diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/consumer/ZookeeperConsumerConnector.scala b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/consumer/ZookeeperConsumerConnector.scala
index cce2e2d4b04..aa03bd7a33c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/consumer/ZookeeperConsumerConnector.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/consumer/ZookeeperConsumerConnector.scala
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package kafka.consumer
 
 import java.util.concurrent._
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic._
+import locks.ReentrantLock
 import scala.collection._
 import kafka.cluster._
 import kafka.utils._
-import mutable.ListBuffer
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.exception.ZkNodeExistsException
 import java.net.InetAddress
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.{IZkStateListener, IZkChildListener, ZkClient}
@@ -373,11 +373,41 @@ private[kafka] class ZookeeperConsumerConnector(val config: ConsumerConfig,
   class ZKRebalancerListener[T](val group: String, val consumerIdString: String,
                                 kafkaMessageStreams: Map[String,List[KafkaMessageStream[T]]])
     extends IZkChildListener {
-    private val dirs = new ZKGroupDirs(group)
+    private var isWatcherTriggered = false
+    private val lock = new ReentrantLock
+    private val cond = lock.newCondition()
+    private val watcherExecutorThread = new Thread(consumerIdString + "_watcher_executor") {
+      override def run() {
+        info("starting watcher executor thread for consumer " + consumerIdString)
+        while (!isShuttingDown.get) {
+          try {
+            lock.lock()
+            try {
+              if (!isWatcherTriggered)
+                cond.wait()
+            } finally {
+              isWatcherTriggered = false
+              lock.unlock()
+            }
+            syncedRebalance
+          } catch {
+            case t => error("error during syncedRebalance", t)
+          }
+        }
+        info("stopping watcher executor thread for consumer " + consumerIdString)
+      }
+    }
+    watcherExecutorThread.start()
 
     @throws(classOf[Exception])
     def handleChildChange(parentPath : String, curChilds : java.util.List[String]) {
-      syncedRebalance
+      lock.lock()
+      try {
+        isWatcherTriggered = true
+        cond.signalAll()
+      } finally {
+        lock.unlock()
+      }
     }
 
     private def releasePartitionOwnership()= {