diff --git a/weed/command/filer_sync.go b/weed/command/filer_sync.go
index 9d5b9d831..8eb68c098 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_sync.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_sync.go
@@ -251,16 +251,21 @@ func doSubscribeFilerMetaChanges(clientId int32, clientEpoch int32, grpcDialOpti
 		}
 		return persistEventFn(resp)
 	}
+	processor := NewMetadataProcessor(processEventFn, 128)
 
 	var lastLogTsNs = time.Now().UnixNano()
 	var clientName = fmt.Sprintf("syncFrom_%s_To_%s", string(sourceFiler), string(targetFiler))
-	processEventFnWithOffset := pb.AddOffsetFunc(processEventFn, 3*time.Second, func(counter int64, lastTsNs int64) error {
+	processEventFnWithOffset := pb.AddOffsetFunc(func(resp *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) error {
+		processor.AddSyncJob(resp)
+		return nil
+	}, 3*time.Second, func(counter int64, lastTsNs int64) error {
+		// use processor.processedTsWatermark instead of the lastTsNs from the most recent job
 		now := time.Now().UnixNano()
-		glog.V(0).Infof("sync %s to %s progressed to %v %0.2f/sec", sourceFiler, targetFiler, time.Unix(0, lastTsNs), float64(counter)/(float64(now-lastLogTsNs)/1e9))
+		glog.V(0).Infof("sync %s to %s progressed to %v %0.2f/sec", sourceFiler, targetFiler, time.Unix(0, processor.processedTsWatermark), float64(counter)/(float64(now-lastLogTsNs)/1e9))
 		lastLogTsNs = now
 		// collect synchronous offset
-		statsCollect.FilerSyncOffsetGauge.WithLabelValues(sourceFiler.String(), targetFiler.String(), clientName, sourcePath).Set(float64(lastTsNs))
-		return setOffset(grpcDialOption, targetFiler, getSignaturePrefixByPath(sourcePath), sourceFilerSignature, lastTsNs)
+		statsCollect.FilerSyncOffsetGauge.WithLabelValues(sourceFiler.String(), targetFiler.String(), clientName, sourcePath).Set(float64(processor.processedTsWatermark))
+		return setOffset(grpcDialOption, targetFiler, getSignaturePrefixByPath(sourcePath), sourceFilerSignature, processor.processedTsWatermark)
 	})
 
 	return pb.FollowMetadata(sourceFiler, grpcDialOption, clientName, clientId, clientEpoch,
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_sync_jobs.go b/weed/command/filer_sync_jobs.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d4d83adb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/command/filer_sync_jobs.go
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+type MetadataProcessFunc func(resp *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) error
+
+type MetadataProcessor struct {
+	activeJobs           map[int64]*filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse
+	activeJobsLock       sync.Mutex
+	activeJobsCond       *sync.Cond
+	concurrencyLimit     int
+	fn                   MetadataProcessFunc
+	processedTsWatermark int64
+}
+
+func NewMetadataProcessor(fn MetadataProcessFunc, concurrency int) *MetadataProcessor {
+	t := &MetadataProcessor{
+		fn:               fn,
+		activeJobs:       make(map[int64]*filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse),
+		concurrencyLimit: concurrency,
+	}
+	t.activeJobsCond = sync.NewCond(&t.activeJobsLock)
+	return t
+}
+
+func (t *MetadataProcessor) AddSyncJob(resp *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) {
+	if filer_pb.IsEmpty(resp) {
+		return
+	}
+
+	t.activeJobsLock.Lock()
+	defer t.activeJobsLock.Unlock()
+
+	for len(t.activeJobs) >= t.concurrencyLimit || t.conflictsWith(resp) {
+		t.activeJobsCond.Wait()
+	}
+	t.activeJobs[resp.TsNs] = resp
+	go func() {
+
+		util.RetryForever("metadata processor", func() error {
+			return t.fn(resp)
+		}, func(err error) bool {
+			glog.Errorf("process %v: %v", resp, err)
+			return true
+		})
+
+		t.activeJobsLock.Lock()
+		defer t.activeJobsLock.Unlock()
+
+		delete(t.activeJobs, resp.TsNs)
+
+		// if is the oldest job, write down the watermark
+		isOldest := true
+		for t, _ := range t.activeJobs {
+			if resp.TsNs > t {
+				isOldest = false
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if isOldest {
+			t.processedTsWatermark = resp.TsNs
+		}
+		t.activeJobsCond.Signal()
+	}()
+}
+
+func (t *MetadataProcessor) conflictsWith(resp *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) bool {
+	for _, r := range t.activeJobs {
+		if shouldWaitFor(resp, r) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// a is one possible job to schedule
+// b is one existing active job
+func shouldWaitFor(a *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse, b *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) bool {
+	aPath, aNewPath, aIsDirectory := extractPathsFromMetadata(a)
+	bPath, bNewPath, bIsDirectory := extractPathsFromMetadata(b)
+
+	if pairShouldWaitFor(aPath, bPath, aIsDirectory, bIsDirectory) {
+		return true
+	}
+	if aNewPath != "" {
+		if pairShouldWaitFor(aNewPath, bPath, aIsDirectory, bIsDirectory) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	if bNewPath != "" {
+		if pairShouldWaitFor(aPath, bNewPath, aIsDirectory, bIsDirectory) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	if aNewPath != "" && bNewPath != "" {
+		if pairShouldWaitFor(aNewPath, bNewPath, aIsDirectory, bIsDirectory) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func pairShouldWaitFor(aPath, bPath util.FullPath, aIsDirectory, bIsDirectory bool) bool {
+	if bIsDirectory {
+		if aIsDirectory {
+			return aPath.IsUnder(bPath) || bPath.IsUnder(aPath)
+		} else {
+			return aPath.IsUnder(bPath)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if aIsDirectory {
+			return bPath.IsUnder(aPath)
+		} else {
+			return aPath == bPath
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func extractPathsFromMetadata(resp *filer_pb.SubscribeMetadataResponse) (path, newPath util.FullPath, isDirectory bool) {
+	oldEntry := resp.EventNotification.OldEntry
+	newEntry := resp.EventNotification.NewEntry
+	// create
+	if filer_pb.IsCreate(resp) {
+		path = util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(newEntry.Name)
+		isDirectory = newEntry.IsDirectory
+		return
+	}
+	if filer_pb.IsDelete(resp) {
+		path = util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(oldEntry.Name)
+		isDirectory = oldEntry.IsDirectory
+		return
+	}
+	if filer_pb.IsUpdate(resp) {
+		path = util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(newEntry.Name)
+		isDirectory = newEntry.IsDirectory
+		return
+	}
+	// renaming
+	path = util.FullPath(resp.Directory).Child(oldEntry.Name)
+	isDirectory = oldEntry.IsDirectory
+	newPath = util.FullPath(resp.EventNotification.NewParentPath).Child(newEntry.Name)
+	return
+}
diff --git a/weed/util/fullpath.go b/weed/util/fullpath.go
index 92580dc38..6ac2af14f 100644
--- a/weed/util/fullpath.go
+++ b/weed/util/fullpath.go
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@ func Join(names ...string) string {
 func JoinPath(names ...string) FullPath {
 	return FullPath(Join(names...))
 }
+
+func (fp FullPath) IsUnder(other FullPath) bool {
+	if other == "/" {
+		return true
+	}
+	return strings.HasPrefix(string(fp), string(other)+"/")
+}
+
 func Split(separatedValues string, sep string) []string {
 	if separatedValues == "" {
 		return nil