diff --git a/cpp_version/src/main.cpp b/cpp_version/src/main.cpp
index b4b9d0f0..79b2b1c3 100644
--- a/cpp_version/src/main.cpp
+++ b/cpp_version/src/main.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void run_ranger(const ArgumentHandler& arg_handler, std::ostream& verbose_out) {
       arg_handler.predict, arg_handler.impmeasure, arg_handler.targetpartitionsize, arg_handler.minbucket, arg_handler.splitweights,
       arg_handler.alwayssplitvars, arg_handler.statusvarname, arg_handler.replace, arg_handler.catvars,
       arg_handler.savemem, arg_handler.splitrule, arg_handler.caseweights, arg_handler.predall, arg_handler.fraction,
-      arg_handler.alpha, arg_handler.minprop, arg_handler.holdout, arg_handler.predictiontype,
+      arg_handler.alpha, arg_handler.minprop, arg_handler.tau, arg_handler.holdout, arg_handler.predictiontype,
       arg_handler.randomsplits, arg_handler.maxdepth, arg_handler.regcoef, arg_handler.usedepth);
 
   forest->run(true, !arg_handler.skipoob);
diff --git a/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.cpp b/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.cpp
index 1da4743f..d5b0a6a5 100644
--- a/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.cpp
+++ b/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ namespace ranger {
 
 ArgumentHandler::ArgumentHandler(int argc, char **argv) :
     caseweights(""), depvarname(""), fraction(0), holdout(false), memmode(MEM_DOUBLE), savemem(false), skipoob(false), predict(
-        ""), predictiontype(DEFAULT_PREDICTIONTYPE), randomsplits(DEFAULT_NUM_RANDOM_SPLITS), splitweights(""), nthreads(
+        ""), predictiontype(DEFAULT_PREDICTIONTYPE), randomsplits(DEFAULT_NUM_RANDOM_SPLITS), splitweights(""), tau(DEFAULT_POISSON_TAU), nthreads(
         DEFAULT_NUM_THREADS), predall(false), alpha(DEFAULT_ALPHA), minprop(DEFAULT_MINPROP), maxdepth(
         DEFAULT_MAXDEPTH), file(""), impmeasure(DEFAULT_IMPORTANCE_MODE), targetpartitionsize(0), minbucket(0), mtry(0), outprefix(
         "ranger_out"), probability(false), splitrule(DEFAULT_SPLITRULE), statusvarname(""), ntree(DEFAULT_NUM_TREE), replace(
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ ArgumentHandler::ArgumentHandler(int argc, char **argv) :
 int ArgumentHandler::processArguments() {
 
   // short options
-  char const *short_options = "A:C:D:F:HM:NOP:Q:R:S:U:XZa:b:c:d:f:hi:j:kl:m:n:o:pr:s:t:uvwy:z:";
+  char const *short_options = "A:C:D:F:HM:NOP:Q:R:S:T:U:XZa:b:c:d:f:hi:j:kl:m:n:o:pr:s:t:uvwy:z:";
 
 // long options: longname, no/optional/required argument?, flag(not used!), shortname
     const struct option long_options[] = {
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ int ArgumentHandler::processArguments() {
       { "predictiontype",       required_argument,  0, 'Q'},
       { "randomsplits",         required_argument,  0, 'R'},
       { "splitweights",         required_argument,  0, 'S'},
+      { "tau",                  required_argument,  0, 'T'},
       { "nthreads",             required_argument,  0, 'U'},
       { "predall",              no_argument,        0, 'X'},
       { "version",              no_argument,        0, 'Z'},
@@ -178,6 +179,20 @@ int ArgumentHandler::processArguments() {
     case 'S':
       splitweights = optarg;
       break;
+      
+    case 'T':
+      try {
+        double temp = std::stod(optarg);
+        if (temp <= 0) {
+          throw std::runtime_error("");
+        } else {
+          tau = temp;
+        }
+      } catch (...) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            "Illegal argument for option 'tau'. Please give a positive value. See '--help' for details.");
+      }
+      break;
 
     case 'U':
       try {
@@ -352,6 +367,9 @@ int ArgumentHandler::processArguments() {
         case 7:
           splitrule = HELLINGER;
           break;
+        case 8:
+          splitrule = POISSON;
+          break;
         default:
           throw std::runtime_error("");
           break;
@@ -512,7 +530,8 @@ void ArgumentHandler::checkArguments() {
   if (((splitrule == AUC || splitrule == AUC_IGNORE_TIES) && treetype != TREE_SURVIVAL)
       || (splitrule == MAXSTAT && (treetype != TREE_SURVIVAL && treetype != TREE_REGRESSION))
       || (splitrule == BETA && treetype != TREE_REGRESSION)
-      || (splitrule == HELLINGER && treetype != TREE_CLASSIFICATION && treetype != TREE_PROBABILITY)) {
+      || (splitrule == HELLINGER && treetype != TREE_CLASSIFICATION && treetype != TREE_PROBABILITY)
+      || (splitrule == POISSON && treetype != TREE_REGRESSION)) {
     throw std::runtime_error("Illegal splitrule selected. See '--help' for details.");
   }
 
@@ -658,8 +677,9 @@ void ArgumentHandler::displayHelp() {
       << "                              RULE = 4: MAXSTAT for Survival and Regression, not available for Classification."
       << std::endl;
   std::cout << "    " << "                              RULE = 5: ExtraTrees for all tree types." << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "    " << "                              RULE = 6: BETA for regression, only for (0,1) bounded outcomes." << std::endl;
+  std::cout << "    " << "                              RULE = 6: BETA for Regression, only for (0,1) bounded outcomes." << std::endl;
   std::cout << "    " << "                              RULE = 7: Hellinger for Classification, not available for Regression and Survival." << std::endl;
+  std::cout << "    " << "                              RULE = 8: Poisson for Regression, not available for Classification and Survival." << std::endl;
   std::cout << "    " << "                              (Default: 1)" << std::endl;
   std::cout << "    "
       << "--randomsplits N              Number of random splits to consider for each splitting variable (ExtraTrees splitrule only)."
@@ -670,6 +690,9 @@ void ArgumentHandler::displayHelp() {
   std::cout << "    "
       << "--minprop VAL                 Lower quantile of covariate distribtuion to be considered for splitting (MAXSTAT splitrule only)."
       << std::endl;
+  std::cout << "    "
+            << "--tau VAL               Tau parameter for Poisson splitting (Poisson splitrule only)."
+            << std::endl;
   std::cout << "    " << "--caseweights FILE            Filename of case weights file." << std::endl;
   std::cout << "    "
       << "--holdout                     Hold-out mode. Hold-out all samples with case weight 0 and use these for variable "
diff --git a/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.h b/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.h
index d6964093..4395c95d 100644
--- a/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.h
+++ b/cpp_version/src/utility/ArgumentHandler.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ class ArgumentHandler {
   PredictionType predictiontype;
   uint randomsplits;
   std::string splitweights;
+  double tau;
   uint nthreads;
   bool predall;