diff --git a/core/modules/macros/unusedtitle.js b/core/modules/macros/unusedtitle.js
index 952bd0264..8a61c425e 100644
--- a/core/modules/macros/unusedtitle.js
+++ b/core/modules/macros/unusedtitle.js
@@ -16,20 +16,22 @@ exports.name = "unusedtitle";
 exports.params = [
 	{name: "baseName"},
 	{name: "separator"},
-	{name: "template"}
+	{name: "template"},
+	{name: "startCount"}
 ];
 
 /*
 Run the macro
 */
-exports.run = function(baseName,separator,template) {
+exports.run = function(baseName,separator,template,startCount) {
 	separator = separator || " ";
+	startCount = startCount || 0;
 	if(!baseName) {
 		baseName = $tw.language.getString("DefaultNewTiddlerTitle");
 	}
 	// $tw.wiki.generateNewTitle = function(baseTitle,options)
-	// options.prefix must be a string! 
-	return this.wiki.generateNewTitle(baseName, {"prefix": separator, "template": template});
+	// options.prefix must be a string!
+	return this.wiki.generateNewTitle(baseName, {"prefix": separator, "template": template, "startCount": startCount});
 };
 
 })();
diff --git a/core/modules/utils/utils.js b/core/modules/utils/utils.js
index 878f83fbb..234de0c75 100644
--- a/core/modules/utils/utils.js
+++ b/core/modules/utils/utils.js
@@ -330,16 +330,18 @@ exports.formatTitleString = function(template,options) {
 			}]
 		];
 	while(t.length){
-		var matchString = "";
+		var matchString = "",
+			found = false;
 		$tw.utils.each(matches, function(m) {
 			var match = m[0].exec(t);
 			if(match) {
+				found = true;
 				matchString = m[1].call(null,match);
 				t = t.substr(match[0].length);
 				return false;
 			}
 		});
-		if(matchString) {
+		if(found) {
 			result += matchString;
 		} else {
 			result += t.charAt(0);
diff --git a/core/modules/wiki.js b/core/modules/wiki.js
index 5673c9e3b..29a839c7a 100755
--- a/core/modules/wiki.js
+++ b/core/modules/wiki.js
@@ -194,18 +194,24 @@ options.prefix must be a string
 */
 exports.generateNewTitle = function(baseTitle,options) {
 	options = options || {};
-	var c = 0,
-		title = baseTitle,
-		template = options.template,
+	var title = baseTitle,
+		template = options.template || "",
+		// test if .startCount is a positive integer. If not set to 0
+		c = (parseInt(options.startCount,10) > 0) ? parseInt(options.startCount,10) : 0,
 		prefix = (typeof(options.prefix) === "string") ? options.prefix : " ";
+
 	if (template) {
 		// "count" is important to avoid an endless loop in while(...)!!
 		template = (/\$count:?(\d+)?\$/i.test(template)) ? template : template + "$count$";
-		title = $tw.utils.formatTitleString(template,{"base":baseTitle,"separator":prefix,"counter":c});
+		// .formatTitleString() expects strings as input
+		title = $tw.utils.formatTitleString(template,{"base":baseTitle,"separator":prefix,"counter":c+""});
 		while(this.tiddlerExists(title) || this.isShadowTiddler(title) || this.findDraft(title)) {
-			title = $tw.utils.formatTitleString(template,{"base":baseTitle,"separator":prefix,"counter":(++c)});
+			title = $tw.utils.formatTitleString(template,{"base":baseTitle,"separator":prefix,"counter":(++c)+""});
 		}
 	} else {
+		if (c > 0) {
+			title = baseTitle + prefix + c;
+		}
 		while(this.tiddlerExists(title) || this.isShadowTiddler(title) || this.findDraft(title)) {
 			title = baseTitle + prefix + (++c);
 		}
diff --git a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/basic-params.tid b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/basic-params.tid
index 5e1ae482d..c0ec65ec0 100644
--- a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/basic-params.tid
+++ b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/basic-params.tid
@@ -14,7 +14,15 @@ title: Output
 
 <<unusedtitle baseName:"About" separator:"-">>
 
+<!-- v5.3.6 startCount -->
+
+<<unusedtitle startCount:"3">>
+
+<<unusedtitle startCount:"-1" baseName:"invalid start">>
+
+<<unusedtitle startCount:"aaa" baseName:"invalid count">>
+
 +
 title: ExpectedResult
 
-<p>New Tiddler</p><p>New Tiddler</p><p>anotherBase</p><p>About</p>
\ No newline at end of file
+<p>New Tiddler</p><p>New Tiddler</p><p>anotherBase</p><p>About</p><p>New Tiddler 3</p><p>invalid start</p><p>invalid count</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template-startCount.tid b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template-startCount.tid
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83fc1686b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template-startCount.tid
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+title: Macros/unusedtitle/template-startCount
+description: test <<unusedtitle>> with templates and startCount
+type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki-multiple
+tags: [[$:/tags/wiki-test-spec]]
+
+title: Output
+
+<!-- test template basics -->
+
+<<unusedtitle template:"$basename$$separator$$count$xx" >>
+
+<<unusedtitle template:"$basename$$separator$$count$xx" startCount:"4" >>
+
+<<unusedtitle template:"$basename$$separator$$count:1$xx" startCount:"11">>
+
+<!-- test parameter edgecases -->
+
+<<unusedtitle template:"$basename$$separator$$count:2$xx" startCount:"" baseName:"emptyCount">>
+
+<<unusedtitle template:"$basename$$separator$$count$xx" startCount:"-1" separator:"" baseName:"invalid start" >>
+
+<<unusedtitle template:"$basename$$separator$$count$xx" startCount:"bbb" separator:"" baseName:"invalid count" >>
+
++
+title: ExpectedResult
+
+<p>New Tiddler 0xx</p><p>New Tiddler 4xx</p><p>New Tiddler 11xx</p><p>emptyCount 00xx</p><p>invalid start 0xx</p><p>invalid count 0xx</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template.tid b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template.tid
index 66bd0f763..183ad42da 100644
--- a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template.tid
+++ b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/data/macros/unusedtitle/template.tid
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@ title: Output
 +
 title: ExpectedResult
 
-<p>New Tiddler</p><p>count-missing</p><p>00-new</p><p>00-base</p><p>00-New Tiddler</p><p>00-asdf</p><p>00 asdf</p>
\ No newline at end of file
+<p>New Tiddler</p><p>count-missing0</p><p>00-new</p><p>00-base</p><p>00-New Tiddler</p><p>00-asdf</p><p>00 asdf</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/UnusedTitleMacro.tid b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/UnusedTitleMacro.tid
index e0cc00433..b39bb5eb1 100644
--- a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/UnusedTitleMacro.tid
+++ b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/UnusedTitleMacro.tid
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 caption: unusedtitle
 created: 20210104143546885
-modified: 20210427184035684
+modified: 20240119224103283
 tags: Macros [[Core Macros]]
 title: unusedtitle Macro
 type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ It uses the same method as the create new tiddler button, a number is appended t
 : <<.from-version "5.2.0">> An ''optional'' string specifying the separator between baseName and the unique number. eg: `separator:"-"`. Defaults to a space: `" "`. If you need an empty separator use the ''template''!
 
 ; template
-: <<.from-version "5.2.0">> A ''optional'' template string can be used to allow you maximum flexibility. If the template string is used, there will always be a counter value. 
+: <<.from-version "5.2.0">> An ''optional'' template string can be used to allow you maximum flexibility. If the template string is used, there will always be a counter value. 
+
+; startCount
+: <<.from-version "5.3.6">> An ''optional'' parameter, that sets the initial value for the new tiddler counter.
 
 !! Template String
 
diff --git a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle Macro (Examples 1).tid b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle Macro (Examples 1).tid
index 22ece3997..3853299bf 100644
--- a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle Macro (Examples 1).tid	
+++ b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle Macro (Examples 1).tid	
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 created: 20210227212730299
-modified: 20211118025545823
+modified: 20240119151636562
 tags: [[Macro Examples]]
 title: unusedtitle Macro (Examples 1)
 type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
 <$action-sendmessage $message="tm-new-tiddler" title=<<unusedtitle baseName:"new" template:"$count:2$-$basename$">> />
 \end
 
+\define testStartCount()
+<$action-createtiddler $basetitle=<<unusedtitle startCount:"10" baseName:"new" separator:"-" template:"$count:2$$separator$$basename$">>/>
+\end
+
 ```
 <<unusedtitle template:"$count:2$-new">>
 ```
@@ -43,6 +47,16 @@ New Tiddler
 Create Tiddler
 </$button>
 
+
+```
+<<unusedtitle startCount:"10" baseName:"new" separator:"-" template:"$count:2$$separator$$basename$">>
+```
+
+<$button actions=<<testStartCount>>>
+<$action-setfield $tiddler="$:/state/tab/sidebar--595412856" text="$:/core/ui/SideBar/Recent"/>
+Create Tiddler
+</$button>
+
 ---
 
 <details>
diff --git a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle.tid b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle.tid
index a86f0d16e..fc9ed29ed 100644
--- a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle.tid
+++ b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/macros/examples/unusedtitle.tid
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 created: 20210104143940715
-modified: 20210228141241657
+modified: 20240119150720917
 tags: [[unusedtitle Macro]] [[Macro Examples]]
 title: unusedtitle Macro (Examples)
 type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
 <$macrocall $name=".example" n="2" eg="""<<unusedtitle separator:"-">>"""/>
 <$macrocall $name=".example" n="3" eg="""<<unusedtitle baseName:"anotherBase">>"""/>
 <$macrocall $name=".example" n="4" eg="""<<unusedtitle baseName:"About" separator:"-">>"""/>
-<$macrocall $name=".example" n="5" eg="""<<unusedtitle template:"$count:2$-test">>"""/>
+<$macrocall $name=".example" n="5" eg="""<<unusedtitle baseName:"Count" startCount:"3">>"""/>
+<$macrocall $name=".example" n="6" eg="""<<unusedtitle template:"$count:2$-test">>"""/>
 
 ---