diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d5e639dd5..535402116 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ hdhomerun:
 - A new filter field `caption` has been added. This field is used to bypass the `title/name` issue. 
 If `caption` is provided, its value is read from `title` if available, otherwise from `name`. 
 When setting `caption`, both `title` and `name` are updated.”
+- Counter has now an attribute padding. Which fills the number like 001.
 
 # 2.2.5 (2025-03-27)
 - fixed web ui playlist regexp search
diff --git a/src/model/mapping.rs b/src/model/mapping.rs
index 9dce5c502..b3c619e3b 100644
--- a/src/model/mapping.rs
+++ b/src/model/mapping.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ pub struct MappingCounterDefinition {
     pub modifier: CounterModifier,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub value: u32,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub padding: u8,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -97,6 +99,7 @@ pub struct MappingCounter {
     pub concat: String,
     pub modifier: CounterModifier,
     pub value: Arc<AtomicU32>,
+    pub padding: u8,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize, Sequence, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -458,6 +461,7 @@ impl Mapping {
                             concat: def.concat.clone(),
                             modifier: def.modifier.clone(),
                             value: Arc::new(AtomicU32::new(def.value)),
+                            padding: def.padding,
                         });
                     }
                     Err(e) => return Err(info_err!(e.to_string()))
diff --git a/src/processing/processor/playlist.rs b/src/processing/processor/playlist.rs
index fbea41d93..66583f8af 100644
--- a/src/processing/processor/playlist.rs
+++ b/src/processing/processor/playlist.rs
@@ -275,19 +275,23 @@ fn map_playlist_counter(target: &ConfigTarget, playlist: &mut [PlaylistGroup]) {
                         for channel in &mut plg.channels {
                             let provider = ValueProvider { pli: channel };
                             if counter.filter.filter(&provider, &mut mock_processor) {
-                                let cntval = counter.value.load(core::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
-                                let new_value = if counter.modifier == CounterModifier::Assign {
+                                let cntval = counter.value.fetch_add(1, core::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                                let padded_cntval = if counter.padding > 0 {
+                                    format!("{:0width$}", cntval, width = counter.padding as usize)
+                                } else {
                                     cntval.to_string()
+                                };
+                                let new_value = if counter.modifier == CounterModifier::Assign {
+                                    padded_cntval
                                 } else {
                                     let value = channel.header.get_field(&counter.field).map_or_else(String::new, |field_value| field_value.to_string());
                                     if counter.modifier == CounterModifier::Suffix {
-                                        format!("{value}{}{cntval}", counter.concat)
+                                        format!("{value}{}{padded_cntval}", counter.concat)
                                     } else {
-                                        format!("{cntval}{}{value}", counter.concat)
+                                        format!("{padded_cntval}{}{value}", counter.concat)
                                     }
                                 };
                                 channel.header.set_field(&counter.field, new_value.as_str());
-                                counter.value.fetch_add(1, core::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
                             }
                         }
                     }