diff --git a/src/Datatables.php b/src/Datatables.php
index d77028e..e9d70e2 100644
--- a/src/Datatables.php
+++ b/src/Datatables.php
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ class Datatables
      */
     protected $distinctData = [];
 
+    /**
+     * @var array
+     */
+    private $queries = [];
+
+    /**
+     * @var int
+     */
+    private $recordsTotal;
+
     /**
      * Datatables constructor.
      *
@@ -234,21 +244,37 @@ private function getDistinctData(): array
         return $output ?? [];
     }
 
+    public function setTotalRecords(int $total): Datatables
+    {
+        $this->recordsTotal = $total;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      *
      */
     public function setResponseData(): void
     {
+        $this->queries = [];
         $this->response['draw'] = $this->options->draw();
-        $this->response['recordsTotal'] = $this->db->count($this->builder->query);
+
+        if (is_null($this->recordsTotal)) {
+            $this->response['recordsTotal'] = $this->db->count($this->builder->query);
+            $this->queries['query'] = $this->builder->query;
+        } else {
+            $this->response['recordsTotal'] = $this->recordsTotal;
+        }
 
         if($this->builder->query->sql === $this->builder->filtered->sql) {
             $this->response['recordsFiltered'] = $this->response['recordsTotal'];
         } else {
             $this->response['recordsFiltered'] = $this->db->count($this->builder->filtered);
+            $this->queries['recordsFiltered'] = $this->builder->filtered;
         }
 
         $this->response['data'] = $this->getData();
+        $this->queries['full'] = $this->builder->full;
 
         if (\count($this->distinctColumn) > 0 || \count($this->distinctData) > 0) {
             $this->response['distinctData'] = array_merge($this->response['distinctData'] ?? [],
@@ -256,6 +282,14 @@ public function setResponseData(): void
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function queries(): array
+    {
+        return $this->queries;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return string
      */
diff --git a/tests/unit/DatatablesTest.php b/tests/unit/DatatablesTest.php
index dbdbf8d..47c5182 100644
--- a/tests/unit/DatatablesTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/DatatablesTest.php
@@ -45,6 +45,24 @@ public function testReturnsRecordCounts()
         $this->assertSame(8, $datatables['recordsFiltered']);
     }
 
+    public function testReturnsRecordCountsThatSetWithoutRunningAnotherQuery()
+    {
+        $this->db->query('select id as fid, name, surname, age from mytable where id > 3');
+
+        $datatables = $this->db->generate()->toArray();
+
+        $this->assertSame(2, count($this->db->queries()));
+        $this->assertSame(8, $datatables['recordsTotal']);
+        $this->assertSame(8, $datatables['recordsFiltered']);
+
+        $this->db->setTotalRecords(8);
+        $datatables = $this->db->generate()->toArray();
+
+        $this->assertSame(1, count($this->db->queries()));
+        $this->assertSame(8, $datatables['recordsTotal']);
+        $this->assertSame(8, $datatables['recordsFiltered']);
+    }
+
     public function testReturnsDataFromABasicSql()
     {
         $this->db->query('select id as fid, name, surname, age from mytable');
@@ -155,7 +173,6 @@ public function testFiltersDataViaGlobalSearch()
 
         $this->assertSame(11, $datatables['recordsTotal']);
         $this->assertSame(2, $datatables['recordsFiltered']);
-
     }
 
     public function testSortsDataViaSorting()