diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index d33a4ec..cedae08 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func New(streamName string, opts ...Option) (*Consumer, error) {
 	// new consumer with no-op checkpoint, counter, and logger
 	c := &Consumer{
 		streamName:               streamName,
-		initialShardIteratorType: "TRIM_HORIZON",
+		initialShardIteratorType: kinesis.ShardIteratorTypeTrimHorizon,
 		checkpoint:               &noopCheckpoint{},
 		counter:                  &noopCounter{},
 		logger: &noopLogger{
@@ -241,20 +241,28 @@ func (c *Consumer) handleRecord(shardID string, r *Record, fn func(*Record) Scan
 }
 
 func (c *Consumer) getShardIDs(streamName string) ([]string, error) {
-	resp, err := c.client.DescribeStream(
-		&kinesis.DescribeStreamInput{
-			StreamName: aws.String(streamName),
-		},
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("describe stream error: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	var ss []string
-	for _, shard := range resp.StreamDescription.Shards {
-		ss = append(ss, *shard.ShardId)
+	var listShardsInput = &kinesis.ListShardsInput{
+		StreamName: aws.String(streamName),
+	}
+	for {
+		resp, err := c.client.ListShards(listShardsInput)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("ListShards error: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		for _, shard := range resp.Shards {
+			ss = append(ss, *shard.ShardId)
+		}
+
+		if resp.NextToken == nil {
+			return ss, nil
+		}
+
+		listShardsInput = &kinesis.ListShardsInput{
+			NextToken: resp.NextToken,
+		}
 	}
-	return ss, nil
 }
 
 func (c *Consumer) getShardIterator(streamName, shardID, lastSeqNum string) (*string, error) {
@@ -264,7 +272,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) getShardIterator(streamName, shardID, lastSeqNum string) (*st
 	}
 
 	if lastSeqNum != "" {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String("AFTER_SEQUENCE_NUMBER")
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(kinesis.ShardIteratorTypeAfterSequenceNumber)
 		params.StartingSequenceNumber = aws.String(lastSeqNum)
 	} else {
 		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(c.initialShardIteratorType)
diff --git a/consumer_test.go b/consumer_test.go
index 36d6703..f669381 100644
--- a/consumer_test.go
+++ b/consumer_test.go
@@ -40,12 +40,10 @@ func TestConsumer_Scan(t *testing.T) {
 				Records:           records,
 			}, nil
 		},
-		describeStreamMock: func(input *kinesis.DescribeStreamInput) (*kinesis.DescribeStreamOutput, error) {
-			return &kinesis.DescribeStreamOutput{
-				StreamDescription: &kinesis.StreamDescription{
-					Shards: []*kinesis.Shard{
-						{ShardId: aws.String("myShard")},
-					},
+		listShardsMock: func(input *kinesis.ListShardsInput) (*kinesis.ListShardsOutput, error) {
+			return &kinesis.ListShardsOutput{
+				Shards: []*kinesis.Shard{
+					{ShardId: aws.String("myShard")},
 				},
 			}, nil
 		},
@@ -94,11 +92,9 @@ func TestConsumer_Scan(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestConsumer_Scan_NoShardsAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 	client := &kinesisClientMock{
-		describeStreamMock: func(input *kinesis.DescribeStreamInput) (*kinesis.DescribeStreamOutput, error) {
-			return &kinesis.DescribeStreamOutput{
-				StreamDescription: &kinesis.StreamDescription{
-					Shards: make([]*kinesis.Shard, 0),
-				},
+		listShardsMock: func(input *kinesis.ListShardsInput) (*kinesis.ListShardsOutput, error) {
+			return &kinesis.ListShardsOutput{
+				Shards: make([]*kinesis.Shard, 0),
 			}, nil
 		},
 	}
@@ -287,7 +283,11 @@ type kinesisClientMock struct {
 	kinesisiface.KinesisAPI
 	getShardIteratorMock func(*kinesis.GetShardIteratorInput) (*kinesis.GetShardIteratorOutput, error)
 	getRecordsMock       func(*kinesis.GetRecordsInput) (*kinesis.GetRecordsOutput, error)
-	describeStreamMock   func(*kinesis.DescribeStreamInput) (*kinesis.DescribeStreamOutput, error)
+	listShardsMock       func(*kinesis.ListShardsInput) (*kinesis.ListShardsOutput, error)
+}
+
+func (c *kinesisClientMock) ListShards(in *kinesis.ListShardsInput) (*kinesis.ListShardsOutput, error) {
+	return c.listShardsMock(in)
 }
 
 func (c *kinesisClientMock) GetRecords(in *kinesis.GetRecordsInput) (*kinesis.GetRecordsOutput, error) {
@@ -298,10 +298,6 @@ func (c *kinesisClientMock) GetShardIterator(in *kinesis.GetShardIteratorInput)
 	return c.getShardIteratorMock(in)
 }
 
-func (c *kinesisClientMock) DescribeStream(in *kinesis.DescribeStreamInput) (*kinesis.DescribeStreamOutput, error) {
-	return c.describeStreamMock(in)
-}
-
 // implementation of checkpoint
 type fakeCheckpoint struct {
 	cache map[string]string