf
+++ b/tests/sanity/main.tf
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ module "example-server-basic" {
   datastore        = each.value.datastore
   #starting of static values
   instances      = 2
-  vmnameformat   = "%03d${var.env}.somedomain.com"
+  vmstartcount   = 5
+  vmnameformat   = "%03d${var.env}"
+  domain         = "somedomain.com"
+  fqdnvmname     = true
   vmname         = "terraform-sanitytest"
   annotation     = "Terraform Sanity Test"
   tag_depends_on = [vsphere_tag.tag.id]
diff --git a/variables.tf b/variables.tf
index 22c4c93..8dac4f0 100644
--- a/variables.tf
+++ b/variables.tf
@@ -125,11 +125,22 @@ variable "vmnameformat" {
   default     = "%02d"
 }
 
+variable "vmstartcount" {
+  description = "vmname start count value. default is set to 1. example: a value of 4 (with default format and 2 instances) will make first instance suffix 04 and second instance suffix 05"
+  default     = 1
+}
+
 variable "staticvmname" {
   description = "Static name of the virtual machin. When this option is used VM can not scale out using instance variable. You can use for_each outside the module to deploy multiple static vms with different names"
   default     = null
 }
 
+variable "fqdnvmname" {
+  description = "If true, the vm will be created using domain variable appended"
+  type        = bool
+  default     = false
+}
+
 variable "vmtemp" {
   description = "Name of the template available in the vSphere."
 }
@@ -307,7 +318,7 @@ variable "hw_clock_utc" {
 }
 
 variable "domain" {
-  description = "default VM domain for linux guest customization."
+  description = "default VM domain for linux guest customization and fqdn name (if fqdnvmname is true)."
   default     = "Development.com"
 }