diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/FullTextIndexBasedStartClause.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/FullTextIndexBasedStartClause.java
index e6dd972de..aa714d521 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/FullTextIndexBasedStartClause.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/FullTextIndexBasedStartClause.java
@@ -69,6 +69,17 @@ public class FullTextIndexBasedStartClause extends IndexBasedStartClause {
         return result;
     }
 
+    protected String renderQuery(Map<PartInfo, Object> values) {
+        StringBuilder sb=new StringBuilder();
+        for (Map.Entry<PartInfo, Object> entry : values.entrySet()) {
+            if (sb.length()>0) sb.append(" AND ");
+            final PartInfo partInfo = entry.getKey();
+            Object value = entry.getValue();
+            sb.append(QueryTemplates.formatIndexQuery(partInfo,value));
+        }
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java
index 4ad36f913..c4f18607e 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/IndexBasedStartClause.java
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.neo4j.repository.query;
 
+import org.neo4j.index.lucene.ValueContext;
+import org.springframework.data.neo4j.fieldaccess.PropertyConverter;
+import org.springframework.data.neo4j.mapping.Neo4jPersistentProperty;
+import org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.Neo4jTemplate;
+import org.springframework.data.repository.query.Parameter;
+
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+
 /**
  * Abstract class which represents a start clause which makes
  * use of an index of some sort.
@@ -27,5 +37,36 @@ abstract class IndexBasedStartClause extends StartClause {
         super(partInfo);
     }
 
+    protected Map<PartInfo, Object> matchToPartsAndConvert(Map<Parameter, PartInfo> myParameters, Map<Parameter, Object> parameters, Neo4jTemplate template) {
+        Map<PartInfo, Object> result = new LinkedHashMap<PartInfo, Object>();
+        for (Map.Entry<Parameter, PartInfo> entry : myParameters.entrySet()) {
+            Object value = parameters.get(entry.getKey());
+            PartInfo partInfo = entry.getValue();
+
+            Neo4jPersistentProperty property = partInfo.getLeafProperty();
+            result.put(partInfo,convertIfNecessary(template, value, property));
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    protected Object convertIfNecessary(Neo4jTemplate template, Object value, Neo4jPersistentProperty property) {
+        if (property.isIndexedNumerically()) return new ValueContext(value).indexNumeric();
+        if (property.isNeo4jPropertyType() && property.isNeo4jPropertyValue(value)) return value;
+
+        PropertyConverter converter = new PropertyConverter(template.getConversionService(), property);
+        return converter.serializePropertyValue(value);
+    }
+
+    protected Map<Parameter,PartInfo> findMyParameters(Set<Parameter> parameters) {
+        Map<Parameter,PartInfo> result=new LinkedHashMap<Parameter, PartInfo>();
+        for (Parameter parameter : parameters) {
+            PartInfo partInfo = partInfos.get(parameter.getIndex());
+            if (partInfo!=null) {
+                result.put(parameter, partInfo);
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/StartClause.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/StartClause.java
index 779f2bf5a..bd61d962e 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/StartClause.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/repository/query/StartClause.java
@@ -32,11 +32,10 @@ import java.util.*;
  */
 abstract class StartClause {
 
-    private final SortedMap<Integer,PartInfo> partInfos=new TreeMap<Integer, PartInfo> ();
+    protected final SortedMap<Integer,PartInfo> partInfos=new TreeMap<Integer, PartInfo> ();
 
     /**
-     * Creates a new {@link StartClause} from the given {@link Neo4jPersistentProperty},
-     * variable and the given parameter index.
+     * Creates a new {@link StartClause} from the given {@link PartInfo}
      */
     public StartClause(PartInfo partInfo) {
         this.partInfos.put(partInfo.getParameterIndex(), partInfo);
@@ -44,61 +43,32 @@ abstract class StartClause {
 
     /**
      * Returns true if this start clause comprises of multiple parts
-     * @return
      */
     protected boolean hasMultipleParts() {
         return partInfos.size() > 1;
     }
 
-
     public abstract Map<Parameter, Object> resolveParameters(Map<Parameter, Object> parameters, Neo4jTemplate template);
 
-    protected String renderQuery(Map<PartInfo, Object> values) {
-        StringBuilder sb=new StringBuilder();
-        for (Map.Entry<PartInfo, Object> entry : values.entrySet()) {
-            if (sb.length()>0) sb.append(" AND ");
-            final PartInfo partInfo = entry.getKey();
-            Object value = entry.getValue();
-            sb.append(QueryTemplates.formatIndexQuery(partInfo,value));
-        }
-        return sb.toString();
-    }
-
-    protected Map<PartInfo, Object> matchToPartsAndConvert(Map<Parameter, PartInfo> myParameters, Map<Parameter, Object> parameters, Neo4jTemplate template) {
-        Map<PartInfo, Object> result = new LinkedHashMap<PartInfo, Object>();
-        for (Map.Entry<Parameter, PartInfo> entry : myParameters.entrySet()) {
-            Object value = parameters.get(entry.getKey());
-            PartInfo partInfo = entry.getValue();
-
-            Neo4jPersistentProperty property = partInfo.getLeafProperty();
-            result.put(partInfo,convertIfNecessary(template, value, property));
-        }
-        return result;
-    }
-
-    protected Object convertIfNecessary(Neo4jTemplate template, Object value, Neo4jPersistentProperty property) {
-        if (property.isIndexedNumerically()) return new ValueContext(value).indexNumeric();
-        if (property.isNeo4jPropertyType() && property.isNeo4jPropertyValue(value)) return value;
-
-        PropertyConverter converter = new PropertyConverter(template.getConversionService(), property);
-        return converter.serializePropertyValue(value);
-    }
-
-    protected Map<Parameter,PartInfo> findMyParameters(Set<Parameter> parameters) {
-        Map<Parameter,PartInfo> result=new LinkedHashMap<Parameter, PartInfo>();
-        for (Parameter parameter : parameters) {
-            PartInfo partInfo = partInfos.get(parameter.getIndex());
-            if (partInfo!=null) {
-                result.put(parameter, partInfo);
-            }
-        }
-        return result;
-    }
-
+    /**
+     * Utility method which returns the primary (first) partInfo. In most cases
+     * there will only actually ever be one.
+     */
     public PartInfo getPartInfo() {
         return IteratorUtil.first(partInfos.values());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if it is possible to merge the provided PartInfo into
+     * this existing start clause, AND if so, also adds it to the list of
+     * parts managed by this clause.
+     * Merging will only occur if the provided partInfo refers to the same
+     * identifier as all all of the other parts contained in this start
+     * clause AND it also refers to the same index.
+     *
+     * @param partInfo
+     * @return true if the merge occurred otherwise false
+     */
     public boolean merge(PartInfo partInfo) {
         for (PartInfo info : partInfos.values()) {
             if (info.sameIdentifier(partInfo) && info.sameIndex(partInfo)) {
@@ -116,6 +86,7 @@ abstract class StartClause {
         }
         return true;
     }
+
     public boolean sameIndex(PartInfo info) {
         for (PartInfo partInfo : partInfos.values()) {
             if (!partInfo.sameIndex(info)) return false;