diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go
index 72ddf30f3..6cb907794 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) PublishMessage(stream mq_pb.SeaweedMessaging_Publis
 	// 2. find the topic metadata owning filer
 	// 3. write to the filer
 
-	var localTopicPartition *topic.LocalPartition
 	req, err := stream.Recv()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -56,18 +55,13 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) PublishMessage(stream mq_pb.SeaweedMessaging_Publis
 
 	// get or generate a local partition
 	t, p := topic.FromPbTopic(initMessage.Topic), topic.FromPbPartition(initMessage.Partition)
-	conf, readConfErr := b.readTopicConfFromFiler(t)
-	if readConfErr != nil {
-		response.Error = fmt.Sprintf("topic %v not found: %v", initMessage.Topic, readConfErr)
-		glog.Errorf("topic %v not found: %v", initMessage.Topic, readConfErr)
-		return stream.Send(response)
-	}
-	localTopicPartition, _, err = b.GetOrGenLocalPartition(t, p, conf)
-	if err != nil {
-		response.Error = fmt.Sprintf("topic %v partition %v not setup", initMessage.Topic, initMessage.Partition)
-		glog.Errorf("topic %v partition %v not setup", initMessage.Topic, initMessage.Partition)
+	localTopicPartition, getOrGenErr := b.GetOrGenerateLocalPartition(t, p)
+	if getOrGenErr != nil {
+		response.Error = fmt.Sprintf("topic %v not found: %v", t, getOrGenErr)
+		glog.Errorf("topic %v not found: %v", t, getOrGenErr)
 		return stream.Send(response)
 	}
+
 	ackInterval = int(initMessage.AckInterval)
 
 	// connect to follower brokers
diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_sub.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_sub.go
index 724a34f7e..e07c7b67f 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_sub.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_sub.go
@@ -27,17 +27,9 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) SubscribeMessage(req *mq_pb.SubscribeMessageRequest
 
 	glog.V(0).Infof("Subscriber %s on %v %v connected", req.GetInit().ConsumerId, t, partition)
 
-	// get or generate a local partition
-	var localTopicPartition *topic.LocalPartition
-	conf, readConfErr := b.readTopicConfFromFiler(t)
-	if readConfErr != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("topic %v not found: %v", initMessage.Topic, readConfErr)
-		return fmt.Errorf("topic %v not found: %v", initMessage.Topic, readConfErr)
-	}
-	localTopicPartition, _, err = b.GetOrGenLocalPartition(t, partition, conf)
-	if err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("topic %v partition %v not setup", initMessage.Topic, partition)
-		return fmt.Errorf("topic %v partition %v not setup", initMessage.Topic, partition)
+	localTopicPartition, getOrGenErr := b.GetOrGenerateLocalPartition(t, partition)
+	if getOrGenErr != nil {
+		return getOrGenErr
 	}
 
 	localTopicPartition.Subscribers.AddSubscriber(clientName, topic.NewLocalSubscriber())
@@ -105,6 +97,21 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) SubscribeMessage(req *mq_pb.SubscribeMessageRequest
 	})
 }
 
+func (b *MessageQueueBroker) GetOrGenerateLocalPartition(t topic.Topic, partition topic.Partition) (localTopicPartition *topic.LocalPartition, getOrGenError error) {
+	// get or generate a local partition
+	conf, readConfErr := b.readTopicConfFromFiler(t)
+	if readConfErr != nil {
+		glog.Errorf("topic %v not found: %v", t, readConfErr)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("topic %v not found: %v", t, readConfErr)
+	}
+	localTopicPartition, _, getOrGenError = b.doGetOrGenLocalPartition(t, partition, conf)
+	if getOrGenError != nil {
+		glog.Errorf("topic %v partition %v not setup: %v", t, partition, getOrGenError)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("topic %v partition %v not setup: %v", t, partition, getOrGenError)
+	}
+	return localTopicPartition, nil
+}
+
 func getRequestPosition(offset *mq_pb.PartitionOffset) (startPosition log_buffer.MessagePosition) {
 	if offset.StartTsNs != 0 {
 		startPosition = log_buffer.NewMessagePosition(offset.StartTsNs, -2)
diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go
index b5d47e1c9..abe25a240 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) readTopicConfFromFiler(t topic.Topic) (conf *mq_pb.
 	return conf, nil
 }
 
-func (b *MessageQueueBroker) GetOrGenLocalPartition(t topic.Topic, partition topic.Partition, conf *mq_pb.ConfigureTopicResponse) (localPartition *topic.LocalPartition, isGenerated bool, err error) {
+func (b *MessageQueueBroker) doGetOrGenLocalPartition(t topic.Topic, partition topic.Partition, conf *mq_pb.ConfigureTopicResponse) (localPartition *topic.LocalPartition, isGenerated bool, err error) {
 	b.accessLock.Lock()
 	defer b.accessLock.Unlock()