diff --git a/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscribe.go b/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscribe.go
index bfde6a512..0803b2c79 100644
--- a/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscribe.go
+++ b/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscribe.go
@@ -11,9 +11,14 @@ import (
 
 func (sub *TopicSubscriber) Subscribe() error {
 	util.RetryUntil("subscribe", func() error {
+		// ask balancer for brokers of the topic
 		if err := sub.doLookup(sub.bootstrapBroker); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("lookup topic %s/%s: %v", sub.ContentConfig.Namespace, sub.ContentConfig.Topic, err)
 		}
+		// treat the first broker as the topic leader
+		// connect to the leader broker
+
+		// subscribe to the topic
 		if err := sub.doProcess(); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("subscribe topic %s/%s: %v", sub.ContentConfig.Namespace, sub.ContentConfig.Topic, err)
 		}
diff --git a/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscriber.go b/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscriber.go
index f744c6fa2..809673de1 100644
--- a/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscriber.go
+++ b/weed/mq/client/sub_client/subscriber.go
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 type SubscriberConfiguration struct {
-	ClientId         string
-	GroupId          string
-	GroupInstanceId  string
-	BootstrapServers []string
-	GrpcDialOption   grpc.DialOption
+	ClientId          string
+	GroupId           string
+	GroupInstanceId   string
+	GroupMinimumPeers int32
+	GroupMaximumPeers int32
+	BootstrapServers  []string
+	GrpcDialOption    grpc.DialOption
 }
 
 type ContentConfiguration struct {
diff --git a/weed/mq/coordinator/consumer_group.go b/weed/mq/coordinator/consumer_group.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e3dec493c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/mq/coordinator/consumer_group.go
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package coordinator
+
+import (
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/mq/topic"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+func (cg *ConsumerGroup) SetMinMaxActiveInstances(min, max int32) {
+	cg.MinimumActiveInstances = min
+	cg.MaximumActiveInstances = max
+}
+
+func (cg *ConsumerGroup) AddConsumerGroupInstance(clientId string) *ConsumerGroupInstance {
+	cgi := &ConsumerGroupInstance{
+		ClientId: clientId,
+	}
+	cg.ConsumerGroupInstances.Set(clientId, cgi)
+	return cgi
+}
+
+func (cg *ConsumerGroup) RemoveConsumerGroupInstance(clientId string) {
+	cg.ConsumerGroupInstances.Remove(clientId)
+}
+
+func (cg *ConsumerGroup) CoordinateIfNeeded() {
+	emptyInstanceCount, activeInstanceCount := int32(0), int32(0)
+	for cgi := range cg.ConsumerGroupInstances.IterBuffered() {
+		if cgi.Val.Partition == nil {
+			// this consumer group instance is not assigned a partition
+			// need to assign one
+			emptyInstanceCount++
+		} else {
+			activeInstanceCount++
+		}
+	}
+
+	var delta int32
+	if emptyInstanceCount > 0 {
+		if cg.MinimumActiveInstances <= 0 {
+			// need to assign more partitions
+			delta = emptyInstanceCount
+		} else if activeInstanceCount < cg.MinimumActiveInstances && activeInstanceCount+emptyInstanceCount >= cg.MinimumActiveInstances {
+			// need to assign more partitions
+			delta = cg.MinimumActiveInstances - activeInstanceCount
+		}
+	}
+
+	if cg.MaximumActiveInstances > 0 {
+		if activeInstanceCount > cg.MaximumActiveInstances {
+			// need to remove some partitions
+			delta = cg.MaximumActiveInstances - activeInstanceCount
+		}
+	}
+	if delta == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	cg.doCoordinate(activeInstanceCount + delta)
+}
+
+func (cg *ConsumerGroup) doCoordinate(target int32) {
+	// stop existing instances from processing
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for cgi := range cg.ConsumerGroupInstances.IterBuffered() {
+		if cgi.Val.Partition != nil {
+			wg.Add(1)
+			go func(cgi *ConsumerGroupInstance) {
+				defer wg.Done()
+				// stop processing
+				// flush internal state
+				// wait for all messages to be processed
+				// close the connection
+			}(cgi.Val)
+		}
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	partitions := topic.SplitPartitions(target)
+
+	// assign partitions to new instances
+	i := 0
+	for cgi := range cg.ConsumerGroupInstances.IterBuffered() {
+		cgi.Val.Partition = partitions[i]
+		i++
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(cgi *ConsumerGroupInstance) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			// start processing
+			// start consuming from the last offset
+		}(cgi.Val)
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}
diff --git a/weed/mq/coordinator/coordinator.go b/weed/mq/coordinator/coordinator.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e94ac3371
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/mq/coordinator/coordinator.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package coordinator
+
+import (
+	cmap "github.com/orcaman/concurrent-map/v2"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/mq/topic"
+)
+
+type ConsumerGroupInstance struct {
+	ClientId string
+	// the consumer group instance may not have an active partition
+	Partition *topic.Partition
+	// processed message count
+	ProcessedMessageCount int64
+}
+type ConsumerGroup struct {
+	// map a client id to a consumer group instance
+	ConsumerGroupInstances cmap.ConcurrentMap[string, *ConsumerGroupInstance]
+	MinimumActiveInstances int32
+	MaximumActiveInstances int32
+}
+type TopicConsumerGroups struct {
+	// map a consumer group name to a consumer group
+	ConsumerGroups cmap.ConcurrentMap[string, *ConsumerGroup]
+}
+
+// Coordinator coordinates the instances in the consumer group for one topic.
+// It is responsible for:
+// 1. Assigning partitions to consumer instances.
+// 2. Reassigning partitions when a consumer instance is down.
+// 3. Reassigning partitions when a consumer instance is up.
+type Coordinator struct {
+	// map client id to subscriber
+	Subscribers cmap.ConcurrentMap[string, *ConsumerGroupInstance]
+	// map topic name to consumer groups
+	TopicSubscribers cmap.ConcurrentMap[string, map[string]TopicConsumerGroups]
+}
diff --git a/weed/mq/topic/partition.go b/weed/mq/topic/partition.go
index 285bdcb36..79c830f13 100644
--- a/weed/mq/topic/partition.go
+++ b/weed/mq/topic/partition.go
@@ -30,3 +30,20 @@ func FromPbPartition(partition *mq_pb.Partition) Partition {
 		RingSize:   partition.RingSize,
 	}
 }
+
+func SplitPartitions(targetCount int32) []*Partition {
+	partitions := make([]*Partition, 0, targetCount)
+	partitionSize := PartitionCount / targetCount
+	for i := int32(0); i < targetCount; i++ {
+		partitionStop := (i + 1) * partitionSize
+		if i == targetCount-1 {
+			partitionStop = PartitionCount
+		}
+		partitions = append(partitions, &Partition{
+			RangeStart: i * partitionSize,
+			RangeStop:  partitionStop,
+			RingSize:   PartitionCount,
+		})
+	}
+	return partitions
+}