The manual describes a way to set footnotes in columns: \setupfootnotes[n=number] (Context: the manual (Nov. 12, 2001), pp. 101-2) That has caused errors for me in the 2008-10-23 or 2008-10-31 releases. mjg TEST DOCUMENT: \setupfootnotes[n=2] \starttext First sentence here.\footnote{Note one.} Second sentence here. \footnote{Note two.} Third sentence here.\footnote{Note three.} \stoptext ERROR MESSAGE ConTeXt ver: 2008.10.31 13:58 MKIV fmt: 2008.11.1 int: english/ english [snip] fonts : using map file: original-public-lm {/Users/michaelgreen/Applications/context/tex/texmf-context/fonts/map/ pdftex/context/original-public-lm.map} ! Missing } inserted. <inserted text> } <to be read again> \unvbox \doplacenoteinserts ...ing \unvcopy \else \unvbox \fi \currentnoteins \fi \s... \next3 ...oprocessnotes {\doplacenoteinserts }{#1} \doprocesscommaitem <argument> \relax footnote, endnote,linenote \doprocesscommalist ...aitem \gobbleoneargument #1 ,]\relax \global \advance ... ... l.7 \stoptext ?