diff --git a/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py b/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py
index c14fb1dd0da..8e800456c20 100644
--- a/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py
+++ b/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py
@@ -310,20 +310,25 @@ def split_by_worker(
     constructor = df._constructor_sliced
     assert isinstance(constructor, type)
     worker_for = constructor(worker_for)
-    df = df.merge(
+    df["_worker"] = df[[column]].reset_index(drop=True).merge(
         right=worker_for.cat.codes.rename("_worker"),
         left_on=column,
         right_index=True,
-        how="inner",
-    )
+    ).sort_index()["_worker"]
+    # df = df.merge(
+    #     right=worker_for.cat.codes.rename("_worker"),
+    #     left_on=column,
+    #     right_index=True,
+    #     how="inner",
+    # )
     nrows = len(df)
     if not nrows:
         return {}
     # assert len(df) == nrows  # Not true if some outputs aren't wanted
     # FIXME: If we do not preserve the index something is corrupting the
     # bytestream such that it cannot be deserialized anymore
-    t = to_pyarrow_table_dispatch(df, preserve_index=True)
-    t = t.sort_by("_worker")
+    t = to_pyarrow_table_dispatch(df.sort_values("_worker"), preserve_index=True)
+    #t = t.sort_by("_worker")
     codes = np.asarray(t["_worker"])
     t = t.drop(["_worker"])
     del df
@@ -346,6 +351,94 @@ def split_by_worker(
     return out
 
 
+# def split_by_worker(
+#     df: pd.DataFrame,
+#     column: str,
+#     meta: pd.DataFrame,
+#     worker_for: pd.Series,
+# ) -> dict[Any, pa.Table]:
+#     """
+#     Split data into many arrow batches, partitioned by destination worker
+#     """
+#     import numpy as np
+
+#     from dask.dataframe.dispatch import to_pyarrow_table_dispatch
+
+#     # (cudf support) Avoid pd.Series
+#     constructor = df._constructor_sliced
+#     assert isinstance(constructor, type)
+#     worker_for = constructor(worker_for)
+
+#     df["_worker"] = df[[column]].reset_index(drop=True).merge(
+#         right=worker_for.cat.codes.rename("_worker"),
+#         left_on=column,
+#         right_index=True,
+#     ).sort_index()["_worker"]
+#     # df = df.merge(
+#     #     right=worker_for.cat.codes.rename("_worker"),
+#     #     left_on=column,
+#     #     right_index=True,
+#     #     how="inner",
+#     # )
+#     nrows = len(df)
+#     if not nrows:
+#         return {}
+
+#     c = df["_worker"]
+#     k = len(worker_for.cat.categories)
+#     out = {
+#         worker_for.cat.categories[code] : to_pyarrow_table_dispatch(shard, preserve_index=True)
+#         for code, shard in enumerate(
+#             df.scatter_by_map(
+#                 c.astype(np.int32, copy=False),
+#                 map_size=k,
+#                 keep_index=True,
+#             )
+#         )
+#     }
+#     assert sum(map(len, out.values())) == nrows
+#     return out
+
+#     # # (cudf support) Avoid pd.Series
+#     # constructor = df._constructor_sliced
+#     # assert isinstance(constructor, type)
+#     # worker_for = constructor(worker_for)
+#     # df = df.merge(
+#     #     right=worker_for.cat.codes.rename("_worker"),
+#     #     left_on=column,
+#     #     right_index=True,
+#     #     how="inner",
+#     # )
+#     # nrows = len(df)
+#     # if not nrows:
+#     #     return {}
+#     # # assert len(df) == nrows  # Not true if some outputs aren't wanted
+#     # # FIXME: If we do not preserve the index something is corrupting the
+#     # # bytestream such that it cannot be deserialized anymore
+#     # t = to_pyarrow_table_dispatch(df, preserve_index=True)
+#     # t = t.sort_by("_worker")
+#     # codes = np.asarray(t["_worker"])
+#     # t = t.drop(["_worker"])
+#     # del df
+
+#     # splits = np.where(codes[1:] != codes[:-1])[0] + 1
+#     # splits = np.concatenate([[0], splits])
+
+#     # shards = [
+#     #     t.slice(offset=a, length=b - a) for a, b in toolz.sliding_window(2, splits)
+#     # ]
+#     # shards.append(t.slice(offset=splits[-1], length=None))
+
+#     # unique_codes = codes[splits]
+#     # out = {
+#     #     # FIXME https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas-stubs/issues/43
+#     #     worker_for.cat.categories[code]: shard
+#     #     for code, shard in zip(unique_codes, shards)
+#     # }
+#     # assert sum(map(len, out.values())) == nrows
+#     # return out
+
+
 def split_by_partition(t: pa.Table, column: str) -> dict[int, pa.Table]:
     """
     Split data into many arrow batches, partitioned by final partition