diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go
index 624069b7e..3fdac1b26 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_sub_meta.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package weed_server
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/util/log_buffer"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -12,6 +11,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/util"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/util/log_buffer"
+)
+
+const (
+	// MaxUnsyncedEvents send empty notification with timestamp when certain amount of events have been filtered
+	MaxUnsyncedEvents = 1e3
 )
 
 func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest, stream filer_pb.SeaweedFiler_SubscribeMetadataServer) error {
@@ -25,7 +30,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest,
 	lastReadTime := time.Unix(0, req.SinceNs)
 	glog.V(0).Infof(" %v starts to subscribe %s from %+v", clientName, req.PathPrefix, lastReadTime)
 
-	eachEventNotificationFn := fs.eachEventNotificationFn(req, stream, clientName, req.Signature)
+	eachEventNotificationFn := fs.eachEventNotificationFn(req, stream, clientName)
 
 	eachLogEntryFn := eachLogEntryFn(eachEventNotificationFn)
 
@@ -87,7 +92,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) SubscribeLocalMetadata(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataReq
 	lastReadTime := time.Unix(0, req.SinceNs)
 	glog.V(0).Infof(" %v local subscribe %s from %+v", clientName, req.PathPrefix, lastReadTime)
 
-	eachEventNotificationFn := fs.eachEventNotificationFn(req, stream, clientName, req.Signature)
+	eachEventNotificationFn := fs.eachEventNotificationFn(req, stream, clientName)
 
 	eachLogEntryFn := eachLogEntryFn(eachEventNotificationFn)
 
@@ -152,12 +157,25 @@ func eachLogEntryFn(eachEventNotificationFn func(dirPath string, eventNotificati
 	}
 }
 
-func (fs *FilerServer) eachEventNotificationFn(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest, stream filer_pb.SeaweedFiler_SubscribeMetadataServer, clientName string, clientSignature int32) func(dirPath string, eventNotification *filer_pb.EventNotification, tsNs int64) error {
-	return func(dirPath string, eventNotification *filer_pb.EventNotification, tsNs int64) error {
+func (fs *FilerServer) eachEventNotificationFn(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRequest, stream filer_pb.SeaweedFiler_SubscribeMetadataServer, clientName string) func(dirPath string, eventNotification *filer_pb.EventNotification, tsNs int64) error {
+	filtered := 0
 
+	return func(dirPath string, eventNotification *filer_pb.EventNotification, tsNs int64) error {
+		defer func() {
+			if filtered > MaxUnsyncedEvents {
+				if err := stream.Send(&filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse{
+					EventNotification: &filer_pb.EventNotification{},
+					TsNs:              tsNs,
+				}); err == nil {
+					filtered = 0
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+
+		filtered++
 		foundSelf := false
 		for _, sig := range eventNotification.Signatures {
-			if sig == clientSignature && clientSignature != 0 {
+			if sig == req.Signature && req.Signature != 0 {
 				return nil
 			}
 			if sig == fs.filer.Signature {
@@ -204,6 +222,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) eachEventNotificationFn(req *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataRe
 			glog.V(0).Infof("=> client %v: %+v", clientName, err)
 			return err
 		}
+		filtered = 0
 		return nil
 	}
 }