diff --git a/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/Coordinator.java b/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/Coordinator.java
index 7dcaccc37..7e55f0bbf 100644
--- a/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/Coordinator.java
+++ b/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/Coordinator.java
@@ -962,6 +962,11 @@ private void handleLeaderDoAssignment() {
       // get all current live instances
       liveInstances = _adapter.getLiveInstances();
 
+      if (liveInstances.isEmpty()) {
+        _log.info("handleLeaderDoAssignment: empty list of live instances, maybe this node is no longer a leader.");
+        return;
+      }
+
       // Map between instance to tasks assigned to the instance.
       previousAssignmentByInstance = _adapter.getAllAssignedDatastreamTasks();
 
diff --git a/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/zk/ZkAdapter.java b/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/zk/ZkAdapter.java
index cd8ced1d5..36f903b2a 100644
--- a/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/zk/ZkAdapter.java
+++ b/datastream-server/src/main/java/com/linkedin/datastream/server/zk/ZkAdapter.java
@@ -20,14 +20,17 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.IZkChildListener;
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.IZkDataListener;
+import org.I0Itec.zkclient.IZkStateListener;
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.exception.ZkException;
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.exception.ZkNoNodeException;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.CreateMode;
+import org.apache.zookeeper.Watcher;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -126,6 +129,7 @@ public class ZkAdapter {
   private final Random randomGenerator = new Random();
 
   private final ZkLeaderElectionListener _leaderElectionListener = new ZkLeaderElectionListener();
+  private final ZkStateChangeListener _stateChangeListener = new ZkStateChangeListener();
   private ZkBackedTaskListProvider _assignmentList = null;
 
   // only the leader should maintain this list and listen to the changes of live instances
@@ -133,6 +137,8 @@ public class ZkAdapter {
   private ZkBackedLiveInstanceListProvider _liveInstancesProvider = null;
   private ZkTargetAssignmentProvider _targetAssignmentProvider = null;
 
+  private ReentrantLock _liveInstancesProviderMutex = new ReentrantLock();
+
   // Cache all live DatastreamTasks per instance for assignment strategy
   private Map<String, Set<DatastreamTask>> _liveTaskMap = new HashMap<>();
 
@@ -201,9 +207,15 @@ public void disconnect() {
    * the actions that need to be taken with them, which are implemented in the Coordinator class
    */
   public void connect() {
-    disconnect(); // Guard against leaking an existing zookeeper session
     _zkclient = new ZkClient(_zkServers, _sessionTimeout, _connectionTimeout);
+    _zkclient.subscribeStateChanges(_stateChangeListener);
+    initializeSession();
+  }
 
+  /**
+   * Initializes the session by creating the necessary znodes
+   */
+  private void initializeSession() {
     // create a globally unique instance name and create a live instance node in ZooKeeper
     _instanceName = createLiveInstanceNode();
 
@@ -247,9 +259,14 @@ private void onBecomeFollower() {
       _datastreamList = null;
     }
 
-    if (_liveInstancesProvider != null) {
-      _liveInstancesProvider.close();
-      _liveInstancesProvider = null;
+    _liveInstancesProviderMutex.lock();
+    try {
+      if (_liveInstancesProvider != null) {
+        _liveInstancesProvider.close();
+        _liveInstancesProvider = null;
+      }
+    } finally {
+      _liveInstancesProviderMutex.unlock();
     }
 
     if (_targetAssignmentProvider != null) {
@@ -299,8 +316,7 @@ private void joinLeaderElection() {
     if (index < 0) {
       // only when the ZooKeeper session already expired by the time this adapter joins for leader election.
       // mostly because the zkclient session expiration timeout.
-      LOG.error("Failed to join leader election. Try reconnect the zookeeper");
-      connect();
+      LOG.error("Failed to join leader election. Let the state change handler handle the reconnect.");
       return;
     }
 
@@ -453,7 +469,12 @@ public void touchAllInstanceAssignments() {
    * Get all live instances in the cluster
    */
   public List<String> getLiveInstances() {
-    return _liveInstancesProvider.getLiveInstances();
+    _liveInstancesProviderMutex.lock();
+    try {
+      return _liveInstancesProvider == null ? new ArrayList<>() : _liveInstancesProvider.getLiveInstances();
+    } finally {
+      _liveInstancesProviderMutex.unlock();
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1252,6 +1273,33 @@ public void handleDataDeleted(String dataPath) throws Exception {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Listener for ZooKeeper state changes.
+   */
+  public class ZkStateChangeListener implements IZkStateListener {
+    @Override
+    public void handleStateChanged(Watcher.Event.KeeperState state) {
+      if (state == Watcher.Event.KeeperState.Expired) {
+        LOG.info("ZkStateChangeListener::Session expired.");
+        if (_assignmentList != null) {
+          _assignmentList.close();
+          _assignmentList = null;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void handleNewSession() {
+      LOG.info("ZkStateChangeListener::A new session established after the earlier session was expired.");
+      initializeSession();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void handleSessionEstablishmentError(final Throwable error) {
+      LOG.warn("ZkStateChangeListener::Failed to establish session.", error);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * ZkBackedTaskListProvider provides information about all DatastreamTasks existing in the cluster
    * for a given instance. In addition, it notifies the listener about changes that happened