diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 0c1c3c6..5292e32 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	// DefaultStartOffset is the start offset of the log
 	DefaultStartOffset = Offset(0)
-	// DefaultSegmentSize is the segment size of the log
+	// DefaultSegmentSize is the segment size, i.e. number of offsets, in the log
 	DefaultSegmentSize = 1024
 	// DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes is the maximum data (payload) size of a record
 	DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes = 1024 << 10 // 1MiB
diff --git a/sharded/log.go b/sharded/log.go
index d870be7..a266c12 100644
--- a/sharded/log.go
+++ b/sharded/log.go
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/embano1/memlog"
 )
 
-const (
-	maxShards = 1000
-)
-
 type config struct {
 	shards uint
 
@@ -29,17 +25,8 @@ type Log struct {
 	logs  []*memlog.Log
 }
 
-func New(ctx context.Context, shards uint, options ...Option) (*Log, error) {
-	if shards < 1 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("shards must be greater than 0")
-	}
-
-	if shards > maxShards {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("shards must not be greater than %d", maxShards)
-	}
-
+func New(ctx context.Context, options ...Option) (*Log, error) {
 	var l Log
-	l.conf.shards = shards
 
 	// apply defaults
 	for _, opt := range defaultOptions {
@@ -55,6 +42,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, shards uint, options ...Option) (*Log, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	shards := l.conf.shards
 	l.logs = make([]*memlog.Log, shards)
 	for i := 0; i < int(shards); i++ {
 		ml, err := memlog.New(ctx)
diff --git a/sharded/log_test.go b/sharded/log_test.go
index c572146..96d1038 100644
--- a/sharded/log_test.go
+++ b/sharded/log_test.go
@@ -17,11 +17,9 @@ func TestLog(t *testing.T) {
 		"group":  {"michael", "hannah", "bjarne", "soenke"},
 		"groups": {"family", "friends", "colleagues"},
 		"Z":      {"ent inc.", "vmware", "google", "microsoft"},
-		"K":      {"ent inc.", "vmware", "google", "microsoft"},
-		"A":      {"ent inc.", "vmware", "google", "microsoft"},
 	}
 
-	l, err := New(ctx, 20)
+	l, err := New(ctx)
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
 	for k, vals := range kvs {
diff --git a/sharded/options.go b/sharded/options.go
index c5fee53..c506e49 100644
--- a/sharded/options.go
+++ b/sharded/options.go
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	// DefaultStartOffset is the start offset of each shard
+	// DefaultShards is the number of shards unless specified otherwise
+	DefaultShards = 1000
+	// DefaultStartOffset is the start offset in a shard
 	DefaultStartOffset = memlog.DefaultStartOffset
-	// DefaultSegmentSize is the segment size of each shard
+	// DefaultSegmentSize is the segment size, i.e. number of offsets, in a shard
 	DefaultSegmentSize = memlog.DefaultSegmentSize
-	// DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes is the maximum data (payload) size of a record
+	// DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes is the maximum data (payload) size of a record in a shard
 	DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes = memlog.DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes
 )
 
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ var defaultOptions = []Option{
 	WithClock(clock.New()),
 	WithMaxRecordDataSize(DefaultMaxRecordDataBytes),
 	WithMaxSegmentSize(DefaultSegmentSize),
+	WithNumShards(DefaultShards),
 	WithSharder(newDefaultSharder()),
 	WithStartOffset(DefaultStartOffset),
 }
@@ -40,7 +43,8 @@ func WithClock(c clock.Clock) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithMaxRecordDataSize sets the maximum record data (payload) size in bytes
+// WithMaxRecordDataSize sets the maximum record data (payload) size in bytes in
+// each shard
 func WithMaxRecordDataSize(size int) Option {
 	return func(log *Log) error {
 		if size <= 0 {
@@ -51,8 +55,8 @@ func WithMaxRecordDataSize(size int) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithMaxSegmentSize sets the maximum size, i.e. number of offsets, in a log
-// segment. Must be greater than 0.
+// WithMaxSegmentSize sets the maximum size, i.e. number of offsets, in each shard.
+// Must be greater than 0.
 func WithMaxSegmentSize(size int) Option {
 	return func(log *Log) error {
 		if size <= 0 {
@@ -63,6 +67,19 @@ func WithMaxSegmentSize(size int) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithNumShards sets the number of shards in a log
+func WithNumShards(n uint) Option {
+	return func(log *Log) error {
+		// sharded log with < 2 shards is a standard log
+		if n < 2 {
+			return errors.New("number of shards must be greater than 1")
+		}
+		log.conf.shards = n
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+// WithSharder uses the specified sharder for key sharding
 func WithSharder(s Sharder) Option {
 	return func(log *Log) error {
 		if s == nil {
@@ -73,7 +90,7 @@ func WithSharder(s Sharder) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithStartOffset sets the start offset of the log. Must be equal or greater
+// WithStartOffset sets the start offset of each shard. Must be equal or greater
 // than 0.
 func WithStartOffset(offset memlog.Offset) Option {
 	return func(log *Log) error {
diff --git a/sharded/sharder.go b/sharded/shard.go
similarity index 77%
rename from sharded/sharder.go
rename to sharded/shard.go
index 6ce2292..66a4ea6 100644
--- a/sharded/sharder.go
+++ b/sharded/shard.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package sharded
 
 import (
+	"crypto/sha256"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash"
 	"hash/fnv"
@@ -13,12 +14,14 @@ type Sharder interface {
 
 type defaultSharder struct {
 	sync.Mutex
-	hasher hash.Hash32
+	hash32  hash.Hash32
+	hash256 hash.Hash
 }
 
 func newDefaultSharder() *defaultSharder {
 	return &defaultSharder{
-		hasher: fnv.New32a(),
+		hash32:  fnv.New32a(),
+		hash256: sha256.New(),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -39,11 +42,11 @@ func (d *defaultSharder) hash(key []byte) (uint32, error) {
 	d.Lock()
 	defer d.Unlock()
 
-	d.hasher.Reset()
-	_, err := d.hasher.Write(key)
+	d.hash32.Reset()
+	_, err := d.hash32.Write(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
-	return d.hasher.Sum32(), nil
+	return d.hash32.Sum32(), nil
 }