diff --git a/meta-client/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/TestZkMetaClient.java b/meta-client/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/TestZkMetaClient.java
index 19f21977b0b..86edbf8ebed 100644
--- a/meta-client/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/TestZkMetaClient.java
+++ b/meta-client/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/TestZkMetaClient.java
@@ -517,12 +517,20 @@ public void handleDataChange(String key, Object data, ChangeType changeType)
             throws Exception {
         }
       };
-      zkMetaClient.subscribeDataChange(basePath, listener, false);
+      DirectChildChangeListener cldListener = new DirectChildChangeListener() {
+
+        @Override
+        public void handleDirectChildChange(String key) throws Exception {
+
+        }
+      };
+      zkMetaClient.subscribeDataChange(basePath, listener, true);
       zkMetaClient.create(basePath, "");
       zkMetaClient.get(basePath);
       zkMetaClient.exists(basePath);
       zkMetaClient.getDataAndStat(basePath);
       zkMetaClient.getDirectChildrenKeys(basePath);
+      zkMetaClient.subscribeDirectChildChange(basePath, cldListener, true);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/zookeeper-api/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/zookeeper/zkclient/ZkClient.java b/zookeeper-api/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/zookeeper/zkclient/ZkClient.java
index 2a06158d090..110587e09ca 100644
--- a/zookeeper-api/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/zookeeper/zkclient/ZkClient.java
+++ b/zookeeper-api/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/zookeeper/zkclient/ZkClient.java
@@ -1474,7 +1474,7 @@ public int countChildren(String path) {
   }
 
   public boolean exists(final String path) {
-    return exists(path, hasChildOrDataListeners(path));
+    return exists(path, (!_usePersistWatcher) && hasChildOrDataListeners(path));
   }
 
   protected boolean exists(final String path, final boolean watch) {