diff --git a/hbt/__init__.py b/hbt/__init__.py
index 78ef9c08..9e393f0c 100644
--- a/hbt/__init__.py
+++ b/hbt/__init__.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 
+import law
 
 from hbt.columnflow_patches import patch_all
 
 
+law.contrib.load("pandas")
+
 # apply cf patches once
 patch_all()
diff --git a/hbt/tasks/__init__.py b/hbt/tasks/__init__.py
index 381a505b..2ec46037 100644
--- a/hbt/tasks/__init__.py
+++ b/hbt/tasks/__init__.py
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@
 import hbt.tasks.base
 import hbt.tasks.stats
 import hbt.tasks.studies
+import hbt.tasks.sync
diff --git a/hbt/tasks/sync.py b/hbt/tasks/sync.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cabf2dbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hbt/tasks/sync.py
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+# coding: utf-8
+
+"""
+Tasks that create files for synchronization efforts with other frameworks.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import law
+
+from columnflow.tasks.framework.base import Requirements
+from columnflow.tasks.framework.mixins import (
+    ProducersMixin, MLModelsMixin, ChunkedIOMixin, SelectorMixin,
+)
+from columnflow.tasks.framework.remote import RemoteWorkflow
+from columnflow.tasks.reduction import ReducedEventsUser
+from columnflow.tasks.production import ProduceColumns
+from columnflow.tasks.ml import MLEvaluation
+from columnflow.util import dev_sandbox
+
+from hbt.tasks.base import HBTTask
+
+
+class CreateSyncFiles(
+    HBTTask,
+    MLModelsMixin,
+    ProducersMixin,
+    ChunkedIOMixin,
+    ReducedEventsUser,
+    SelectorMixin,
+    law.LocalWorkflow,
+    RemoteWorkflow,
+):
+    sandbox = dev_sandbox(law.config.get("analysis", "default_columnar_sandbox"))
+
+    # upstream requirements
+    reqs = Requirements(
+        ReducedEventsUser.reqs,
+        RemoteWorkflow.reqs,
+        ProduceColumns=ProduceColumns,
+        MLEvaluation=MLEvaluation,
+    )
+
+    def workflow_requires(self):
+        reqs = super().workflow_requires()
+
+        # require the full merge forest
+        reqs["events"] = self.reqs.ProvideReducedEvents.req(self)
+
+        if not self.pilot:
+            if self.producer_insts:
+                reqs["producers"] = [
+                    self.reqs.ProduceColumns.req(self, producer=producer_inst.cls_name)
+                    for producer_inst in self.producer_insts
+                    if producer_inst.produced_columns
+                ]
+            if self.ml_model_insts:
+                reqs["ml"] = [
+                    self.reqs.MLEvaluation.req(self, ml_model=m)
+                    for m in self.ml_models
+                ]
+
+        return reqs
+
+    def requires(self):
+        reqs = {"events": self.reqs.ProvideReducedEvents.req(self)}
+
+        if self.producer_insts:
+            reqs["producers"] = [
+                self.reqs.ProduceColumns.req(self, producer=producer_inst.cls_name)
+                for producer_inst in self.producer_insts
+                if producer_inst.produced_columns
+            ]
+        if self.ml_model_insts:
+            reqs["ml"] = [
+                self.reqs.MLEvaluation.req(self, ml_model=m)
+                for m in self.ml_models
+            ]
+
+        return reqs
+
+    workflow_condition = ReducedEventsUser.workflow_condition.copy()
+
+    @workflow_condition.output
+    def output(self):
+        return self.target(f"sync_{self.dataset_inst.name}_{self.branch}.csv")
+
+    @law.decorator.log
+    @law.decorator.localize
+    def run(self):
+        import awkward as ak
+        from columnflow.columnar_util import update_ak_array, EMPTY_FLOAT, set_ak_column
+
+        # prepare inputs and outputs
+        inputs = self.input()
+        output = self.output()
+
+        # iterate over chunks of events and diffs
+        files = [inputs["events"]["events"].abspath]
+        if self.producer_insts:
+            files.extend([inp["columns"].abspath for inp in inputs["producers"]])
+        if self.ml_model_insts:
+            files.extend([inp["mlcolumns"].abspath for inp in inputs["ml"]])
+
+        # helper to replace our internal empty float placeholder with a custom one
+        empty_float = EMPTY_FLOAT  # points to same value for now, but can be changed
+        def replace_empty_float(arr):
+            if empty_float != EMPTY_FLOAT:
+                arr = ak.where(arr == EMPTY_FLOAT, empty_float, arr)
+            return arr
+
+        # helper to pad nested fields with an empty float if missing
+        def pad_nested(arr, n, *, axis=1):
+            return ak.fill_none(ak.pad_none(arr, n, axis=axis), empty_float)
+
+        # helper to pad and select the last element on the first inner axis
+        def select(arr, idx):
+            return replace_empty_float(pad_nested(arr, idx + 1, axis=1)[:, idx])
+
+        # helper to select leptons
+        def select_leptons(events: ak.Array, common_fields: dict[str, int | float]) -> ak.Array:
+            # ensure all lepton arrays have the same common fields
+            leptons = [events.Electron, events.Muon, events.Tau]
+            for i in range(len(leptons)):
+                lepton = leptons[i]
+                for field, default in common_fields.items():
+                    if field not in lepton.fields:
+                        lepton = set_ak_column(lepton, field, default)
+                leptons[i] = lepton
+            # concatenate (first event any lepton, second alsways tau) and add to events
+            return set_ak_column(events, "Lepton", ak.concatenate(leptons, axis=1))
+
+        # event chunk loop
+        for (events, *columns), pos in self.iter_chunked_io(
+            files,
+            source_type=len(files) * ["awkward_parquet"],
+            pool_size=1,
+        ):
+            # optional check for overlapping inputs
+            if self.check_overlapping_inputs:
+                self.raise_if_overlapping([events] + list(columns))
+
+            # add additional columns
+            events = update_ak_array(events, *columns)
+
+            # insert leptons
+            events = select_leptons(events, {"rawDeepTau2018v2p5VSjet": empty_float})
+
+            # project into dataframe
+            df = ak.to_dataframe({
+                # index variables
+                "event": events.event,
+                "run": events.run,
+                "lumi": events.luminosityBlock,
+                # high-level events variables
+                "channel": events.channel_id,
+                "os": events.leptons_os * 1,
+                "iso": events.tau2_isolated * 1,
+                # jet variables
+                "jet1_pt": select(events.Jet.pt, 0),
+                "jet1_eta": select(events.Jet.eta, 0),
+                "jet1_phi": select(events.Jet.phi, 0),
+                "jet2_pt": select(events.Jet.pt, 1),
+                "jet2_eta": select(events.Jet.eta, 1),
+                "jet2_phi": select(events.Jet.phi, 1),
+                "lep1_pt": select(events.Lepton.pt, 0),
+                "lep1_phi": select(events.Lepton.phi, 0),
+                "lep1_eta": select(events.Lepton.eta, 0),
+                "lep1_charge": select(events.Lepton.charge, 0),
+                "lep1_deeptauvsjet": select(events.Lepton.rawDeepTau2018v2p5VSjet, 0),
+                "lep2_pt": select(events.Lepton.pt, 1),
+                "lep2_phi": select(events.Lepton.phi, 1),
+                "lep2_eta": select(events.Lepton.eta, 1),
+                "lep2_charge": select(events.Lepton.charge, 1),
+                "lep2_deeptauvsjet": select(events.Lepton.rawDeepTau2018v2p5VSjet, 1),
+                # TODO: add additional variables
+            })
+
+            # save as csv in output, append if necessary
+            output.dump(
+                df,
+                formatter="pandas",
+                index=False,
+                header=pos.index == 0,
+                mode="w" if pos.index == 0 else "a",
+            )
+
+
+check_overlap_tasks = law.config.get_expanded("analysis", "check_overlapping_inputs", [], split_csv=True)
+CreateSyncFiles.check_overlapping_inputs = ChunkedIOMixin.check_overlapping_inputs.copy(
+    default=CreateSyncFiles.task_family in check_overlap_tasks,
+    add_default_to_description=True,
+)
diff --git a/law.cfg b/law.cfg
index 81e7119d..a58dc10a 100644
--- a/law.cfg
+++ b/law.cfg
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ cf.MergeMLEvents: wlcg
 cf.MLTraining: wlcg
 cf.MLEvaluation: wlcg
 cf.UniteColumns: wlcg
+cf.CreateSyncFile: wlcg
 
 
 [versions]
diff --git a/modules/columnflow b/modules/columnflow
index 11ef864d..0652ad1e 160000
--- a/modules/columnflow
+++ b/modules/columnflow
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 11ef864d4295e31ad9ff103e7236ee2b77f31aa1
+Subproject commit 0652ad1eb169deb80f32a26466df30ecbfda5230