diff --git a/sort.cpp b/sort.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9d1cc69a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sort.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+#define MAX_MEMORY (10 * 1024 * 1024)
+
+void fqsort(std::vector<FILE *> inputs, size_t width, int (*cmp)(const void *, const void *), FILE *out) {
+	// read some elements into memory to choose a pivot from
+
+	std::string buf;
+	bool read_everything = false;
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < inputs.size(); i++) {
+		if (buf.size() > MAX_MEMORY) {
+			break;
+		}
+
+		while (true) {
+			std::string element;
+			element.resize(width);
+
+			size_t n = fread((void *) element.c_str(), width, 1, inputs[i]);
+			if (n == 0) {
+				if (i + 1 == inputs.size()) {
+					read_everything = true;
+				}
+				break;
+			}
+
+			buf.append(element);
+
+			if (buf.size() > MAX_MEMORY) {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	qsort((void *) buf.c_str(), buf.size() / width, width, cmp);
+
+	// If that was everything we have to sort, we are done.
+
+	if (read_everything) {
+		fwrite((void *) buf.c_str(), buf.size() / width, width, out);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// Otherwise, choose a pivot from it, make some temporary files,
+	// write what we have to those files, and then partition the rest
+	// of the input into them.
+
+	// This would be unstable if the pivot is one of several elements
+	// that compare equal. Does it matter?
+
+	size_t pivot_off = width * (buf.size() / width / 2);
+	std::string pivot(buf, pivot_off, width);
+
+	std::string t1 = "/tmp/sort1.XXXXXX";
+	std::string t2 = "/tmp/sort2.XXXXXX";
+
+	int fd1 = mkstemp((char *) t1.c_str());
+	int fd2 = mkstemp((char *) t2.c_str());
+
+	FILE *fp1 = fdopen(fd1, "w+b");
+	if (fp1 == NULL) {
+		perror(t1.c_str());
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+	FILE *fp2 = fdopen(fd2, "w+b");
+	if (fp2 == NULL) {
+		perror(t2.c_str());
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
+	fwrite((void *) buf.c_str(), sizeof(char), pivot_off, fp1);
+	fwrite((void *) ((char *) buf.c_str() + pivot_off), sizeof(char), buf.size() - pivot_off, fp2);
+	buf.clear();
+
+	// read the remaining input into the temporary files
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < inputs.size(); i++) {
+		while (true) {
+			std::string element;
+			element.resize(width);
+
+			size_t n = fread((void *) element.c_str(), width, 1, inputs[i]);
+			if (n == 0) {
+				break;
+			}
+
+			if (cmp((void *) element.c_str(), (void *) pivot.c_str()) < 0) {
+				fwrite((void *) element.c_str(), width, 1, fp1);
+			} else {
+				fwrite((void *) element.c_str(), width, 1, fp2);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Now sort the sub-ranges into the output.
+
+	rewind(fp1);
+	rewind(fp2);
+
+	std::vector<FILE *> v1;
+	v1.emplace_back(fp1);
+	fqsort(v1, width, cmp, out);
+	fclose(fp1);
+
+	std::vector<FILE *> v2;
+	v2.emplace_back(fp2);
+	fqsort(v2, width, cmp, out);
+	fclose(fp2);
+}