diff --git a/weed/mq/topic/local_partition.go b/weed/mq/topic/local_partition.go
index 53324d846..9bedc5a15 100644
--- a/weed/mq/topic/local_partition.go
+++ b/weed/mq/topic/local_partition.go
@@ -179,28 +179,28 @@ func (p *LocalPartition) MaybeConnectToFollowers(initMessage *mq_pb.PublishMessa
 }
 
 func (p *LocalPartition) MaybeShutdownLocalPartition() (hasShutdown bool) {
-	if p.canShutdownLocalPartition() {
-		if p.FollowerStream != nil {
-			// send close to the follower
-			if followErr := p.FollowerStream.Send(&mq_pb.PublishFollowMeRequest{
-				Message: &mq_pb.PublishFollowMeRequest_Close{
-					Close: &mq_pb.PublishFollowMeRequest_CloseMessage{},
-				},
-			}); followErr != nil {
-				glog.Errorf("Error closing follower stream: %v", followErr)
-			}
-			println("closing grpcConnection to follower")
-			p.FollowerGrpcConnection.Close()
-		}
+	if !p.Publishers.IsEmpty() {
+		return
 	}
-	return
-}
+	if !p.Subscribers.IsEmpty() {
+		return
+	}
+	p.LogBuffer.ShutdownLogBuffer()
 
-func (p *LocalPartition) canShutdownLocalPartition() (hasShutdown bool) {
-	if p.Publishers.IsEmpty() && p.Subscribers.IsEmpty() {
-		p.LogBuffer.ShutdownLogBuffer()
-		hasShutdown = true
+	if p.FollowerStream != nil {
+		// send close to the follower
+		if followErr := p.FollowerStream.Send(&mq_pb.PublishFollowMeRequest{
+			Message: &mq_pb.PublishFollowMeRequest_Close{
+				Close: &mq_pb.PublishFollowMeRequest_CloseMessage{},
+			},
+		}); followErr != nil {
+			glog.Errorf("Error closing follower stream: %v", followErr)
+		}
+		glog.V(4).Infof("closing grpcConnection to follower")
+		p.FollowerGrpcConnection.Close()
+		p.FollowerStream = nil
 	}
+
 	return
 }