diff --git a/benchmarks/src/main/java/io/druid/benchmark/MergeSequenceBenchmark.java b/benchmarks/src/main/java/io/druid/benchmark/MergeSequenceBenchmark.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..71b186dd632
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/src/main/java/io/druid/benchmark/MergeSequenceBenchmark.java
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+package io.druid.benchmark;
+
+import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
+import com.google.common.collect.Ordering;
+import com.google.common.primitives.Ints;
+import com.metamx.common.guava.Accumulator;
+import com.metamx.common.guava.MergeSequence;
+import com.metamx.common.guava.Sequence;
+import com.metamx.common.guava.Sequences;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Random;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.Benchmark;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.BenchmarkMode;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.Mode;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.OutputTimeUnit;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.Param;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.Scope;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.Setup;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.State;
+import org.openjdk.jmh.infra.Blackhole;
+
+@State(Scope.Benchmark)
+public class MergeSequenceBenchmark
+{
+
+  // Number of Sequences to Merge
+  @Param({"1000"})
+  int count;
+
+  // Number of elements in each sequence
+  @Param({"1000", "10000"})
+  int sequenceLength;
+
+  // Number of sequences to merge at once
+  @Param({"10", "100"})
+  int mergeAtOnce;
+
+  private List<Sequence<Integer>> sequences;
+
+  @Setup
+  public void setup()
+  {
+    Random rand = new Random(0);
+    sequences = Lists.newArrayList();
+    for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+      int[] sequence = new int[sequenceLength];
+      for (int j = 0; j < sequenceLength; j++) {
+        sequence[j] = rand.nextInt();
+      }
+      sequences.add(Sequences.simple(Ints.asList(sequence)));
+    }
+
+  }
+
+  @Benchmark
+  @BenchmarkMode(Mode.AverageTime)
+  @OutputTimeUnit(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+  public void mergeHierarchical(Blackhole blackhole)
+  {
+    Iterator<Sequence<Integer>> iterator = sequences.iterator();
+    List<Sequence<Integer>> partialMerged = new ArrayList<Sequence<Integer>>();
+    List<Sequence<Integer>> toMerge = new ArrayList<Sequence<Integer>>();
+
+    while (iterator.hasNext()) {
+      toMerge.add(iterator.next());
+      if (toMerge.size() == mergeAtOnce) {
+        partialMerged.add(new MergeSequence<Integer>(Ordering.<Integer>natural(), Sequences.simple(toMerge)));
+        toMerge = new ArrayList<Sequence<Integer>>();
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (!toMerge.isEmpty()) {
+      partialMerged.add(new MergeSequence<Integer>(Ordering.<Integer>natural(), Sequences.simple(toMerge)));
+    }
+    MergeSequence<Integer> mergeSequence = new MergeSequence(
+        Ordering.<Integer>natural(),
+        Sequences.simple(partialMerged)
+    );
+    Integer accumulate = mergeSequence.accumulate(
+        0, new Accumulator<Integer, Integer>()
+        {
+          @Override
+          public Integer accumulate(Integer accumulated, Integer in)
+          {
+            return accumulated + in;
+          }
+        }
+    );
+    blackhole.consume(accumulate);
+
+
+  }
+
+  @Benchmark
+  @BenchmarkMode(Mode.AverageTime)
+  @OutputTimeUnit(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+  public void mergeFlat(final Blackhole blackhole)
+  {
+    MergeSequence<Integer> mergeSequence = new MergeSequence(Ordering.<Integer>natural(), Sequences.simple(sequences));
+    Integer accumulate = mergeSequence.accumulate(
+        0, new Accumulator<Integer, Integer>()
+        {
+          @Override
+          public Integer accumulate(Integer accumulated, Integer in)
+          {
+            return accumulated + in;
+          }
+        }
+    );
+    blackhole.consume(accumulate);
+
+  }
+
+
+}
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/CachingClusteredClient.java b/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/CachingClusteredClient.java
index 9ed71c27cec..87d1a7eaeca 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/CachingClusteredClient.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/CachingClusteredClient.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterators;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
-import com.google.common.collect.Ordering;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.FutureCallback;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.Futures;
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@ import com.google.common.util.concurrent.MoreExecutors;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.metamx.common.Pair;
 import com.metamx.common.guava.BaseSequence;
-import com.metamx.common.guava.Comparators;
 import com.metamx.common.guava.LazySequence;
 import com.metamx.common.guava.Sequence;
 import com.metamx.common.guava.Sequences;
@@ -64,11 +62,8 @@ import io.druid.timeline.DataSegment;
 import io.druid.timeline.TimelineLookup;
 import io.druid.timeline.TimelineObjectHolder;
 import io.druid.timeline.partition.PartitionChunk;
-import org.joda.time.Interval;
-
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -77,6 +72,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import org.joda.time.Interval;
 
 /**
  */
@@ -491,36 +487,21 @@ public class CachingClusteredClient<T> implements QueryRunner<T>
       return Sequences.empty();
     }
 
-    Collections.sort(
-        sequencesByInterval,
-        Ordering.from(Comparators.intervalsByStartThenEnd()).onResultOf(Pair.<Interval, Sequence<T>>lhsFn())
+    return toolChest.mergeSequencesUnordered(
+        Sequences.simple(
+            Lists.transform(
+                sequencesByInterval,
+                new Function<Pair<Interval, Sequence<T>>, Sequence<T>>()
+                {
+                  @Override
+                  public Sequence<T> apply(Pair<Interval, Sequence<T>> input)
+                  {
+                    return input.rhs;
+                  }
+                }
+            )
+        )
     );
-
-    // result sequences from overlapping intervals could start anywhere within that interval
-    // therefore we cannot assume any ordering with respect to the first result from each
-    // and must resort to calling toolchest.mergeSequencesUnordered for those.
-    Iterator<Pair<Interval, Sequence<T>>> iterator = sequencesByInterval.iterator();
-    Pair<Interval, Sequence<T>> current = iterator.next();
-
-    final List<Sequence<T>> orderedSequences = Lists.newLinkedList();
-    List<Sequence<T>> unordered = Lists.newLinkedList();
-
-    unordered.add(current.rhs);
-
-    while (iterator.hasNext()) {
-      Pair<Interval, Sequence<T>> next = iterator.next();
-      if (!next.lhs.overlaps(current.lhs)) {
-        orderedSequences.add(toolChest.mergeSequencesUnordered(Sequences.simple(unordered)));
-        unordered = Lists.newLinkedList();
-      }
-      unordered.add(next.rhs);
-      current = next;
-    }
-    if (!unordered.isEmpty()) {
-      orderedSequences.add(toolChest.mergeSequencesUnordered(Sequences.simple(unordered)));
-    }
-
-    return toolChest.mergeSequencesUnordered(Sequences.simple(orderedSequences));
   }
 
   private static class CachePopulator