diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/IndexIO.java b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/IndexIO.java
index 9d6f7db0552..3cd6d7c27e1 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/IndexIO.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/IndexIO.java
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ import io.druid.segment.column.ColumnConfig;
 import io.druid.segment.column.ColumnDescriptor;
 import io.druid.segment.column.ValueType;
 import io.druid.segment.data.ArrayIndexed;
+import io.druid.segment.data.BitmapSerde;
 import io.druid.segment.data.BitmapSerdeFactory;
 import io.druid.segment.data.ByteBufferSerializer;
 import io.druid.segment.data.CompressedLongsIndexedSupplier;
-import io.druid.segment.data.ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory;
 import io.druid.segment.data.GenericIndexed;
 import io.druid.segment.data.IndexedIterable;
 import io.druid.segment.data.IndexedRTree;
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ public class IndexIO
           indexBuffer, GenericIndexed.stringStrategy
       );
       final Interval dataInterval = new Interval(serializerUtils.readString(indexBuffer));
-      final BitmapSerdeFactory conciseBitmapSerdeFactory = new ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory();
+      final BitmapSerdeFactory bitmapSerdeFactory = BitmapSerde.createLegacyFactory();
 
       CompressedLongsIndexedSupplier timestamps = CompressedLongsIndexedSupplier.fromByteBuffer(
           smooshedFiles.mapFile(makeTimeFile(inDir, BYTE_ORDER).getName()), BYTE_ORDER
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ public class IndexIO
       for (int i = 0; i < availableDimensions.size(); ++i) {
         bitmaps.put(
             serializerUtils.readString(invertedBuffer),
-            GenericIndexed.read(invertedBuffer, conciseBitmapSerdeFactory.getObjectStrategy())
+            GenericIndexed.read(invertedBuffer, bitmapSerdeFactory.getObjectStrategy())
         );
       }
 
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ public class IndexIO
             serializerUtils.readString(spatialBuffer),
             ByteBufferSerializer.read(
                 spatialBuffer,
-                new IndexedRTree.ImmutableRTreeObjectStrategy(conciseBitmapSerdeFactory.getBitmapFactory())
+                new IndexedRTree.ImmutableRTreeObjectStrategy(bitmapSerdeFactory.getBitmapFactory())
             )
         );
       }
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ public class IndexIO
       if (indexBuffer.hasRemaining()) {
         segmentBitmapSerdeFactory = mapper.readValue(serializerUtils.readString(indexBuffer), BitmapSerdeFactory.class);
       } else {
-        segmentBitmapSerdeFactory = new ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory();
+        segmentBitmapSerdeFactory = BitmapSerde.createLegacyFactory();
       }
 
       Map<String, Column> columns = Maps.newHashMap();
diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerde.java b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerde.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..93af706b57b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerde.java
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/*
+ * Druid - a distributed column store.
+ * Copyright (C) 2014  Metamarkets Group Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+package io.druid.segment.data;
+
+import com.metamx.common.ISE;
+
+public class BitmapSerde
+{
+  // default bitmap indices in Druid <= 0.6.x
+  public static final Class<ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory> LEGACY_BITMAP_FACTORY = ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory.class;
+
+  // default bitmap indices for Druid >= 0.7.x
+  public static final Class<ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory> DEFAULT_BITMAP_FACTORY = ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory.class;
+
+  public static BitmapSerdeFactory createDefaultFactory()
+  {
+    try {
+      return DEFAULT_BITMAP_FACTORY.newInstance();
+    } catch(InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException e) {
+      // should never happen
+      throw new ISE(e, "Unable to instatiate BitmapSerdeFactory");
+    }
+  }
+  public static BitmapSerdeFactory createLegacyFactory()
+  {
+    try {
+      return LEGACY_BITMAP_FACTORY.newInstance();
+    } catch(InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException e) {
+      // should never happen
+      throw new ISE(e, "Unable to instatiate BitmapSerdeFactory");
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerdeFactory.java b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerdeFactory.java
index 09db6f5fff0..624e81fa0b0 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerdeFactory.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/data/BitmapSerdeFactory.java
@@ -26,12 +26,11 @@ import com.metamx.collections.bitmap.ImmutableBitmap;
 
 /**
  */
-@JsonTypeInfo(use = JsonTypeInfo.Id.NAME, property = "type", defaultImpl = ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory.class)
+@JsonTypeInfo(use = JsonTypeInfo.Id.NAME, property = "type", defaultImpl = BitmapSerde.DEFAULT_BITMAP_FACTORY)
 @JsonSubTypes(value = {
     @JsonSubTypes.Type(name = "concise", value = ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory.class),
     @JsonSubTypes.Type(name = "roaring", value = RoaringBitmapSerdeFactory.class)
 })
-
 public interface BitmapSerdeFactory
 {
   public ObjectStrategy<ImmutableBitmap> getObjectStrategy();
diff --git a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/serde/DictionaryEncodedColumnPartSerde.java b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/serde/DictionaryEncodedColumnPartSerde.java
index adc30851af8..012b29a3f11 100644
--- a/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/serde/DictionaryEncodedColumnPartSerde.java
+++ b/processing/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/serde/DictionaryEncodedColumnPartSerde.java
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ import com.metamx.common.IAE;
 import io.druid.segment.column.ColumnBuilder;
 import io.druid.segment.column.ColumnConfig;
 import io.druid.segment.column.ValueType;
+import io.druid.segment.data.BitmapSerde;
 import io.druid.segment.data.BitmapSerdeFactory;
 import io.druid.segment.data.ByteBufferSerializer;
-import io.druid.segment.data.ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory;
 import io.druid.segment.data.GenericIndexed;
 import io.druid.segment.data.IndexedRTree;
 import io.druid.segment.data.VSizeIndexed;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public class DictionaryEncodedColumnPartSerde implements ColumnPartSerde
   {
     this.isSingleValued = isSingleValued;
     this.bitmapSerdeFactory = bitmapSerdeFactory == null
-                              ? new ConciseBitmapSerdeFactory()
+                              ? BitmapSerde.createLegacyFactory()
                               : bitmapSerdeFactory;
 
     this.dictionary = null;