diff --git a/weed/mq/balancer/allocate.go b/weed/mq/balancer/allocate.go
index d594c60fb..f7b17ab4b 100644
--- a/weed/mq/balancer/allocate.go
+++ b/weed/mq/balancer/allocate.go
@@ -3,18 +3,50 @@ package balancer
 import (
 	cmap "github.com/orcaman/concurrent-map/v2"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/mq_pb"
+	"math/rand"
 )
 
 func allocateTopicPartitions(brokers cmap.ConcurrentMap[string, *BrokerStats], partitionCount int) (assignments []*mq_pb.BrokerPartitionAssignment) {
-	return []*mq_pb.BrokerPartitionAssignment{
-		{
-			LeaderBroker:    "localhost:17777",
-			FollowerBrokers: []string{"localhost:17777"},
+	// divide the ring into partitions
+	rangeSize := MaxPartitionCount / partitionCount
+	for i := 0; i < partitionCount; i++ {
+		assignment := &mq_pb.BrokerPartitionAssignment{
 			Partition: &mq_pb.Partition{
 				RingSize:   MaxPartitionCount,
-				RangeStart: 0,
-				RangeStop:  MaxPartitionCount,
+				RangeStart: int32(i * rangeSize),
+				RangeStop:  int32((i + 1) * rangeSize),
 			},
-		},
+		}
+		if i == partitionCount-1 {
+			assignment.Partition.RangeStop = MaxPartitionCount
+		}
+		assignments = append(assignments, assignment)
 	}
+
+	// pick the brokers
+	pickedBrokers := pickBrokers(brokers, partitionCount)
+
+	// assign the partitions to brokers
+	for i, assignment := range assignments {
+		assignment.LeaderBroker = pickedBrokers[i]
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+// for now: randomly pick brokers
+// TODO pick brokers based on the broker stats
+func pickBrokers(brokers cmap.ConcurrentMap[string, *BrokerStats], count int) []string {
+	candidates := make([]string, 0, brokers.Count())
+	for brokerStatsItem := range brokers.IterBuffered() {
+		candidates = append(candidates, brokerStatsItem.Key)
+	}
+	pickedBrokers := make([]string, 0, count)
+	for i := 0; i < count; i++ {
+		p := rand.Int() % len(candidates)
+		if p < 0 {
+			p = -p
+		}
+		pickedBrokers = append(pickedBrokers, candidates[p])
+	}
+	return pickedBrokers
 }
diff --git a/weed/mq/balancer/allocate_test.go b/weed/mq/balancer/allocate_test.go
index c714788e6..cb87d4ec3 100644
--- a/weed/mq/balancer/allocate_test.go
+++ b/weed/mq/balancer/allocate_test.go
@@ -24,12 +24,11 @@ func Test_allocateOneBroker(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "test only one broker",
 			args: args{
 				brokers:        brokers,
-				partitionCount: 6,
+				partitionCount: 1,
 			},
 			wantAssignments: []*mq_pb.BrokerPartitionAssignment{
 				{
-					LeaderBroker:    "localhost:17777",
-					FollowerBrokers: []string{"localhost:17777"},
+					LeaderBroker: "localhost:17777",
 					Partition: &mq_pb.Partition{
 						RingSize:   MaxPartitionCount,
 						RangeStart: 0,
diff --git a/weed/mq/balancer/lookup.go b/weed/mq/balancer/lookup.go
index 55ed3e95d..f906a7d74 100644
--- a/weed/mq/balancer/lookup.go
+++ b/weed/mq/balancer/lookup.go
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 package balancer
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/mq_pb"
 )
 
-func (b *Balancer) LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(topic *mq_pb.Topic, publish bool) (assignments []*mq_pb.BrokerPartitionAssignment, err error) {
+var (
+	ErrNoBroker = errors.New("no broker")
+)
+
+func (b *Balancer) LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(topic *mq_pb.Topic, publish bool, partitionCount int32) (assignments []*mq_pb.BrokerPartitionAssignment, err error) {
 	// find existing topic partition assignments
 	for brokerStatsItem := range b.Brokers.IterBuffered() {
 		broker, brokerStats := brokerStatsItem.Key, brokerStatsItem.Val
@@ -39,5 +44,8 @@ func (b *Balancer) LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(topic *mq_pb.Topic, publish b
 	//   if the request is_for_subscribe
 	//     return error not found
 	// t := topic.FromPbTopic(request.Topic)
+	if b.Brokers.IsEmpty() {
+		return nil, ErrNoBroker
+	}
 	return allocateTopicPartitions(b.Brokers, 6), nil
 }
diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go
index 9dda9b7d1..5bc7068b2 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func (broker *MessageQueueBroker) CreateTopic(ctx context.Context, request *mq_p
 	}
 
 	ret := &mq_pb.CreateTopicResponse{}
-	ret.BrokerPartitionAssignments, err = broker.Balancer.LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(request.Topic, true)
+	ret.BrokerPartitionAssignments, err = broker.Balancer.LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(request.Topic, true, request.PartitionCount)
 	return ret, err
 }
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (broker *MessageQueueBroker) LookupTopicBrokers(ctx context.Context, reques
 
 	ret := &mq_pb.LookupTopicBrokersResponse{}
 	ret.Topic = request.Topic
-	ret.BrokerPartitionAssignments, err = broker.Balancer.LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(ret.Topic, request.IsForPublish)
+	ret.BrokerPartitionAssignments, err = broker.Balancer.LookupOrAllocateTopicPartitions(ret.Topic, request.IsForPublish, 6)
 	return ret, err
 }