diff --git a/lib/highLevelConsumer.js b/lib/highLevelConsumer.js
index ab2f636e..cdd475c2 100644
--- a/lib/highLevelConsumer.js
+++ b/lib/highLevelConsumer.js
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ var util = require('util'),
     Offset = require('./offset'),
     async = require("async"),
     errors = require('./errors'),
-    zk = require('./zookeeper'),
-    ZookeeperConsumerMappings = zk.ZookeeperConsumerMappings,
     retry = require('retry'),
     debug = require('debug')('kafka-node:HighLevelConsumer');
 
@@ -22,6 +20,7 @@ var DEFAULTS = {
     autoCommitIntervalMs: 5000,
     // Fetch message config
     fetchMaxWaitMs: 100,
+    rebalanceDelayMs: 0,
     paused: false,
     maxNumSegments: 1000,
     fetchMinBytes: 1,
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@ var HighLevelConsumer = function (client, topics, options) {
     this.ready = false;
     this.paused = this.options.paused;
     this.rebalancing = false;
+    this.pending = false;
     this.id = this.options.id || this.options.groupId + '_' + uuid.v4();
     this.payloads = this.buildPayloads(topics);
     this.topicPayloads = this.buildTopicPayloads(topics);
@@ -143,8 +143,6 @@ HighLevelConsumer.prototype.connect = function () {
     function rebalance() {
 
         if (!self.rebalancing) {
-            deregister();
-
             self.emit('rebalancing');
 
             self.rebalancing = true;
@@ -172,45 +170,43 @@ HighLevelConsumer.prototype.connect = function () {
                             return p.topic;
                         });
                         self.client.refreshMetadata(topicNames, function (err) {
-                            register();
                             self.rebalancing = false;
                             if (err) {
-                              self.emit('error', err);
+                                self.emit('error', err);
                             } else {
-                              self.emit('rebalanced');
+                                self.emit('rebalanced');
+                            }
+                            if (self.pending) {
+                                self.pending = false;
+                                rebalance();
                             }
                         });
                     }
                 });
             });
+        } else {
+            self.pending = true;
         }
     }
 
-    // Wait for the consumer to be ready
-    this.on('registered', function () {
-        rebalance();
-    });
-
-    function register() {
+    function registerListeners() {
         debug("Registered listeners");
         // Register for re-balances (broker or consumer changes)
         self.client.zk.on('consumersChanged', rebalance);
         self.client.on('brokersChanged', rebalance);
     }
-
-    function deregister() {
-        debug("Deregistered listeners");
-        // Register for re-balances (broker or consumer changes)
-        self.client.zk.removeListener('consumersChanged', rebalance);
-        self.client.removeListener('brokersChanged', rebalance);
-    }
+    self.on('registered', function () {
+        setTimeout(function () {
+            registerListeners();
+            rebalance();
+        }, self.options.rebalanceDelayMs);
+    });
 
     function attachZookeeperErrorListener() {
         self.client.zk.on('error', function (err) {
-        self.emit('error', err);
-    });
+            self.emit('error', err);
+        });
     }
-
     attachZookeeperErrorListener();
 
     this.client.on('zkReconnect', function () {
@@ -249,7 +245,6 @@ HighLevelConsumer.prototype.connect = function () {
         });
     });
 
-
     // 'done' will be emit when a message fetch request complete
     this.on('done', function (topics) {
         self.updateOffsets(topics);
@@ -443,7 +438,6 @@ HighLevelConsumer.prototype.rebalanceAttempt = function (oldTopicPayloads, cb) {
 };
 
 HighLevelConsumer.prototype.init = function () {
-
     var self = this;
 
     if (!self.topicPayloads.length) {
@@ -452,11 +446,10 @@ HighLevelConsumer.prototype.init = function () {
 
     self.registerConsumer(function (err) {
         if (err) {
-            return self.emit('error', new errors.FailedToRegisterConsumerError(err.toString()));
+            self.emit('error', new errors.FailedToRegisterConsumerError(err.toString()));
+            return;
         }
-
-        // Close the
-        return self.emit('registered');
+        self.emit('registered');
     });
 };
 
@@ -530,11 +523,13 @@ HighLevelConsumer.prototype.offsetRequest = function (payloads, cb) {
  * @param {Client~failedToRegisterConsumerCallback} cb A function to call the consumer has been registered
  */
 HighLevelConsumer.prototype.registerConsumer = function (cb) {
-    this.client.zk.registerConsumer(this.options.groupId, this.id, this.payloads, function (err) {
+    var zk = this.client.zk;
+    var groupId = this.options.groupId;
+    zk.registerConsumer(groupId, this.id, this.payloads, function (err) {
         if (err) return cb(err);
+        zk.listConsumers(groupId);
         cb();
     });
-    this.client.zk.listConsumers(this.options.groupId);
 };
 
 HighLevelConsumer.prototype.addTopics = function (topics, cb) {
diff --git a/lib/zookeeper.js b/lib/zookeeper.js
index b05554b9..8ac0fa93 100644
--- a/lib/zookeeper.js
+++ b/lib/zookeeper.js
@@ -248,13 +248,13 @@ Zookeeper.prototype.listBrokers = function (cb) {
 
 
 Zookeeper.prototype.listConsumers = function (groupId) {
-    var that = this;
+    var self = this;
     var path = '/consumers/' + groupId + '/ids';
     this.client.getChildren(
         path,
         function () {
-            if (!that.closed) {
-                that.listConsumers(groupId);
+            if (!self.closed) {
+                self.listConsumers(groupId);
             }
         },
         function (error, children) {
@@ -262,10 +262,10 @@ Zookeeper.prototype.listConsumers = function (groupId) {
                 debug(error);
                 // Ignore NO_NODE error here #157
                 if (error.name !== 'NO_NODE') {
-                    that.emit('error', error);
+                    self.emit('error', error);
                 }
             } else {
-                that.emit('consumersChanged');
+                self.emit('consumersChanged');
             }
         }
     );