diff --git a/k_quants.c b/k_quants.c
index b5faefd6c..70c2f2f7b 100644
--- a/k_quants.c
+++ b/k_quants.c
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static float make_qkx1_quants(int n, int nmax, const float * restrict x, uint8_t
 }
 
 static float make_qkx2_quants(int n, int nmax, const float * restrict x, uint8_t * restrict L, float * restrict the_min,
-        uint8_t * restrict Laux) {
+        uint8_t * restrict Laux, bool use_mad) {
     float min = x[0];
     float max = x[0];
     float sum_x = 0, sum_x2 = 0;
@@ -288,13 +288,17 @@ static float make_qkx2_quants(int n, int nmax, const float * restrict x, uint8_t
     float num = sum_x2 * n - sum_x * sum_x * n / (n-1);
     float iscale = nmax/(max - min);
     float scale = 1/iscale;
-    float best_mse = 0;
+    float best_mad = 0;
     for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
         int l = nearest_int(iscale*(x[i] - min));
         L[i] = MAX(0, MIN(nmax, l));
         float diff = scale * L[i] + min - x[i];
         float w = x[i] * x[i];
-        best_mse += w * diff * diff;
+        if (use_mad) {
+            best_mad += w * fabsf(diff);
+        } else {
+            best_mad += w * diff * diff;
+        }
     }
     if (num <= 0) {
         *the_min = -min;
@@ -318,17 +322,21 @@ static float make_qkx2_quants(int n, int nmax, const float * restrict x, uint8_t
                 this_min = 0;
                 this_scale = sqrtf(sum_x2 / sum_l2);
             }
-            float mse = 0;
+            float mad = 0;
             for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
                 float diff = this_scale * Laux[i] + this_min - x[i];
                 float w = x[i] * x[i];
-                mse += w * diff * diff;
+                if (use_mad) {
+                    mad += w * fabsf(diff);
+                } else {
+                    mad += w * diff * diff;
+                }
             }
-            if (mse < best_mse) {
+            if (mad < best_mad) {
                 for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
                     L[i] = Laux[i];
                 }
-                best_mse = mse;
+                best_mad = mad;
                 scale = this_scale;
                 min = this_min;
             }
@@ -368,7 +376,7 @@ void quantize_row_q2_K_reference(const float * restrict x, block_q2_K * restrict
         float max_min = 0;
         for (int j = 0; j < QK_K/16; ++j) {
             //scales[j] = make_qkx1_quants(16, 3, x + 16*j, L + 16*j, &mins[j], 5, 0.f);
-            scales[j] = make_qkx2_quants(16, 3, x + 16*j, L + 16*j, &mins[j], Laux);
+            scales[j] = make_qkx2_quants(16, 3, x + 16*j, L + 16*j, &mins[j], Laux, false);
             float scale = scales[j];
             if (scale > max_scale) {
                 max_scale = scale;
@@ -724,7 +732,7 @@ void quantize_row_q4_K_reference(const float * restrict x, block_q4_K * restrict
         float max_min = 0;
         for (int j = 0; j < QK_K/32; ++j) {
             //scales[j] = make_qkx1_quants(32, 15, x + 32*j, L + 32*j, &mins[j], 9, 0.5f);
-            scales[j] = make_qkx2_quants(32, 15, x + 32*j, L + 32*j, &mins[j], Laux);
+            scales[j] = make_qkx2_quants(32, 15, x + 32*j, L + 32*j, &mins[j], Laux, true);
             float scale = scales[j];
             if (scale > max_scale) {
                 max_scale = scale;
@@ -875,7 +883,6 @@ void quantize_row_q5_K_reference(const float * restrict x, block_q5_K * restrict
 
 #if QK_K == 256
     uint8_t L[QK_K];
-    //uint8_t Laux[32];
     float mins[QK_K/32];
     float scales[QK_K/32];
 #else
@@ -891,7 +898,6 @@ void quantize_row_q5_K_reference(const float * restrict x, block_q5_K * restrict
         float max_min = 0;
         for (int j = 0; j < QK_K/32; ++j) {
             scales[j] = make_qkx1_quants(32, 31, x + 32*j, L + 32*j, &mins[j], 9, 0.5f);
-            //scales[j] = make_qkx2_quants(32, 31, x + 32*j, L + 32*j, &mins[j], Laux);
             float scale = scales[j];
             if (scale > max_scale) {
                 max_scale = scale;