diff --git a/src/query/src/dist_plan/analyzer.rs b/src/query/src/dist_plan/analyzer.rs
index 7b07870dcb..b3d207a8de 100644
--- a/src/query/src/dist_plan/analyzer.rs
+++ b/src/query/src/dist_plan/analyzer.rs
@@ -276,7 +276,14 @@ impl PlanRewriter {
         on_node = on_node.rewrite(&mut rewriter)?.data;
 
         // add merge scan as the new root
-        let mut node = MergeScanLogicalPlan::new(on_node, false).into_logical_plan();
+        let mut node = MergeScanLogicalPlan::new(
+            on_node,
+            false,
+            // at this stage, the partition cols should be set
+            // treat it as non-partitioned if None
+            self.partition_cols.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
+        )
+        .into_logical_plan();
 
         // expand stages
         for new_stage in self.stage.drain(..) {
diff --git a/src/query/src/dist_plan/merge_scan.rs b/src/query/src/dist_plan/merge_scan.rs
index dd42406b5f..edbbedc8b7 100644
--- a/src/query/src/dist_plan/merge_scan.rs
+++ b/src/query/src/dist_plan/merge_scan.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use std::any::Any;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-use arrow_schema::{Schema as ArrowSchema, SchemaRef as ArrowSchemaRef};
+use arrow_schema::{Schema as ArrowSchema, SchemaRef as ArrowSchemaRef, SortOptions};
 use async_stream::stream;
 use common_catalog::parse_catalog_and_schema_from_db_string;
 use common_error::ext::BoxedError;
@@ -28,16 +28,17 @@ use common_recordbatch::{
     DfSendableRecordBatchStream, RecordBatch, RecordBatchStreamWrapper, SendableRecordBatchStream,
 };
 use common_telemetry::tracing_context::TracingContext;
-use datafusion::execution::TaskContext;
+use datafusion::execution::{SessionState, TaskContext};
 use datafusion::physical_plan::metrics::{
     Count, ExecutionPlanMetricsSet, Gauge, MetricBuilder, MetricsSet, Time,
 };
 use datafusion::physical_plan::{
     DisplayAs, DisplayFormatType, ExecutionMode, ExecutionPlan, Partitioning, PlanProperties,
 };
+use datafusion::physical_planner::DefaultPhysicalPlanner;
 use datafusion_common::Result;
 use datafusion_expr::{Extension, LogicalPlan, UserDefinedLogicalNodeCore};
-use datafusion_physical_expr::EquivalenceProperties;
+use datafusion_physical_expr::{EquivalenceProperties, LexOrdering, PhysicalSortExpr};
 use datatypes::schema::{Schema, SchemaRef};
 use futures_util::StreamExt;
 use greptime_proto::v1::region::RegionRequestHeader;
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ pub struct MergeScanLogicalPlan {
     input: LogicalPlan,
     /// If this plan is a placeholder
     is_placeholder: bool,
+    partition_cols: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl UserDefinedLogicalNodeCore for MergeScanLogicalPlan {
@@ -95,10 +97,11 @@ impl UserDefinedLogicalNodeCore for MergeScanLogicalPlan {
 }
 
 impl MergeScanLogicalPlan {
-    pub fn new(input: LogicalPlan, is_placeholder: bool) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(input: LogicalPlan, is_placeholder: bool, partition_cols: Vec<String>) -> Self {
         Self {
             input,
             is_placeholder,
+            partition_cols,
         }
     }
 
@@ -149,6 +152,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Debug for MergeScanExec {
 
 impl MergeScanExec {
     pub fn new(
+        session_state: &SessionState,
         table: TableName,
         regions: Vec<RegionId>,
         plan: LogicalPlan,
@@ -157,13 +161,52 @@ impl MergeScanExec {
         query_ctx: QueryContextRef,
         target_partition: usize,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
+        common_telemetry::info!("[DEBUG] input plan: {:?}", plan);
         // TODO(CookiePieWw): Initially we removed the metadata from the schema in #2000, but we have to
         // keep it for #4619 to identify json type in src/datatypes/src/schema/column_schema.rs.
         // Reconsider if it's possible to remove it.
         let arrow_schema = Arc::new(arrow_schema.clone());
+
+        // todo: fetch nearest output requirement, and partition columns (rule 8)
+        let mut sort_columns = vec![];
+
+        let eq_properties = if let LogicalPlan::Sort(sort) = &plan
+            && target_partition >= regions.len()
+        {
+            let lex_ordering = sort
+                .expr
+                .iter()
+                .map(|sort_expr| {
+                    let physical_expr = session_state
+                        .create_physical_expr(sort_expr.expr.clone(), plan.schema())
+                        .unwrap();
+                    sort_columns.push(physical_expr.clone());
+                    PhysicalSortExpr::new(
+                        physical_expr,
+                        SortOptions {
+                            descending: !sort_expr.asc,
+                            nulls_first: sort_expr.nulls_first,
+                        },
+                    )
+                })
+                .collect();
+            common_telemetry::info!("[DEBUG] lex_ordering: {:?}", lex_ordering);
+            EquivalenceProperties::new_with_orderings(
+                arrow_schema.clone(),
+                &[LexOrdering::new(lex_ordering)],
+            )
+        } else {
+            EquivalenceProperties::new(arrow_schema.clone())
+        };
+
+        sort_columns.pop();
+        let partitioning = Partitioning::Hash(sort_columns, target_partition);
+
         let properties = PlanProperties::new(
-            EquivalenceProperties::new(arrow_schema.clone()),
-            Partitioning::UnknownPartitioning(target_partition),
+            // EquivalenceProperties::new(arrow_schema.clone()),
+            eq_properties,
+            // Partitioning::UnknownPartitioning(target_partition),
+            partitioning,
             ExecutionMode::Bounded,
         );
         let schema = Self::arrow_schema_to_schema(arrow_schema.clone())?;
diff --git a/src/query/src/dist_plan/planner.rs b/src/query/src/dist_plan/planner.rs
index 6f4f7831a9..f430bca7d1 100644
--- a/src/query/src/dist_plan/planner.rs
+++ b/src/query/src/dist_plan/planner.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use common_catalog::consts::{DEFAULT_CATALOG_NAME, DEFAULT_SCHEMA_NAME};
 use datafusion::common::Result;
 use datafusion::datasource::DefaultTableSource;
 use datafusion::execution::context::SessionState;
+use datafusion::execution::session_state;
 use datafusion::physical_plan::ExecutionPlan;
 use datafusion::physical_planner::{ExtensionPlanner, PhysicalPlanner};
 use datafusion_common::tree_node::{TreeNode, TreeNodeRecursion, TreeNodeVisitor};
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ impl ExtensionPlanner for DistExtensionPlanner {
             .get_extension()
             .unwrap_or_else(QueryContext::arc);
         let merge_scan_plan = MergeScanExec::new(
+            session_state,
             table_name,
             regions,
             input_plan.clone(),