diff --git a/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go b/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
index 9500bd9db..72da0ca64 100644
--- a/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
+++ b/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
@@ -57,11 +57,10 @@ func SubscribeMetaEvents(mc *MetaCache, selfSignature int32, client filer_pb.Fil
 
 	}
 
-	var clientEpoch int32
 	metadataFollowOption := &pb.MetadataFollowOption{
 		ClientName:             "mount",
 		ClientId:               selfSignature,
-		ClientEpoch:            clientEpoch,
+		ClientEpoch:            1,
 		SelfSignature:          selfSignature,
 		PathPrefix:             dir,
 		AdditionalPathPrefixes: nil,
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ func SubscribeMetaEvents(mc *MetaCache, selfSignature int32, client filer_pb.Fil
 		EventErrorType:         pb.FatalOnError,
 	}
 	util.RetryUntil("followMetaUpdates", func() error {
-		clientEpoch++
+		metadataFollowOption.ClientEpoch++
 		return pb.WithFilerClientFollowMetadata(client, metadataFollowOption, processEventFn)
 	}, func(err error) bool {
 		glog.Errorf("follow metadata updates: %v", err)
diff --git a/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go b/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go
index 766408909..1f6b30312 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go
@@ -33,11 +33,10 @@ func (s3a *S3ApiServer) subscribeMetaEvents(clientName string, lastTsNs int64, p
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	var clientEpoch int32
 	metadataFollowOption := &pb.MetadataFollowOption{
 		ClientName:             clientName,
 		ClientId:               s3a.randomClientId,
-		ClientEpoch:            clientEpoch,
+		ClientEpoch:            1,
 		SelfSignature:          0,
 		PathPrefix:             prefix,
 		AdditionalPathPrefixes: nil,
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ func (s3a *S3ApiServer) subscribeMetaEvents(clientName string, lastTsNs int64, p
 		EventErrorType:         pb.FatalOnError,
 	}
 	util.RetryUntil("followIamChanges", func() error {
-		clientEpoch++
+		metadataFollowOption.ClientEpoch++
 		return pb.WithFilerClientFollowMetadata(s3a, metadataFollowOption, processEventFn)
 	}, func(err error) bool {
 		glog.V(0).Infof("iam follow metadata changes: %v", err)
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go
index bd24ab54f..eb69a6aeb 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go
@@ -24,11 +24,13 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest,
 
 	peerAddress := findClientAddress(stream.Context(), 0)
 
-	alreadyKnown, clientName := fs.addClient(req.ClientName, peerAddress, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
-	if alreadyKnown {
+	isReplacing, alreadyKnown, clientName := fs.addClient("", req.ClientName, peerAddress, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
+	if isReplacing {
+		fs.filer.MetaAggregator.ListenersCond.Broadcast() // nudges the subscribers that are waiting
+	} else if alreadyKnown {
 		return fmt.Errorf("duplicated subscription detected for client %s id %d", clientName, req.ClientId)
 	}
-	defer fs.deleteClient(clientName, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
+	defer fs.deleteClient("", clientName, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
 
 	lastReadTime := time.Unix(0, req.SinceNs)
 	glog.V(0).Infof(" %v starts to subscribe %s from %+v", clientName, req.PathPrefix, lastReadTime)
@@ -64,6 +66,9 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest,
 			fs.filer.MetaAggregator.ListenersLock.Lock()
 			fs.filer.MetaAggregator.ListenersCond.Wait()
 			fs.filer.MetaAggregator.ListenersLock.Unlock()
+			if !fs.hasClient(req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch) {
+				return false
+			}
 			return true
 		}, eachLogEntryFn)
 		if readInMemoryLogErr != nil {
@@ -78,6 +83,10 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest,
 		if isDone {
 			return nil
 		}
+		if !fs.hasClient(req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch) {
+			glog.V(0).Infof("client %v is closed", clientName)
+			return nil
+		}
 
 		time.Sleep(1127 * time.Millisecond)
 	}
@@ -93,13 +102,15 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeLocalMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataReq
 	// use negative client id to differentiate from addClient()/deleteClient() used in SubscribeMetadata()
 	req.ClientId = -req.ClientId
 
-	alreadyKnown, clientName := fs.addClient(req.ClientName, peerAddress, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
-	if alreadyKnown {
+	isReplacing, alreadyKnown, clientName := fs.addClient("local", req.ClientName, peerAddress, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
+	if isReplacing {
+		fs.listenersCond.Broadcast() // nudges the subscribers that are waiting
+	} else if alreadyKnown {
 		return fmt.Errorf("duplicated local subscription detected for client %s clientId:%d", clientName, req.ClientId)
 	}
 	defer func() {
-		glog.V(0).Infof(" - %v local subscribe %s clientId:%d", clientName, req.PathPrefix, req.ClientId)
-		fs.deleteClient(clientName, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
+		glog.V(0).Infof("disconnect %v local subscriber %s clientId:%d", clientName, req.PathPrefix, req.ClientId)
+		fs.deleteClient("local", clientName, req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch)
 	}()
 
 	lastReadTime := time.Unix(0, req.SinceNs)
@@ -141,6 +152,9 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeLocalMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataReq
 			fs.listenersLock.Lock()
 			fs.listenersCond.Wait()
 			fs.listenersLock.Unlock()
+			if !fs.hasClient(req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch) {
+				return false
+			}
 			return true
 		}, eachLogEntryFn)
 		if readInMemoryLogErr != nil {
@@ -155,6 +169,9 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeLocalMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataReq
 		if isDone {
 			return nil
 		}
+		if !fs.hasClient(req.ClientId, req.ClientEpoch) {
+			return nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	return readInMemoryLogErr
@@ -274,15 +291,16 @@ func matchByDirectory(dirPath string, directories []string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (fs *FilerServer) addClient(clientType string, clientAddress string, clientId int32, clientEpoch int32) (alreadyKnown bool, clientName string) {
+func (fs *FilerServer) addClient(prefix string, clientType string, clientAddress string, clientId int32, clientEpoch int32) (isReplacing, alreadyKnown bool, clientName string) {
 	clientName = clientType + "@" + clientAddress
-	glog.V(0).Infof("+ listener %v", clientName)
+	glog.V(0).Infof("+ %v listener %v clientId %v clientEpoch %v", prefix, clientName, clientId, clientEpoch)
 	if clientId != 0 {
 		fs.knownListenersLock.Lock()
 		defer fs.knownListenersLock.Unlock()
 		epoch, found := fs.knownListeners[clientId]
 		if !found || epoch < clientEpoch {
 			fs.knownListeners[clientId] = clientEpoch
+			isReplacing = true
 		} else {
 			alreadyKnown = true
 		}
@@ -290,8 +308,8 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) addClient(clientType string, clientAddress string, client
 	return
 }
 
-func (fs *FilerServer) deleteClient(clientName string, clientId int32, clientEpoch int32) {
-	glog.V(0).Infof("- listener %v", clientName)
+func (fs *FilerServer) deleteClient(prefix string, clientName string, clientId int32, clientEpoch int32) {
+	glog.V(0).Infof("- %v listener %v clientId %v clientEpoch %v", prefix, clientName, clientId, clientEpoch)
 	if clientId != 0 {
 		fs.knownListenersLock.Lock()
 		defer fs.knownListenersLock.Unlock()
@@ -301,3 +319,15 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) deleteClient(clientName string, clientId int32, clientEpo
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func (fs *FilerServer) hasClient(clientId int32, clientEpoch int32) bool {
+	if clientId != 0 {
+		fs.knownListenersLock.Lock()
+		defer fs.knownListenersLock.Unlock()
+		epoch, found := fs.knownListeners[clientId]
+		if found && epoch <= clientEpoch {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}