diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index e029ec8e32..5d6b30f806 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -489,6 +489,7 @@ urchin_core = (['database.cc',
                  'gms/gms.cc',
                  'dht/i_partitioner.cc',
                  'dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc',
+                 'dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.cc',
                  'unimplemented.cc',
                  'query.cc',
                  'query-result-set.cc',
diff --git a/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.cc b/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c9c9650cb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Cloudius Systems, Ltd.
+ */
+
+#include "byte_ordered_partitioner.hh"
+#include "utils/class_registrator.hh"
+
+namespace dht {
+
+token byte_ordered_partitioner::get_random_token()
+{
+    bytes b(bytes::initialized_later(), 16);
+    *unaligned_cast<uint64_t>(b.begin()) = dht::get_random_number<uint64_t>();
+    *unaligned_cast<uint64_t>(b.begin() + 8) = dht::get_random_number<uint64_t>();
+    return token(token::kind::key, std::move(b));
+}
+
+std::map<token, float> byte_ordered_partitioner::describe_ownership(const std::vector<token>& sorted_tokens)
+{
+    throw std::runtime_error("not implemented");
+}
+
+token byte_ordered_partitioner::midpoint(const token& t1, const token& t2) const
+{
+    throw std::runtime_error("not implemented");
+}
+
+using registry = class_registrator<i_partitioner, byte_ordered_partitioner>;
+static registry registrator("org.apache.cassandra.dht.ByteOrderedPartitioner");
+static registry registrator_short_name("ByteOrderedPartitioner");
+
+}
diff --git a/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh b/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..906431036a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Cloudius Systems, Ltd.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "i_partitioner.hh"
+#include "bytes.hh"
+
+#include "sstables/key.hh"
+
+namespace dht {
+
+class byte_ordered_partitioner final : public i_partitioner {
+public:
+    virtual const sstring name() { return "org.apache.cassandra.dht.ByteOrderedPartitioner"; }
+    virtual token get_token(const schema& s, partition_key_view key) override {
+        auto&& legacy = key.legacy_form(s);
+        return token(token::kind::key, bytes(legacy.begin(), legacy.end()));
+    }
+    virtual token get_token(const sstables::key_view& key) override {
+        auto v = bytes_view(key);
+        if (v.empty()) {
+            return minimum_token();
+        }
+        return token(token::kind::key, bytes(v.begin(), v.end()));
+    }
+    virtual token get_random_token() override;
+    virtual bool preserves_order() override { return true; }
+    virtual std::map<token, float> describe_ownership(const std::vector<token>& sorted_tokens) override;
+    virtual data_type get_token_validator() override { return bytes_type; }
+    virtual bool is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2) override {
+        return compare_unsigned(t1._data, t2._data) == 0;
+    }
+    virtual bool is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2) override {
+        return compare_unsigned(t1._data, t2._data) < 0;
+    }
+    virtual token midpoint(const token& t1, const token& t2) const;
+    virtual sstring to_sstring(const dht::token& t) const override {
+        return to_hex(t._data);
+    }
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/dht/i_partitioner.cc b/dht/i_partitioner.cc
index d5dd65d297..3a03806a16 100644
--- a/dht/i_partitioner.cc
+++ b/dht/i_partitioner.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "i_partitioner.hh"
 #include "core/reactor.hh"
 #include "murmur3_partitioner.hh"
+#include "utils/class_registrator.hh"
 
 namespace dht {
 
@@ -157,13 +158,17 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const decorated_key& dk) {
     return out << "{key: " << dk._key << ", token:" << dk._token << "}";
 }
 
-// FIXME: get from global config
 // FIXME: make it per-keyspace
-murmur3_partitioner default_partitioner;
+std::unique_ptr<i_partitioner> default_partitioner { new murmur3_partitioner };
+
+void set_global_partitioner(const sstring& class_name)
+{
+    default_partitioner = create_object<i_partitioner>(class_name);
+}
 
 i_partitioner&
 global_partitioner() {
-    return default_partitioner;
+    return *default_partitioner;
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/dht/i_partitioner.hh b/dht/i_partitioner.hh
index 030d38cdbb..71023dfdfd 100644
--- a/dht/i_partitioner.hh
+++ b/dht/i_partitioner.hh
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const token& t);
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const decorated_key& t);
 
+void set_global_partitioner(const sstring& class_name);
 i_partitioner& global_partitioner();
 
 unsigned shard_of(const token&);
diff --git a/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc b/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc
index d5eaa2910d..d587901d0a 100644
--- a/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc
+++ b/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "murmur3_partitioner.hh"
 #include "utils/murmur_hash.hh"
 #include "sstables/key.hh"
+#include "utils/class_registrator.hh"
 
 namespace dht {
 
@@ -110,6 +111,10 @@ murmur3_partitioner::get_token_validator() {
     abort();
 }
 
+using registry = class_registrator<i_partitioner, murmur3_partitioner>;
+static registry registrator("org.apache.cassandra.dht.Murmur3Partitioner");
+static registry registrator_short_name("Murmur3Partitioner");
+
 }
 
 
diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index 631c42f9ab..3a784118ea 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ int main(int ac, char** av) {
         auto&& opts = app.configuration();
 
         return read_config(opts, *cfg).then([&cfg, &db, &qp, &proxy, &ctx, &opts]() {
+            dht::set_global_partitioner(cfg->partitioner());
             uint16_t thrift_port = cfg->rpc_port();
             uint16_t cql_port = cfg->native_transport_port();
             uint16_t api_port = opts["api-port"].as<uint16_t>();