diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/ZKBrokerPartitionInfo.scala b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/ZKBrokerPartitionInfo.scala
index 87cf706695b69..bb3a6fcb44e28 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/ZKBrokerPartitionInfo.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/ZKBrokerPartitionInfo.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import kafka.cluster.{Broker, Partition}
 import org.apache.zookeeper.Watcher.Event.KeeperState
 import org.I0Itec.zkclient.{IZkStateListener, IZkChildListener, ZkClient}
 import collection.SortedSet
+import scala.util.Try
 
 private[producer] object ZKBrokerPartitionInfo {
 
@@ -168,10 +169,7 @@ private[producer] class ZKBrokerPartitionInfo(config: ZKConfig, producerCbk: (In
       val brokerTopicPath = ZkUtils.BrokerTopicsPath + "/" + topic
       val brokerList = ZkUtils.getChildrenParentMayNotExist(zkClient, brokerTopicPath)
 
-      val numPartitions = brokerList.map{bid =>
-        val x = ZkUtils.readData(zkClient, brokerTopicPath + "/" + bid)
-        if (x == "") 0 else bid.toInt
-      }
+      val numPartitions = brokerList.map(bid => Try(ZkUtils.readData(zkClient, brokerTopicPath + "/" + bid).toInt).getOrElse(0))
 
       val brokerPartitions = brokerList.map(bid => bid.toInt).zip(numPartitions)
       val sortedBrokerPartitions = brokerPartitions.sortWith((id1, id2) => id1._1 < id2._1)