diff --git a/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/DistinctOperator.java b/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/DistinctOperator.java
index b1da831..fed1a15 100644
--- a/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/DistinctOperator.java
+++ b/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/DistinctOperator.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.expressions.VariableReferenceExpression;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.properties.VariablePropagationPolicy;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.typing.ITypingContext;
-import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.typing.NonPropagatingTypeEnvironment;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.visitors.ILogicalExpressionReferenceTransform;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.visitors.ILogicalOperatorVisitor;
 
@@ -50,15 +49,12 @@
 
     @Override
     public void recomputeSchema() {
-        if (schema == null) {
-            schema = new ArrayList<LogicalVariable>();
-        }
-        schema.clear();
-        for (Mutable<ILogicalExpression> eRef : expressions) {
-            ILogicalExpression e = eRef.getValue();
-            if (e.getExpressionTag() == LogicalExpressionTag.VARIABLE) {
-                VariableReferenceExpression v = (VariableReferenceExpression) e;
-                schema.add(v.getVariableReference());
+        schema = new ArrayList<LogicalVariable>();
+        schema.addAll(this.getDistinctByVarList());
+        List<LogicalVariable> inputSchema = inputs.get(0).getValue().getSchema();
+        for (LogicalVariable var : inputSchema) {
+            if (!schema.contains(var)) {
+                schema.add(var);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -69,12 +65,16 @@
             @Override
             public void propagateVariables(IOperatorSchema target, IOperatorSchema... sources)
                     throws AlgebricksException {
-                for (Mutable<ILogicalExpression> eRef : expressions) {
-                    ILogicalExpression e = eRef.getValue();
-                    if (e.getExpressionTag() == LogicalExpressionTag.VARIABLE) {
-                        VariableReferenceExpression v = (VariableReferenceExpression) e;
-                        target.addVariable(v.getVariableReference());
-                    }
+                /** make sure distinct key vars laid-out first */
+                for (LogicalVariable keyVar : getDistinctByVarList()) {
+                    target.addVariable(keyVar);
+                }
+                /** add other source vars */
+                for (IOperatorSchema srcSchema : sources) {
+                    for (LogicalVariable srcVar : srcSchema)
+                        if (target.findVariable(srcVar) < 0) {
+                            target.addVariable(srcVar);
+                        }
                 }
             }
         };
@@ -128,16 +128,7 @@
 
     @Override
     public IVariableTypeEnvironment computeOutputTypeEnvironment(ITypingContext ctx) throws AlgebricksException {
-        IVariableTypeEnvironment env = new NonPropagatingTypeEnvironment(ctx.getExpressionTypeComputer(), ctx.getMetadataProvider());
-        IVariableTypeEnvironment childEnv = ctx.getOutputTypeEnvironment(inputs.get(0).getValue());
-        for (Mutable<ILogicalExpression> exprRef : expressions) {
-            ILogicalExpression expr = exprRef.getValue();
-            if (expr.getExpressionTag() == LogicalExpressionTag.VARIABLE) {
-                VariableReferenceExpression varRefExpr = (VariableReferenceExpression) expr;
-                env.setVarType(varRefExpr.getVariableReference(), childEnv.getType(expr));
-            }
-        }
-        return env;
+        return createPropagatingAllInputsTypeEnvironment(ctx);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/visitors/SchemaVariableVisitor.java b/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/visitors/SchemaVariableVisitor.java
index 0de9652..5225ac7 100644
--- a/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/visitors/SchemaVariableVisitor.java
+++ b/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/logical/visitors/SchemaVariableVisitor.java
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@
  */
 package edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.core.algebra.operators.logical.visitors;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.mutable.Mutable;
 
@@ -85,11 +87,17 @@
 
     @Override
     public Void visitDistinctOperator(DistinctOperator op, Void arg) throws AlgebricksException {
-        for (Mutable<ILogicalExpression> exprRef : op.getExpressions()) {
-            ILogicalExpression expr = exprRef.getValue();
-            if (expr.getExpressionTag() == LogicalExpressionTag.VARIABLE) {
-                VariableReferenceExpression varRefExpr = (VariableReferenceExpression) expr;
-                schemaVariables.add(varRefExpr.getVariableReference());
+        List<LogicalVariable> allLiveVars = new ArrayList<LogicalVariable>();
+        for (Mutable<ILogicalOperator> c : op.getInputs()) {
+            VariableUtilities.getLiveVariables(c.getValue(), allLiveVars);
+        }
+        VariableUtilities.getProducedVariables(op, allLiveVars);
+        /** put distinct vars first */
+        schemaVariables.addAll(op.getDistinctByVarList());
+        /** then other live vars */
+        for (LogicalVariable var : allLiveVars) {
+            if (!schemaVariables.contains(var)) {
+                schemaVariables.add(var);
             }
         }
         return null;
diff --git a/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/physical/PreSortedDistinctByPOperator.java b/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/physical/PreSortedDistinctByPOperator.java
index 29af97c..b5656cd 100644
--- a/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/physical/PreSortedDistinctByPOperator.java
+++ b/algebricks/algebricks-core/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/core/algebra/operators/physical/PreSortedDistinctByPOperator.java
@@ -105,14 +105,24 @@
                 fdColumns[j++] = inputSchemas[0].findVariable(v);
             }
         }
+        int[] keysAndDecs = new int[keys.length + fdColumns.length];
+        for (int i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
+            keysAndDecs[i] = keys[i];
+        }
+        for (int i = 0; i < fdColumns.length; i++) {
+            keysAndDecs[i + keys.length] = fdColumns[i];
+        }
+
         IBinaryComparatorFactory[] comparatorFactories = JobGenHelper.variablesToAscBinaryComparatorFactories(
                 columnList, context.getTypeEnvironment(op), context);
         IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] aggFactories = new IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] {};
         IAggregatorDescriptorFactory aggregatorFactory = new SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory(
-                aggFactories, keys, fdColumns);
+                aggFactories, keysAndDecs);
 
-        RecordDescriptor recordDescriptor = JobGenHelper.mkRecordDescriptor(context.getTypeEnvironment(op), opSchema, context);
-        PreclusteredGroupOperatorDescriptor opDesc = new PreclusteredGroupOperatorDescriptor(spec, keys,
+        RecordDescriptor recordDescriptor = JobGenHelper.mkRecordDescriptor(context.getTypeEnvironment(op), opSchema,
+                context);
+        /** make fd columns part of the key but the comparator only compares the distinct key columns */
+        PreclusteredGroupOperatorDescriptor opDesc = new PreclusteredGroupOperatorDescriptor(spec, keysAndDecs,
                 comparatorFactories, aggregatorFactory, recordDescriptor);
 
         contributeOpDesc(builder, (AbstractLogicalOperator) op, opDesc);
diff --git a/algebricks/algebricks-runtime/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/runtime/operators/aggreg/SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory.java b/algebricks/algebricks-runtime/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/runtime/operators/aggreg/SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory.java
index 83925cc..76b6fcf 100644
--- a/algebricks/algebricks-runtime/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/runtime/operators/aggreg/SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory.java
+++ b/algebricks/algebricks-runtime/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/runtime/operators/aggreg/SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory.java
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
     private IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] aggFactories;
 
-    public SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory(IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] aggFactories, int[] keys,
-            int[] fdColumns) {
+    public SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory(IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] aggFactories, int[] keys) {
         this.aggFactories = aggFactories;
     }
 
diff --git a/algebricks/algebricks-tests/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/tests/pushruntime/PushRuntimeTest.java b/algebricks/algebricks-tests/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/tests/pushruntime/PushRuntimeTest.java
index 3de0966..e3cd7d8 100644
--- a/algebricks/algebricks-tests/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/tests/pushruntime/PushRuntimeTest.java
+++ b/algebricks/algebricks-tests/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/algebricks/tests/pushruntime/PushRuntimeTest.java
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@
                 new IBinaryHashFunctionFactory[] { PointableBinaryHashFunctionFactory.of(IntegerPointable.FACTORY) });
         IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] aggFuns = new IAggregateEvaluatorFactory[] { new TupleCountAggregateFunctionFactory() };
         IAggregatorDescriptorFactory aggFactory = new SimpleAlgebricksAccumulatingAggregatorFactory(aggFuns,
-                new int[] { 3 }, new int[] {});
+                new int[] { 3 });
         HashGroupOperatorDescriptor gby = new HashGroupOperatorDescriptor(spec, new int[] { 3 }, tpcf,
                 new IBinaryComparatorFactory[] { PointableBinaryComparatorFactory.of(IntegerPointable.FACTORY) },
                 aggFactory, gbyDesc, 1024);