diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java
index a6943b3..d4c8c34 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.formats.base.IDataFormat;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.MetadataManager;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.MetadataTransactionContext;
+import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.dataset.hints.DatasetHints.DatasetCardinalityHint;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.declared.AqlMetadataProvider;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Dataset;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Dataverse;
@@ -260,8 +261,13 @@
         }
         LOGGER.info("LOAD into File Splits: " + sb.toString());
 
-        //TODO: change number of elements hint to the correct value.
-        long numElementsHint = 1000000L;
+        String numElementsHintString = dataset.getHints().get("CARDINALITY");
+        long numElementsHint;
+        if (numElementsHintString == null) {
+            numElementsHint = DatasetCardinalityHint.DEFAULT;
+        } else {
+            numElementsHint = Long.parseLong(dataset.getHints().get("CARDINALITY"));
+        }
 
         TreeIndexBulkLoadOperatorDescriptor btreeBulkLoad = new TreeIndexBulkLoadOperatorDescriptor(spec,
                 AsterixRuntimeComponentsProvider.NOINDEX_PROVIDER, AsterixRuntimeComponentsProvider.NOINDEX_PROVIDER,
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/SecondaryIndexCreator.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/SecondaryIndexCreator.java
index b1cc730..e7c2e3e 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/SecondaryIndexCreator.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/SecondaryIndexCreator.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.formats.nontagged.AqlSerializerDeserializerProvider;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.formats.nontagged.AqlTypeTraitProvider;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.MetadataException;
+import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.dataset.hints.DatasetHints.DatasetCardinalityHint;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.declared.AqlMetadataProvider;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Dataset;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Index;
@@ -93,8 +94,7 @@
     protected String secondaryIndexName;
     protected boolean anySecondaryKeyIsNullable = false;
 
-    //TODO: change number of elements hint to the correct value.
-    protected final long numElementsHint = 1000000L;
+    protected long numElementsHint;
     protected IBinaryComparatorFactory[] primaryComparatorFactories;
     protected int[] primaryBloomFilterKeyFields;
     protected RecordDescriptor primaryRecDesc;
@@ -170,6 +170,13 @@
         // Must be called in this order.
         setPrimaryRecDescAndComparators();
         setSecondaryRecDescAndComparators(createIndexStmt, metadataProvider);
+
+        String numElementsHintString = dataset.getHints().get("CARDINALITY");
+        if (numElementsHintString == null) {
+            numElementsHint = DatasetCardinalityHint.DEFAULT;
+        } else {
+            numElementsHint = Long.parseLong(dataset.getHints().get("CARDINALITY"));
+        }
     }
 
     protected void setPrimaryRecDescAndComparators() throws AlgebricksException {
@@ -178,7 +185,7 @@
         ISerializerDeserializer[] primaryRecFields = new ISerializerDeserializer[numPrimaryKeys + 1];
         ITypeTraits[] primaryTypeTraits = new ITypeTraits[numPrimaryKeys + 1];
         primaryComparatorFactories = new IBinaryComparatorFactory[numPrimaryKeys];
-        primaryBloomFilterKeyFields = new int [numPrimaryKeys];
+        primaryBloomFilterKeyFields = new int[numPrimaryKeys];
         ISerializerDeserializerProvider serdeProvider = metadataProvider.getFormat().getSerdeProvider();
         for (int i = 0; i < numPrimaryKeys; i++) {
             IAType keyType;
@@ -203,7 +210,7 @@
         List<String> secondaryKeyFields = createIndexStmt.getKeyFields();
         secondaryFieldAccessEvalFactories = new ICopyEvaluatorFactory[numSecondaryKeys];
         secondaryComparatorFactories = new IBinaryComparatorFactory[numSecondaryKeys + numPrimaryKeys];
-        secondaryBloomFilterKeyFields = new int [numSecondaryKeys];
+        secondaryBloomFilterKeyFields = new int[numSecondaryKeys];
         ISerializerDeserializer[] secondaryRecFields = new ISerializerDeserializer[numPrimaryKeys + numSecondaryKeys];
         ITypeTraits[] secondaryTypeTraits = new ITypeTraits[numSecondaryKeys + numPrimaryKeys];
         ISerializerDeserializerProvider serdeProvider = metadataProvider.getFormat().getSerdeProvider();
diff --git a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/declared/AqlMetadataProvider.java b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/declared/AqlMetadataProvider.java
index fc39484..f1ac141 100644
--- a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/declared/AqlMetadataProvider.java
+++ b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/declared/AqlMetadataProvider.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.MetadataTransactionContext;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.bootstrap.AsterixProperties;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.bootstrap.MetadataConstants;
+import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.dataset.hints.DatasetHints.DatasetCardinalityHint;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Dataset;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.DatasourceAdapter;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Datatype;
@@ -696,8 +697,14 @@
                     dataSource.getId().getDataverseName(), datasetName, indexName);
             IAsterixApplicationContextInfo appContext = (IAsterixApplicationContextInfo) context.getAppContext();
 
-            //TODO: change number of elements hint to the correct value.
-            long numElementsHint = 1000000L;
+            String numElementsHintString = dataset.getHints().get("CARDINALITY");
+            long numElementsHint;
+            if (numElementsHintString == null) {
+                numElementsHint = DatasetCardinalityHint.DEFAULT;
+            } else {
+                numElementsHint = Long.parseLong(dataset.getHints().get("CARDINALITY"));
+            }
+
             //TODO
             //figure out the right behavior of the bulkload and then give the right callback
             //(ex. what's the expected behavior when there is an error during bulkload?)