diff --git a/app/models/category.rb b/app/models/category.rb
index 6ceea24..ff7f32c 100644
--- a/app/models/category.rb
+++ b/app/models/category.rb
@@ -44,5 +44,8 @@ class Category < ActiveRecord::Base
     self.articles.most_commented(limit)
   end
 
+  def total_items
+    articles.count + comments.count + enterprises.count + people.count + communities.count + products.count
+  end
 
 end
diff --git a/app/models/category_finder.rb b/app/models/category_finder.rb
index 11c6fe5..a61e5d8 100644
--- a/app/models/category_finder.rb
+++ b/app/models/category_finder.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class CategoryFinder
   end
 
   def count(asset)
-    asset_class(asset).count(:all, options_for_find(asset_class(asset)))
+    asset_class(asset).count(:all, options_for_find(asset_class(asset), :select => "#{asset_table(asset)}.id"))
   end
 
   def most_commented_articles(limit=10)
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ class CategoryFinder
   protected
 
   def find_in_categorized(klass, query, options={})
-    klass.find_by_contents(query, {}, options_for_find(klass, options)).uniq
+    if query.nil?
+      klass.find(:all, options_for_find(klass, options))
+    else
+      klass.find_by_contents(query, {}, options_for_find(klass, options)).uniq
+    end
   end
 
   def options_for_find(klass, options={})
diff --git a/test/unit/category_finder_test.rb b/test/unit/category_finder_test.rb
index f1e521c..785f989 100644
--- a/test/unit/category_finder_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/category_finder_test.rb
@@ -23,6 +23,22 @@ class CategoryFinderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_includes list, art1
     assert_not_includes list, art2
   end
+  
+  should 'search with query for articles in a specific category' do
+    person = create_user('teste').person
+
+    # in category
+    art1 = person.articles.build(:name => 'an article to be found')
+    art1.categories << @category
+    art1.save!
+
+    # not in category
+    art2 = person.articles.build(:name => 'another article to be found')
+    art2.save!
+
+    assert_includes @finder.find('articles', 'found'), art1
+    assert_not_includes @finder.find('articles','found'), art2
+  end
 
   should 'search for comments in a specific category' do
     person = create_user('teste').person
diff --git a/test/unit/category_test.rb b/test/unit/category_test.rb
index 8d5560e..13dc800 100644
--- a/test/unit/category_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/category_test.rb
@@ -346,6 +346,27 @@ class CategoryTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_not_includes c.people, ent
   end
 
+  should 'report the total items in this category' do
+    @category = Category.create!(:name => 'my category', :environment => @env)
+    # in category
+    person1 = create_user('test1').person; person1.categories << @category; person1.save!
+    art1 = person1.articles.build(:name => 'an article to be counted'); art1.categories << @category; art1.save!
+    comment1 = art1.comments.build(:title => 'comment to be counted', :body => 'hfyfyh', :author => person1); comment1.save!
+    ent1 = Enterprise.create!(:name => 'test2', :identifier => 'test2', :categories => [@category])
+    com1 = Community.create!(:name => 'test3', :identifier => 'test3', :categories => [@category])
+    prod1 = Product.create!(:name => 'test4', :enterprise => ent1)
+
+    # not in category
+    person2 = create_user('test5').person
+    art2 = person2.articles.build(:name => 'an article not to be counted'); art2.save!
+    comment2 = art2.comments.build(:title => 'comment not to be counted', :body => 'hfh', :author => person2); comment2.save!
+    ent2 = Enterprise.create!(:name => 'test6', :identifier => 'test6')
+    com2 = Community.create!(:name => 'test7', :identifier => 'test7')
+    prod2 = Product.create!(:name => 'test8', :enterprise => ent2)
+
+    assert_equal 6, @category.total_items
+  end
+
   # NOT YET
   #should 'list people that are categorized in children categories' do
   #  c1 = @env.categories.create!(:name => 'top category')
--
libgit2 0.21.2