diff --git a/partition_table.go b/partition_table.go
index 550adb64..770452fb 100644
--- a/partition_table.go
+++ b/partition_table.go
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ WaitLoop:
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			p.log.Printf("creating storage for topic %s/%d for %.1f minutes ...", p.topic, p.partition, time.Since(start).Minutes())
 		case <-done:
-			p.log.Printf("finished building storage for topic %s/%d in %.1f minutes", p.topic, p.partition, time.Since(start).Minutes())
+			p.log.Debugf("finished building storage for topic %s/%d in %.1f minutes", p.topic, p.partition, time.Since(start).Minutes())
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("error building storage: %v", err)
 			}
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ func (p *PartitionTable) load(ctx context.Context, stopAfterCatchup bool) (rerr
 		return
 	}()
 
+	p.state.SetState(State(PartitionConnecting))
+
 	// fetch local offset
 	storedOffset, err = p.st.GetOffset(offsetNotStored)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -333,8 +335,6 @@ func (p *PartitionTable) load(ctx context.Context, stopAfterCatchup bool) (rerr
 
 	defer p.log.Debugf("... Loading done")
 
-	p.state.SetState(State(PartitionConnecting))
-
 	partConsumer, err = p.consumer.ConsumePartition(p.topic, p.partition, loadOffset)
 	if err != nil {
 		errs.Collect(fmt.Errorf("Error creating partition consumer for topic %s, partition %d, offset %d: %v", p.topic, p.partition, storedOffset, err))
diff --git a/processor.go b/processor.go
index 88927cfc..84c99239 100644
--- a/processor.go
+++ b/processor.go
@@ -438,8 +438,8 @@ func (g *Processor) assignmentFromSession(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession) (
 func (g *Processor) Setup(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession) error {
 	g.state.SetState(ProcStateSetup)
 	defer g.state.SetState(ProcStateRunning)
-	g.log.Printf("setup generation %d, claims=%#v", session.GenerationID(), session.Claims())
-	defer g.log.Printf("setup generation %d ... done", session.GenerationID())
+	g.log.Debugf("setup generation %d, claims=%#v", session.GenerationID(), session.Claims())
+	defer g.log.Debugf("setup generation %d ... done", session.GenerationID())
 
 	assignment, err := g.assignmentFromSession(session)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -479,8 +479,8 @@ func (g *Processor) Setup(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession) error {
 // Cleanup is run at the end of a session, once all ConsumeClaim goroutines have exited
 // but before the offsets are committed for the very last time.
 func (g *Processor) Cleanup(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession) error {
-	g.log.Printf("Cleaning up for %d", session.GenerationID())
-	defer g.log.Printf("Cleaning up for %d ... done", session.GenerationID())
+	g.log.Debugf("Cleaning up for %d", session.GenerationID())
+	defer g.log.Debugf("Cleaning up for %d ... done", session.GenerationID())
 
 	g.state.SetState(ProcStateStopping)
 	defer g.state.SetState(ProcStateIdle)
@@ -525,8 +525,8 @@ func (g *Processor) WaitForReady() {
 // Once the Messages() channel is closed, the Handler must finish its processing
 // loop and exit.
 func (g *Processor) ConsumeClaim(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession, claim sarama.ConsumerGroupClaim) error {
-	g.log.Printf("ConsumeClaim for topic/partition %s/%d, initialOffset=%d", claim.Topic(), claim.Partition(), claim.InitialOffset())
-	defer g.log.Printf("ConsumeClaim done for topic/partition %s/%d", claim.Topic(), claim.Partition())
+	g.log.Debugf("ConsumeClaim for topic/partition %s/%d, initialOffset=%d", claim.Topic(), claim.Partition(), claim.InitialOffset())
+	defer g.log.Debugf("ConsumeClaim done for topic/partition %s/%d", claim.Topic(), claim.Partition())
 	part, has := g.partitions[claim.Partition()]
 	if !has {
 		return fmt.Errorf("No partition (%d) to handle input in topic %s", claim.Partition(), claim.Topic())
diff --git a/signal.go b/signal.go
index 7414af7c..ee2e1fa1 100644
--- a/signal.go
+++ b/signal.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type waiter struct {
 // Signal allows synchronization on a state, waiting for that state and checking
 // the current state
 type Signal struct {
-	m                    sync.Mutex
+	m                    sync.RWMutex
 	state                State
 	waiters              []*waiter
 	stateChangeObservers []*StateChangeObserver
@@ -45,8 +45,14 @@ func (s *Signal) SetState(state State) *Signal {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("trying to set illegal state %v", state))
 	}
 
+	// if we're already in the state, do not notify anyone
+	if s.state == state {
+		return s
+	}
+
 	// set the state and notify all channels waiting for it.
 	s.state = state
+
 	var newWaiters []*waiter
 	for _, w := range s.waiters {
 		if w.state == state || (w.minState && state >= w.state) {
@@ -67,11 +73,15 @@ func (s *Signal) SetState(state State) *Signal {
 
 // IsState returns if the signal is in the requested state
 func (s *Signal) IsState(state State) bool {
+	s.m.RLock()
+	defer s.m.RUnlock()
 	return s.state == state
 }
 
 // State returns the current state
 func (s *Signal) State() State {
+	s.m.RLock()
+	defer s.m.RUnlock()
 	return s.state
 }
 
@@ -94,7 +104,7 @@ func (s *Signal) WaitForStateMin(state State) chan struct{} {
 // state.
 func (s *Signal) WaitForState(state State) chan struct{} {
 	s.m.Lock()
-	defer s.m.Unlock()
+	s.m.Unlock()
 
 	w := &waiter{
 		done:  make(chan struct{}),
@@ -108,7 +118,7 @@ func (s *Signal) waitForWaiter(state State, w *waiter) chan struct{} {
 
 	// if the signal is currently in that state (or in a higher state if minState is set)
 	// then close the waiter immediately
-	if curState := s.State(); state == curState || (w.minState && curState >= state) {
+	if curState := s.state; state == curState || (w.minState && curState >= state) {
 		close(w.done)
 	} else {
 		s.waiters = append(s.waiters, w)
@@ -157,7 +167,7 @@ func (s *Signal) ObserveStateChange() *StateChangeObserver {
 	}
 
 	// initialize the observer with the current state
-	observer.notify(s.State())
+	observer.notify(s.state)
 
 	// the stop funtion stops the observer by closing its channel
 	// and removing it from the list of observers