diff --git a/src/iranges/IRanges.py b/src/iranges/IRanges.py
index 17d2f85..b6097c6 100644
--- a/src/iranges/IRanges.py
+++ b/src/iranges/IRanges.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from biocutils import Names, combine_rows, combine_sequences, show_as_cell
 
 from .interval import (
-    calc_gap_and_overlap,
+    calc_gap_and_overlap_position,
     create_np_interval_vector,
 )
 
@@ -1772,6 +1772,7 @@ def _generic_find_hits(
         max_gap,
         min_overlap,
         select,
+        query_type = "any",
         delete_index=False,
     ):
         self._build_ncls_index()
@@ -1788,10 +1789,14 @@ def _generic_find_hits(
             if select != "all" and len(all_overlaps[_q_idx]) > 0:
                 continue
 
-            _gap, _overlap = calc_gap_and_overlap(
+            _gap, _overlap, _position = calc_gap_and_overlap_position(
                 (query._start[_q_idx], query._start[_q_idx] + query._width[_q_idx]),
                 (self._start[_s_idx], self._start[_s_idx] + self._width[_s_idx]),
             )
+
+            if query_type != "any" and query_type != _position:
+                continue
+
             _append = True
 
             if _gap is not None and _gap > max_gap:
@@ -1877,7 +1882,14 @@ def find_overlaps(
         _tgap = 0 if max_gap == -1 else max_gap
 
         all_overlaps = self._generic_find_hits(
-            query, _tgap, _tgap, max_gap, min_overlap, select, delete_index=delete_index
+            query,
+            _tgap,
+            _tgap,
+            max_gap,
+            min_overlap,
+            select,
+            query_type=query_type,
+            delete_index=delete_index,
         )
         return all_overlaps
 
@@ -2189,7 +2201,7 @@ def distance(self, query: "IRanges") -> np.ndarray:
         for i in range(len(self)):
             i_self = self[i]
             i_query = query[i]
-            _gap, _overlap = calc_gap_and_overlap(
+            _gap, _overlap, _position = calc_gap_and_overlap_position(
                 (i_self.start[0], i_self.end[0]), (i_query.start[0], i_query.end[0])
             )
 
diff --git a/src/iranges/interval.py b/src/iranges/interval.py
index b7294ee..0905984 100644
--- a/src/iranges/interval.py
+++ b/src/iranges/interval.py
@@ -66,19 +66,16 @@ def create_np_interval_vector(
             cov[_start:_end] += value
 
         if with_reverse_map:
-            _ = [
-                revmap[x].append(name if name is not None else counter + 1)
-                for x in range(_start, _end)
-            ]
+            _ = [revmap[x].append(name if name is not None else counter + 1) for x in range(_start, _end)]
 
         counter += 1
     return cov[1:], revmap
 
 
-def calc_gap_and_overlap(
+def calc_gap_and_overlap_position(
     first: Tuple[int, int], second: Tuple[int, int]
-) -> Tuple[Optional[int], Optional[int]]:
-    """Calculate gap and/or overlap between two intervals.
+) -> Tuple[Optional[int], Optional[int], Optional[str]]:
+    """Calculate gap and/or overlap between two intervals, including overlap position.
 
     Args:
         first:
@@ -88,15 +85,33 @@ def calc_gap_and_overlap(
         second:
             Interval containing start and end positions.
             `end` is non-inclusive.
+
+    Returns:
+        A tuple of (gap, overlap, overlap_position):
+        - gap: The gap between the intervals if non-overlapping, else None.
+        - overlap: The overlap size if overlapping, else None.
+        - overlap_position: Where the overlap occurs relative to the first interval.
+          Options are: 'start', 'end', 'within', or 'any' (if there's overlap but no specific case).
     """
-    if min(first[1], second[1]) > max(first[0], second[0]):
-        _overlap = min(first[1], second[1]) - max(first[0], second[0])
-        return (None, _overlap)
+    start_first, end_first = first
+    start_second, end_second = second
+
+    if end_first > start_second and end_second > start_first:
+        # Overlapping case
+        overlap = min(end_first, end_second) - max(start_first, start_second)
+
+        # Determine the overlap position
+        if start_second <= start_first and end_second >= end_first:
+            overlap_position = "within"
+        elif start_second < start_first:
+            overlap_position = "start"
+        elif end_second > end_first:
+            overlap_position = "end"
+        else:
+            overlap_position = "any"
 
-    _gap = None
-    if second[0] >= first[1]:
-        _gap = second[0] - first[1]
-    elif first[0] >= second[1]:
-        _gap = first[0] - second[1]
+        return None, overlap, overlap_position
 
-    return (_gap, None)
+    # Non-overlapping, calculate the gap
+    gap = max(start_first - end_second, start_second - end_first)
+    return gap, None, None