diff --git a/lib/distributing_iterator/version.rb b/lib/distributing_iterator/version.rb
index 8cac532..ee42ca6 100644
--- a/lib/distributing_iterator/version.rb
+++ b/lib/distributing_iterator/version.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module DistributingIterator
-  VERSION = "0.0.1"
+  VERSION = "0.0.2"
 end
diff --git a/src/distribute_csv.rs b/src/distribute_csv.rs
index 9b6bdb6..52b9176 100644
--- a/src/distribute_csv.rs
+++ b/src/distribute_csv.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
-use anyhow::{Result, Context};
 
 use crate::distributing_iterator;
 use csv::ByteRecord;
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ pub fn distribute(data: &str, field: &str, spread: u64) -> Result<String> {
     let headers = csv.headers()?.clone();
     let field_index = headers
         .iter()
-        .position(|header| header == field).context(format!("field `{field}` not found in CSV headers"))?;
+        .position(|header| header == field)
+        .context(format!("field `{field}` not found in CSV headers"))?;
     let data = csv
         .into_byte_records()
         .map(|record| record.map_err(anyhow::Error::from))
         .collect::<Result<VecDeque<_>>>()?;
     let id_func = move |item: &ByteRecord| item[field_index].to_vec();
-    let iterator =
-        distributing_iterator::DistributingIterator::new(data, spread as usize, id_func);
+    let iterator = distributing_iterator::DistributingIterator::new(data, spread as usize, id_func);
     let data: Vec<_> = iterator.collect();
     let mut wtr = csv::Writer::from_writer(vec![]);
     wtr.write_record(&headers).context("writing headers")?;
diff --git a/src/distribute_indexes.rs b/src/distribute_indexes.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51b0535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/distribute_indexes.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+use fnv::FnvHashMap;
+use indexmap::IndexMap;
+use std::collections::VecDeque;
+
+pub fn distribute<'a, T: 'a, ID>(
+    data: &'a [T],
+    mut spread: usize,
+    id_func: impl Fn(&'a T) -> ID + Send + 'static,
+) -> Vec<usize>
+where
+    ID: Eq + std::hash::Hash,
+{
+    let mut result = Vec::with_capacity(data.len());
+    let mut queue_per_id: FnvHashMap<ID, VecDeque<usize>> = Default::default();
+    let mut last_pos: IndexMap<ID, usize> = Default::default();
+    let mut output_pos = 0;
+    let mut data_pos = 0;
+    let mut iterator_reached_end = false;
+
+    loop {
+        let item = loop {
+            let mut result = None;
+            let mut adjust_spread = false;
+            let sorted_spreadable_ids = last_pos
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|(_id, &last_pos)| output_pos - last_pos >= spread)
+                .map(|(id, _last_pos)| id);
+            for id in sorted_spreadable_ids {
+                match queue_per_id.get_mut(id) {
+                    Some(queue) => {
+                        if let Some(item) = queue.pop_front() {
+                            if iterator_reached_end && queue.is_empty() {
+                                queue_per_id.remove(id);
+                                adjust_spread = true
+                            }
+                            result = Some(item);
+                            break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    None => continue,
+                }
+            }
+            if result.is_some() {
+                if adjust_spread {
+                    spread = calculate_spread(&queue_per_id);
+                }
+                break result;
+            }
+
+            if iterator_reached_end {
+                if queue_per_id.values().flatten().any(|_| true) {
+                    panic!(
+                        "Nothing can be returned even though the queue is not empty. This is a bug"
+                    );
+                } else {
+                    break None;
+                }
+            }
+
+            let current_data_pos = data_pos;
+            data_pos += 1;
+
+            match data.get(current_data_pos) {
+                Some(item) => {
+                    let id = (id_func)(item);
+                    if !last_pos.contains_key(&id) {
+                        break Some(current_data_pos);
+                    } else {
+                        queue_per_id
+                            .entry(id)
+                            .or_insert_with(|| VecDeque::with_capacity(100))
+                            .push_back(current_data_pos);
+                    }
+                }
+                None => {
+                    spread = calculate_spread(&queue_per_id);
+                    iterator_reached_end = true;
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        if let Some(output_idx) = item {
+            let id = (id_func)(&data[output_idx]);
+            last_pos.shift_remove(&id);
+            last_pos.insert(id, output_pos);
+            result.push(output_idx);
+            output_pos += 1;
+        } else {
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+/// Distribute items that are themselves IDs
+pub fn distribute_ids<T>(data: &[T], spread: usize) -> Vec<usize> where T: Eq + std::hash::Hash, {
+    distribute(data, spread, |item| item)
+}
+
+fn calculate_spread<T, ID>(queue_per_id: &FnvHashMap<ID, VecDeque<T>>) -> usize {
+    queue_per_id
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|(_id, queue)| !queue.is_empty())
+        .count()
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_distribute() {
+        let data = vec![
+            "1", "1", "1", "2", "3", "3", "2", "2", "3", "3", "2", "3", "2", "3", "3",
+        ];
+        let result = distribute(&data, 3, |item| item.parse::<usize>().unwrap());
+        assert_eq!(
+            result,
+            vec![0, 3, 4, 1, 6, 5, 2, 7, 8, 10, 9, 12, 11, 13, 14]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_distribute2() {
+        let data = vec!["Picture", "Post", "Video", "Video", "Picture", "Post", "Picture", "Picture", "Video"];
+        let result = distribute_ids(&data, 3);
+        let result_with_labels = result
+            .iter()
+            .map(|idx| data[*idx])
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        assert_eq!(result_with_labels, vec!["Picture", "Post", "Video", "Picture", "Post", "Video", "Picture", "Video", "Picture"]);
+        assert_eq!(result, vec![0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, 8, 7]);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/distributing_iterator.rs b/src/distributing_iterator.rs
index d78a55f..85261d0 100644
--- a/src/distributing_iterator.rs
+++ b/src/distributing_iterator.rs
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ where
                 }
             }
             if result.is_some() {
+                if adjust_spread {
+                    self.spread = Self::calculate_spread(&queue_per_id);
+                }
                 break result;
             }
 
@@ -133,9 +136,6 @@ where
                 }
             }
         };
-        if adjust_spread {
-            self.spread = Self::calculate_spread(&queue_per_id);
-        }
         self.queue_per_id = Some(queue_per_id);
         result
     }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a65ce4a..2e617b3 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 mod distribute_csv;
+mod distribute_indexes;
 mod distributing_iterator;
+
 #[cfg(feature = "magnus")]
 mod ruby_ext;
 
 pub use distribute_csv::distribute as distribute_csv;
+pub use distribute_indexes::distribute;
+pub use distribute_indexes::distribute_ids;
 pub use distributing_iterator::DistributingIterator;
diff --git a/src/ruby_ext.rs b/src/ruby_ext.rs
index ecd892a..1b1c09a 100644
--- a/src/ruby_ext.rs
+++ b/src/ruby_ext.rs
@@ -1,19 +1,22 @@
-use magnus::{error::Result, function, exception, Error};
+use magnus::{error::Result, exception, function, Error, Value};
 
-use crate::distribute_csv;
+use crate::{distribute_ids, distribute_csv};
 
 fn distribute_csv_ruby(data: String, field: String, spread: u64) -> Result<String> {
     match distribute_csv(&data, &field, spread) {
         Ok(result) => Ok(result),
-        Err(e) => {
-            Err(Error::new(exception::standard_error(), format!("{:?}", e)))
-        }
+        Err(e) => Err(Error::new(exception::standard_error(), format!("{:?}", e))),
     }
 }
 
+fn distribute_indexes_ruby(data: Vec<String>, spread: usize) -> Result<Vec<usize>> {
+    Ok(distribute_ids(&data, spread))
+}
+
 #[magnus::init]
 fn init(ruby: &magnus::Ruby) -> Result<()> {
     let module = ruby.define_module("DistributingIterator")?;
-    module.define_module_function("distribute", function!(distribute_csv_ruby, 3))?;
+    module.define_module_function("distribute_csv", function!(distribute_csv_ruby, 3))?;
+    module.define_module_function("distribute_indexes", function!(distribute_indexes_ruby, 2))?;
     Ok(())
 }