diff --git a/bitsandbytes/autograd/_functions.py b/bitsandbytes/autograd/_functions.py
index c654a0254..5d9983545 100644
--- a/bitsandbytes/autograd/_functions.py
+++ b/bitsandbytes/autograd/_functions.py
@@ -319,10 +319,10 @@ def forward(
 
         if ctx.needs_input_grad[1]:
             # Slower path
-            CA, CAt, SCA, SCAt, coo_tensorA = F.double_quant(A.to(torch.float16), threshold=state.threshold)
+            CA, CAt, SCA, SCAt, outlier_cols = F.double_quant(A.to(torch.float16), threshold=state.threshold)
         else:
             # Fast path
-            CA, SCA, coo_tensorA = F.int8_vectorwise_quant(A.to(torch.float16), threshold=state.threshold)
+            CA, SCA, outlier_cols = F.int8_vectorwise_quant(A.to(torch.float16), threshold=state.threshold)
             CAt = SCAt = None
 
         has_grad = False
@@ -339,8 +339,8 @@ def forward(
                 # 2. Quantize B
                 state.CB, state.SCB, _ = F.int8_vectorwise_quant(B.to(torch.float16))
 
-        if state.threshold > 0.0 and coo_tensorA is not None:
-            state.idx = torch.unique(coo_tensorA._indices()[1]).long()
+        if state.threshold > 0.0 and outlier_cols is not None:
+            state.idx = outlier_cols
 
             # Zero out the outliers in the transposed 8bit inputs.
             if CAt is not None:
diff --git a/bitsandbytes/functional.py b/bitsandbytes/functional.py
index 33a5d72eb..15402d7d4 100644
--- a/bitsandbytes/functional.py
+++ b/bitsandbytes/functional.py
@@ -2546,7 +2546,7 @@ def double_quant(A: torch.Tensor, col_stats=None, row_stats=None, out_col=None,
     # Note: for inference, use the new int8_vectorwise_quant.
 
     # Use CUDA kernel for rowwise and COO tensor
-    quant_row, row_stats, coo_tensor = int8_vectorwise_quant(A, threshold=threshold)
+    quant_row, row_stats, outlier_cols = int8_vectorwise_quant(A, threshold=threshold)
 
     # PyTorch impl for colwise
     _, col_stats, outlier_mask = get_colrow_absmax(A, threshold=threshold)
@@ -2559,7 +2559,7 @@ def double_quant(A: torch.Tensor, col_stats=None, row_stats=None, out_col=None,
     if out_col is not None:
         quant_col = out_col.copy_(quant_col)
 
-    return quant_row, quant_col, row_stats, col_stats.flatten().float(), coo_tensor
+    return quant_row, quant_col, row_stats, col_stats.flatten().float(), outlier_cols
 
 
 def int8_vectorwise_quant(A: torch.Tensor, threshold=0.0):
@@ -2574,13 +2574,9 @@ def int8_vectorwise_quant(A: torch.Tensor, threshold=0.0):
 
     if threshold > 0.0:
         # TODO we could improve perf of this
-
-        # A.masked_fill(A.abs() < threshold, 0.0).to_sparse_coo()
-        # coo_tensor = extract_outliers_new(A, threshold)
-        coo_tensor = torch.masked_fill(A, A.abs() < threshold, 0.0).to_sparse_coo()
-
+        outlier_cols = torch.argwhere((A.abs() >= threshold).any(dim=0)).view(-1)
     else:
-        coo_tensor = None
+        outlier_cols = None
 
     with torch.cuda.device_of(A):
         lib.cint8_vector_quant(
@@ -2593,7 +2589,7 @@ def int8_vectorwise_quant(A: torch.Tensor, threshold=0.0):
             get_tensor_stream(A),
         )
 
-    return out_row, row_stats, coo_tensor
+    return out_row, row_stats, outlier_cols
 
 
 @deprecated(
diff --git a/bitsandbytes/research/autograd/_functions.py b/bitsandbytes/research/autograd/_functions.py
index dd4de5df6..f8fe14c48 100644
--- a/bitsandbytes/research/autograd/_functions.py
+++ b/bitsandbytes/research/autograd/_functions.py
@@ -217,12 +217,11 @@ def forward(ctx, A, B, out=None, bias=None, state: MatmulLtState = None):
         # 1. Quantize A
         if len(A.shape) == 3:
             A = A.view(-1, A.shape[-1]).contiguous()
-        CA, CAt, SCA, SCAt, coo_tensorA = F.double_quant(A.to(torch.float16), threshold=state.threshold)
+        CA, CAt, SCA, SCAt, outlier_cols = F.double_quant(A.to(torch.float16), threshold=state.threshold)
 
-        if state.threshold > 0.0 and coo_tensorA is not None:
+        if state.threshold > 0.0 and outlier_cols is not None:
             if state.has_fp16_weights:
-                # idx = torch.unique(coo_tensorA.colidx).long()
-                idx = torch.unique(coo_tensorA._indices()[1]).long()
+                idx = outlier_cols
                 CA[:, idx] = 0
                 # CAt[:, idx] = 0
                 subA = A[:, idx]
@@ -257,9 +256,9 @@ def forward(ctx, A, B, out=None, bias=None, state: MatmulLtState = None):
         else:
             has_grad = False
 
-        if coo_tensorA is not None and not state.has_fp16_weights:
+        if outlier_cols is not None and not state.has_fp16_weights:
             # extract outliers
-            state.idx = torch.unique(coo_tensorA._indices()[1]).long()
+            state.idx = outlier_cols
 
             # outliers = F.extract_outliers(state.CxB, state.SB, state.idx.int())
             outliers = state.CB[:, state.idx.long()].clone()
@@ -287,7 +286,7 @@ def forward(ctx, A, B, out=None, bias=None, state: MatmulLtState = None):
             output = output.to(A.dtype).add_(bias)
 
         # 4. Mixed-precision decomposition matmul
-        if coo_tensorA is not None and subA is not None:
+        if outlier_cols is not None and subA is not None:
             output += torch.matmul(subA, state.subB)
 
         # 5. Save state
@@ -327,7 +326,7 @@ def backward(ctx, grad_output):
         if len(grad_output.shape) == 3:
             grad_output = grad_output.reshape(-1, grad_output.shape[-1]).contiguous()
 
-        Cgrad, Cgradt, SCgrad, SCgradt, coo_tensor = F.double_quant(grad_output.to(torch.float16))
+        Cgrad, Cgradt, SCgrad, SCgradt, outlier_cols = F.double_quant(grad_output.to(torch.float16))
 
         if req_gradB:
             # print('back A shape', A.shape)