diff --git a/src/tree/param.h b/src/tree/param.h
index 8bd855554..47d31df1e 100644
--- a/src/tree/param.h
+++ b/src/tree/param.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ struct TrainParam{
   float colsample_bytree;
   // speed optimization for dense column
   float opt_dense_col;
+  // accuracy of sketch
+  float sketch_eps;
   // leaf vector size
   int size_leaf_vector;  
   // option for parallelization
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ struct TrainParam{
     nthread = 0;
     size_leaf_vector = 0;
     parallel_option = 2;
+    sketch_eps = 0.1f;
   }
   /*! 
    * \brief set parameters from outside 
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@ struct TrainParam{
     if (!strcmp(name, "subsample")) subsample = static_cast<float>(atof(val));
     if (!strcmp(name, "colsample_bylevel")) colsample_bylevel = static_cast<float>(atof(val));
     if (!strcmp(name, "colsample_bytree")) colsample_bytree  = static_cast<float>(atof(val));
+    if (!strcmp(name, "sketch_eps")) sketch_eps  = static_cast<float>(atof(val));
     if (!strcmp(name, "opt_dense_col")) opt_dense_col = static_cast<float>(atof(val));
     if (!strcmp(name, "size_leaf_vector")) size_leaf_vector = atoi(val);
     if (!strcmp(name, "max_depth")) max_depth = atoi(val);
diff --git a/src/tree/updater_histmaker-inl.hpp b/src/tree/updater_histmaker-inl.hpp
index 02dc5c8fc..40c4a5497 100644
--- a/src/tree/updater_histmaker-inl.hpp
+++ b/src/tree/updater_histmaker-inl.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 #include "../sync/sync.h"
 #include "../utils/quantile.h"
+#include "../utils/group_data.h"
 
 namespace xgboost {
 namespace tree {
@@ -145,7 +146,8 @@ class HistMaker: public IUpdater {
   // this function does two jobs
   // (1) reset the position in array position, to be the latest leaf id
   // (2) propose a set of candidate cuts and set wspace.rptr wspace.cut correctly 
-  virtual void ResetPosAndPropose(IFMatrix *p_fmat,
+  virtual void ResetPosAndPropose(const std::vector<bst_gpair> &gpair,
+                                  IFMatrix *p_fmat,
                                   const BoosterInfo &info,
                                   const RegTree &tree)  = 0;  
  private:
@@ -249,7 +251,7 @@ class HistMaker: public IUpdater {
         const int nid = position[ridx];
         if (nid >= 0) {
           utils::Assert(tree[nid].is_leaf(), "CreateHist happens in leaf");
-           const int wid = node2workindex[nid];
+          const int wid = this->node2workindex[nid];
           for (bst_uint i = 0; i < inst.length; ++i) {
             utils::Assert(inst[i].index < num_feature, "feature index exceed bound");
             // feature histogram
@@ -302,7 +304,7 @@ class HistMaker: public IUpdater {
                         RegTree *p_tree) {
     const bst_uint num_feature = p_tree->param.num_feature;
     // reset and propose candidate split
-    this->ResetPosAndPropose(p_fmat, info, *p_tree);
+    this->ResetPosAndPropose(gpair, p_fmat, info, *p_tree);
     // create histogram
     this->CreateHist(gpair, p_fmat, info, *p_tree);
     // get the best split condition for each node
@@ -347,17 +349,32 @@ class HistMaker: public IUpdater {
 
 // hist maker that propose using quantile sketch
 template<typename TStats>
-class QuantileHistMaker: public HistMaker<TStats> {
+class QuantileHistMaker: public HistMaker<TStats> {  
  protected:
-  virtual void ResetPosAndPropose(IFMatrix *p_fmat,
+  virtual void ResetPosAndPropose(const std::vector<bst_gpair> &gpair,
+                                  IFMatrix *p_fmat,
                                   const BoosterInfo &info,
                                   const RegTree &tree) {
+    // initialize the data structure
+    int nthread;
+    #pragma omp parallel
+    {
+      nthread = omp_get_num_threads();
+    }
+    sketchs.resize(this->qexpand.size() * tree.param.num_feature);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < sketchs.size(); ++i) {
+      sketchs[i].Init(info.num_row, this->param.sketch_eps);
+    }    
     // start accumulating statistics
     utils::IIterator<RowBatch> *iter = p_fmat->RowIterator();
     iter->BeforeFirst();
     while (iter->Next()) {
       const RowBatch &batch = iter->Value();
-      const bst_omp_uint nbatch = static_cast<bst_omp_uint>(batch.size);
+      // parallel convert to column major format
+      utils::ParallelGroupBuilder<SparseBatch::Entry> builder(&col_ptr, &col_data, &thread_col_ptr);
+      builder.InitBudget(tree.param.num_feature, nthread);
+
+      const bst_omp_uint nbatch = static_cast<bst_omp_uint>(batch.size);      
       #pragma omp parallel for schedule(static)
       for (bst_omp_uint i = 0; i < nbatch; ++i) {
         RowBatch::Inst inst = batch[i];
@@ -367,13 +384,54 @@ class QuantileHistMaker: public HistMaker<TStats> {
           if (tree[nid].is_leaf()) {
             this->position[ridx] = ~nid; 
           } else {
-            this->position[ridx] = nid = HistMaker<TStats>::NextLevel(inst, tree, nid);            
-            // todo add the cut point setup
+            this->position[ridx] = nid = HistMaker<TStats>::NextLevel(inst, tree, nid);
+            for (bst_uint j = 0; j < inst.length; ++j) { 
+              builder.AddBudget(inst[j].index, omp_get_thread_num());
+            }
           }
         }
-      }      
-    }    
+      }
+      builder.InitStorage();
+      #pragma omp parallel for schedule(static)
+      for (bst_omp_uint i = 0; i < nbatch; ++i) {
+        RowBatch::Inst inst = batch[i];
+        const bst_uint ridx = static_cast<bst_uint>(batch.base_rowid + i);
+        const int nid = this->position[ridx];
+        if (nid >= 0) {
+          for (bst_uint j = 0; j < inst.length; ++j) {
+            builder.Push(inst[j].index,
+                         SparseBatch::Entry(nid, inst[j].fvalue),
+                         omp_get_thread_num());
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      // start putting things into sketch
+      const bst_omp_uint nfeat = tree.param.num_feature;
+      #pragma omp parallel for schedule(dynamic, 1)
+      for (bst_omp_uint k = 0; k < nfeat; ++k) {
+        for (size_t i = col_ptr[k]; i < col_ptr[k+1]; ++i) {
+          const SparseBatch::Entry &e = col_data[i];
+          const int wid = this->node2workindex[e.index];
+          sketchs[wid * tree.param.num_feature + k].Push(e.fvalue, gpair[e.index].hess);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    // synchronize sketch
+    
+    
+    // now we have all the results in the sketchs, try to setup the cut point
   }
+
+ private:
+  //
+
+  // local temp column data structure
+  std::vector<size_t> col_ptr;
+  // local storage of column data
+  std::vector<SparseBatch::Entry> col_data;
+  std::vector< std::vector<size_t> > thread_col_ptr;
+  // per node, per feature sketch
+  std::vector< utils::WQuantileSketch<bst_float, bst_float> > sketchs;
 };
 
 }  // namespace tree