diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/InitializeTask.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/InitializeTask.java
index 21d0599b..474a5767 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/InitializeTask.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/InitializeTask.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  */
 package com.amazonaws.services.kinesis.clientlibrary.lib.worker;
 
+import com.amazonaws.services.kinesis.clientlibrary.exceptions.KinesisClientLibException;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
@@ -79,7 +80,15 @@ class InitializeTask implements ITask {
 
         try {
             LOG.debug("Initializing ShardId " + shardInfo.getShardId());
-            Checkpoint initialCheckpointObject = checkpoint.getCheckpointObject(shardInfo.getShardId());
+            Checkpoint initialCheckpointObject;
+            try {
+                initialCheckpointObject = checkpoint.getCheckpointObject(shardInfo.getShardId());
+            } catch (KinesisClientLibException e) {
+                LOG.error("Caught exception while fetching checkpoint for " + shardInfo.getShardId(), e);
+                final TaskResult result = new TaskResult(e);
+                result.leaseNotFound();
+                return result;
+            }
             ExtendedSequenceNumber initialCheckpoint = initialCheckpointObject.getCheckpoint();
 
             dataFetcher.initialize(initialCheckpoint.getSequenceNumber(), streamConfig.getInitialPositionInStream());
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/ShardConsumer.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/ShardConsumer.java
index 9e73aad9..11ee39b5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/ShardConsumer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/ShardConsumer.java
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ class ShardConsumer {
     }
 
     private enum TaskOutcome {
-        SUCCESSFUL, END_OF_SHARD, NOT_COMPLETE, FAILURE
+        SUCCESSFUL, END_OF_SHARD, NOT_COMPLETE, FAILURE, LEASE_NOT_FOUND
     }
 
     private TaskOutcome determineTaskOutcome() {
@@ -391,6 +391,10 @@ class ShardConsumer {
                 return TaskOutcome.SUCCESSFUL;
             }
             logTaskException(result);
+            // This is the case of result with exception
+            if (result.isLeaseNotFound()) {
+                return TaskOutcome.LEASE_NOT_FOUND;
+            }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         } finally {
@@ -487,6 +491,10 @@ class ShardConsumer {
             markForShutdown(ShutdownReason.TERMINATE);
             LOG.info("Shard " + shardInfo.getShardId() + ": Mark for shutdown with reason TERMINATE");
         }
+        if (taskOutcome == TaskOutcome.LEASE_NOT_FOUND) {
+            markForShutdown(ShutdownReason.ZOMBIE);
+            LOG.info("Shard " + shardInfo.getShardId() + ": Mark for shutdown with reason ZOMBIE as lease was not found");
+        }
         if (isShutdownRequested() && taskOutcome != TaskOutcome.FAILURE) {
             currentState = currentState.shutdownTransition(shutdownReason);
         } else if (isShutdownRequested() && ConsumerStates.ShardConsumerState.WAITING_ON_PARENT_SHARDS.equals(currentState.getState())) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/TaskResult.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/TaskResult.java
index 70109b86..db22c97b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/TaskResult.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/TaskResult.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ class TaskResult {
     // List of childShards of the current shard. This field is only required for the task result when we reach end of a shard.
     private List<ChildShard> childShards;
 
+    private boolean leaseNotFound;
+
     /**
      * @return the shardEndReached
      */
@@ -57,6 +59,14 @@ class TaskResult {
      */
     protected void setChildShards(List<ChildShard> childShards) { this.childShards = childShards; }
 
+    public boolean isLeaseNotFound() {
+        return leaseNotFound;
+    }
+
+    public void leaseNotFound() {
+        this.leaseNotFound = true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return the exception
      */