diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/db/tdb_cassandra.py b/r2/r2/lib/db/tdb_cassandra.py
index 1ce77e668..2a8b00995 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/db/tdb_cassandra.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/db/tdb_cassandra.py
@@ -925,7 +925,7 @@ class ColumnQuery(object):
         # Logic of standard reddit query is opposite of cassandra
         self.column_reversed = False
 
-    def __iter__(self):
+    def __iter__(self, yield_column_names=False):
         # Get the max number of columns we could grab in this query
         total_columns = self.cls._cf.get_count(self.rowkey, 
                                                column_start=self.column_start, 
@@ -950,14 +950,87 @@ class ColumnQuery(object):
             column_start = columns[-1].keys()[0]
             objs = self.column_to_obj(columns)
 
-            objs, is_single = tup(objs, ret_is_single=True)
-            for obj in objs:
-                yield obj
+            if yield_column_names:
+                column_names = [column.keys()[0] for column in columns]
+                if len(column_names) == 1:
+                    ret = (column_names[0], objs),
+                else:
+                    ret = zip(column_names, objs)
+            else:
+                ret = objs
+
+            ret, is_single = tup(ret, ret_is_single=True)
+            for r in ret:
+                yield r
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<%s(%s-%r)>" % (self.__class__.__name__, self.cls.__name__, 
                                 self.rowkey)
 
+class MultiColumnQuery(object):
+    def __init__(self, queries, num, sort_key=None):
+        self.num = num
+        self._queries = queries
+        self.sort_key = sort_key    # python doesn't sort UUID1's correctly, need to pass in a sorter
+        self._rules = []            # dummy parameter to mimic tdb_sql queries
+
+    def _after(self, thing):
+        for q in self._queries:
+            q._after(thing)
+
+    def _reverse(self):
+        for q in self._queries:
+            q._reverse()
+
+    def __setattr__(self, attr, val):
+        # Catch _limit to set on all queries
+        if attr == '_limit':
+             for q in self._queries:
+                 q._limit = val
+        else:
+            object.__setattr__(self, attr, val)
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+
+        if self.sort_key:
+            def sort_key(tup):
+                # Need to point the supplied sort key at the correct item in 
+                # the (sortable, item, generator) tuple
+                return self.sort_key(tup[0])
+        else:
+            def sort_key(tup):
+                return tup[0]
+
+        top_items = []
+        for q in self._queries:
+            try:
+                gen = q.__iter__(yield_column_names=True)
+                column_name, item = gen.next()
+                top_items.append((column_name, item, gen))
+            except StopIteration:
+                pass
+        top_items.sort(key=sort_key)
+
+        def _update(top_items):
+            # Remove the first item from combined query and update the list
+            head = top_items.pop(0)
+            item = head[1]
+            gen = head[2]
+
+            # Try to get a new item from the query that gave us the current one
+            try:
+                column_name, item = gen.next()
+                top_items.append((column_name, item, gen)) # if multiple queues have the same item value the sort is somewhat undefined
+                top_items.sort(key=sort_key)
+            except StopIteration:
+                pass
+
+        num_ret = 0
+        while top_items and num_ret < self.num:
+            yield top_items[0][1]
+            _update(top_items)
+            num_ret += 1
+
 class Query(object):
     """A query across a CF. Note that while you can query rows from a
        CF that has a RandomPartitioner, you won't get them in any sort