diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go
index e8238a5f7..3b585f6f6 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_pub.go
@@ -149,26 +149,17 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) PublishMessage(stream mq_pb.SeaweedMessaging_Publis
 }
 
 func (b *MessageQueueBroker) loadLocalTopicPartitionFromFiler(t topic.Topic, p topic.Partition) (localTopicPartition *topic.LocalPartition, err error) {
+	self := b.option.BrokerAddress()
+	glog.V(0).Infof("broker %s load topic %v partition %v", self, t, p)
+
 	// load local topic partition from configuration on filer if not found
 	var conf *mq_pb.ConfigureTopicResponse
-	topicDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", filer.TopicsDir, t.Namespace, t.Name)
-	if err = b.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
-		data, err := filer.ReadInsideFiler(client, topicDir, "topic.conf")
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("read topic %v partition %v conf: %v", t, p, err)
-		}
-		// parse into filer conf object
-		conf = &mq_pb.ConfigureTopicResponse{}
-		if err = jsonpb.Unmarshal(data, conf); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unmarshal topic %v partition %v conf: %v", t, p, err)
-		}
-		return nil
-	}); err != nil {
+	conf, err = b.readTopicConfFromFiler(t, p)
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// create local topic partition
-	self := b.option.BrokerAddress()
 	var hasCreated bool
 	for _, assignment := range conf.BrokerPartitionAssignments {
 		if assignment.LeaderBroker == string(self) && p.Equals(topic.FromPbPartition(assignment.Partition)) {
@@ -186,6 +177,25 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) loadLocalTopicPartitionFromFiler(t topic.Topic, p t
 	return localTopicPartition, nil
 }
 
+func (b *MessageQueueBroker) readTopicConfFromFiler(t topic.Topic, p topic.Partition) (conf *mq_pb.ConfigureTopicResponse, err error) {
+	topicDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", filer.TopicsDir, t.Namespace, t.Name)
+	if err = b.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
+		data, err := filer.ReadInsideFiler(client, topicDir, "topic.conf")
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("read topic %v partition %v conf: %v", t, p, err)
+		}
+		// parse into filer conf object
+		conf = &mq_pb.ConfigureTopicResponse{}
+		if err = jsonpb.Unmarshal(data, conf); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unmarshal topic %v partition %v conf: %v", t, p, err)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return conf, err
+}
+
 // duplicated from master_grpc_server.go
 func findClientAddress(ctx context.Context) string {
 	// fmt.Printf("FromContext %+v\n", ctx)