diff --git a/apps/unused_code/README.md b/apps/unused_code/README.md
index 0d33a76..eb2ea71 100644
--- a/apps/unused_code/README.md
+++ b/apps/unused_code/README.md
@@ -34,3 +34,26 @@ To run from CLI with `--exclude-files`
 ```bash
 pyutils-unusedcode --exclude-files 'my_exclude_file1.py,my_exclude_file2.py'
 ```
+
+## Excluding single functions in your code
+To skip single functions in your target repository you can add an inline comment to the function definition. The comment should match `# skip-unused-code`
+
+### Example:
+
+Given a target file main.py
+```python
+def tmp1():  # skip-unused-code
+  pass
+
+def tmp2(
+  x,
+  y,
+  z
+):  # skip-unused-code
+```
+Running this tool would exclude both functions `tmp1` and `tmp2`
+```bash
+pyutils-unusedcode -v
+2025-01-01T00:00:00.1 apps.unused_code.unused_code DEBUG Skipping function due to comment: tmp1
+2025-01-01T00:00:00.2 apps.unused_code.unused_code DEBUG Skipping function due to comment: tmp2
+```
diff --git a/apps/unused_code/unused_code.py b/apps/unused_code/unused_code.py
index 64a46a5..dfa9230 100644
--- a/apps/unused_code/unused_code.py
+++ b/apps/unused_code/unused_code.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import tokenize
 from concurrent.futures import Future, ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed
+from io import StringIO
 from typing import Any, Iterable
 
 import click
@@ -14,6 +16,60 @@
 from apps.utils import ListParamType, all_python_files, get_util_config
 
 LOGGER = get_logger(name=__name__)
+SKIP_COMMENT = "# skip-unused-code"
+
+
+def extract_inline_function_comments(source_code: str) -> dict[str, list[str]]:
+    """
+    Finds *only* inline comments for function definition that match `SKIP_COMMENT` and returns them
+    """
+    # Tokenize the source code to find comments
+    tokens = tokenize.generate_tokens(StringIO(source_code).readline)
+
+    # To store the comments for each function
+    prev_token = None
+    comments = {}
+    def_tok = False
+
+    # Process the tokens and extract comments
+    for token in tokens:
+        tok_type, tok_string, _, _, _ = token
+
+        # Detect the start of a new function definition
+        if tok_type == tokenize.NAME and tok_string == "def":
+            def_tok = True
+
+        elif tok_type == tokenize.NAME and def_tok:
+            # First "NAME" token after a "def" will be the function name
+            prev_token = token
+            def_tok = False
+
+        elif tok_type == tokenize.NEWLINE and prev_token:
+            # we found a function name and this is the first logical newline after it
+            # if no comment has been found it means that anything that comes after could be within the function
+            # or outside of it, which is outside the scope of what we are looking for. we can empty prev_token.
+            # note that tokenize.NL would be a different (non-logical) newline, e.g. a multi-line function def
+            # which is thus still handled correctly.
+            # Not handling this here can cause comments outside the scope of the function to be mishandled, e.g.
+            # ------------
+            # def foo():
+            #      pass
+            #
+            # # my-comment
+            # def bar():
+            # ------------
+            # would return "# my-comment" as a foo() comment
+            prev_token = None
+
+        # If this is the comment we look for, and it comes after a function definition
+        elif tok_type == tokenize.COMMENT and prev_token and tok_string == SKIP_COMMENT:
+            LOGGER.debug(f"found comment for function def: {prev_token.line.strip()}")
+            LOGGER.debug(f"comment is: {tok_string}")
+            func_name = prev_token.string
+            comments[func_name] = [tok_string]
+            prev_token = None
+
+    return comments
 
 
 def is_fixture_autouse(func: ast.FunctionDef) -> bool:
@@ -53,14 +109,22 @@ def is_ignore_function_list(ignore_prefix_list: list[str], function: ast.Functio
 
 
 def process_file(py_file: str, func_ignore_prefix: list[str], file_ignore_list: list[str]) -> str:
-    if os.path.basename(py_file) in file_ignore_list:
+    if os.path.relpath(py_file) in file_ignore_list:
         LOGGER.debug(f"Skipping file: {py_file}")
         return ""
 
     with open(py_file) as fd:
         tree = ast.parse(source=fd.read())
 
+    with open(py_file) as fd:
+        comments = extract_inline_function_comments(source_code=fd.read())
+
+    found = []
     for func in _iter_functions(tree=tree):
+        if func.name in comments.keys():
+            LOGGER.debug(f"Skipping function due to comment: {func.name}")
+            continue
+
         if func_ignore_prefix and is_ignore_function_list(ignore_prefix_list=func_ignore_prefix, function=func):
             LOGGER.debug(f"Skipping function: {func.name}")
             continue
@@ -81,12 +145,23 @@ def process_file(py_file: str, func_ignore_prefix: list[str], file_ignore_list:
             if _line.strip().startswith("#"):
                 continue
 
+            if _line.strip().startswith("assert"):
+                # if the function is only called from a test assert statement do not count it
+                continue
+
             if func.name in _line:
                 used = True
                 break
 
         if not used:
-            return f"{os.path.relpath(py_file)}:{func.name}:{func.lineno}:{func.col_offset} Is not used anywhere in the code."
+            # store all unused functions in the file
+            found.append(
+                f"{os.path.relpath(py_file)}:{func.name}:{func.lineno}:{func.col_offset} Is not used anywhere in the code.\n"
+            )
+
+    # return all unused functions if any
+    if len(found) > 0:
+        return "".join(found)
 
     return ""
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6a6b93a..afe39af 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ output-format = "grouped"
 lint.extend-select = ["I"]
 
 [tool.ruff.format]
-exclude = [".git", ".venv", ".mypy_cache", ".tox", "__pycache__"]
+exclude = [".git", ".venv", ".mypy_cache", ".tox", "__pycache__", "unused_code_file_for_test.py"]
 
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "python-utility-scripts"
diff --git a/tests/unused_code/test_unused_code.py b/tests/unused_code/test_unused_code.py
index 48dc8fa..a998fb5 100644
--- a/tests/unused_code/test_unused_code.py
+++ b/tests/unused_code/test_unused_code.py
@@ -14,17 +14,30 @@ def test_unused_code():
 
 
 def test_unused_code_file_list():
-    result = get_cli_runner().invoke(get_unused_functions, '--exclude-files "unused_code_file_for_test.py"')
+    result = get_cli_runner().invoke(
+        get_unused_functions, '--exclude-files "tests/unused_code/unused_code_file_for_test.py"'
+    )
     LOGGER.info(f"Result output: {result.output}, exit code: {result.exit_code}, exceptions: {result.exception}")
     assert result.exit_code == 0
     assert "Is not used anywhere in the code" not in result.output
 
 
+def test_unused_code_wrong_file_list():
+    result = get_cli_runner().invoke(get_unused_functions, '--exclude-files "unused_code_file_for_test.py"')
+    LOGGER.info(f"Result output: {result.output}, exit code: {result.exit_code}, exceptions: {result.exception}")
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "Is not used anywhere in the code" in result.output
+
+
 def test_unused_code_function_list_exclude_all():
     result = get_cli_runner().invoke(get_unused_functions, '--exclude-function-prefixes "unused_code_"')
     LOGGER.info(f"Result output: {result.output}, exit code: {result.exit_code}, exceptions: {result.exception}")
-    assert result.exit_code == 0
-    assert "Is not used anywhere in the code" not in result.output
+    # No function def that starts with "unused_code_"
+    assert ":unused_code_" not in result.output
+    assert "check_me" in result.output
+    assert "check_me_too" in result.output
+    assert "foo" not in result.output
+    assert "bar" not in result.output
 
 
 def test_unused_code_function_list_exclude():
@@ -32,3 +45,17 @@ def test_unused_code_function_list_exclude():
     LOGGER.info(f"Result output: {result.output}, exit code: {result.exit_code}, exceptions: {result.exception}")
     assert result.exit_code == 1
     assert "Is not used anywhere in the code" in result.output
+    assert "unused_code_check_fail" in result.output
+    assert "unused_code_check_file" in result.output
+
+
+def test_skip_comment():
+    result = get_cli_runner().invoke(get_unused_functions)
+    LOGGER.info(f"Result output: {result.output}, exit code: {result.exit_code}, exceptions: {result.exception}")
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "unused_code_check_fail" in result.output
+    assert "unused_code_check_file" in result.output
+    assert "check_me" in result.output
+    assert "check_me_too" in result.output
+    assert "foo" not in result.output
+    assert "bar" not in result.output
diff --git a/tests/unused_code/unused_code_file_for_test.py b/tests/unused_code/unused_code_file_for_test.py
index 795c3fe..83792b4 100644
--- a/tests/unused_code/unused_code_file_for_test.py
+++ b/tests/unused_code/unused_code_file_for_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,31 @@
+from typing import Any
+
+
 def unused_code_check_fail():
     pass
 
 
 def unused_code_check_file():
     pass
+
+
+def foo():  # skip-unused-code
+    pass
+
+
+def bar(
+    x: Any,
+    y: Any,
+    z: Any
+) -> None:  # skip-unused-code
+    pass
+
+
+def check_me():
+    # skip-unused-code
+    pass
+
+
+# skip-unused-code
+def check_me_too():
+    pass