diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index 1928161..6e584b6 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -54,30 +54,10 @@ func (c *Consumer) handlerLoop(shardID string, handler Handler) {
 		MaxRecordCount: c.BufferSize,
 		shardID:        shardID,
 	}
-
-	params := &kinesis.GetShardIteratorInput{
-		ShardId:    aws.String(shardID),
-		StreamName: aws.String(c.StreamName),
-	}
-
-	if c.Checkpoint.CheckpointExists(shardID) {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String("AFTER_SEQUENCE_NUMBER")
-		params.StartingSequenceNumber = aws.String(c.Checkpoint.SequenceNumber())
-	} else {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String("TRIM_HORIZON")
-	}
-
-	resp, err := c.svc.GetShardIterator(params)
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Logger.WithError(err).Error("GetShardIterator")
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	shardIterator := resp.ShardIterator
-
 	ctx := c.Logger.WithFields(log.Fields{
 		"shard": shardID,
 	})
+	shardIterator := c.getShardIterator(shardID)
 
 	ctx.Info("processing")
 
@@ -89,7 +69,9 @@ func (c *Consumer) handlerLoop(shardID string, handler Handler) {
 		)
 
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("Error GetRecords %v", err)
+			ctx.WithError(err).Error("GetRecords")
+			shardIterator = c.getShardIterator(shardID)
+			continue
 		}
 
 		if len(resp.Records) > 0 {
@@ -103,11 +85,57 @@ func (c *Consumer) handlerLoop(shardID string, handler Handler) {
 					buf.Flush()
 				}
 			}
-		} else if resp.NextShardIterator == aws.String("") || shardIterator == resp.NextShardIterator {
-			c.Logger.Error("NextShardIterator")
-			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 
-		shardIterator = resp.NextShardIterator
+		if resp.NextShardIterator == nil || shardIterator == resp.NextShardIterator {
+			shardIterator = c.getShardIterator(shardID)
+		} else {
+			shardIterator = resp.NextShardIterator
+		}
 	}
 }
+
+func (c *Consumer) getShardIterator(shardID string) *string {
+	params := &kinesis.GetShardIteratorInput{
+		ShardId:    aws.String(shardID),
+		StreamName: aws.String(c.StreamName),
+	}
+
+	if c.Checkpoint.CheckpointExists(shardID) {
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(ShardIteratorAfterSequenceNumber))
+		params.StartingSequenceNumber = aws.String(c.Checkpoint.SequenceNumber())
+	} else {
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(c.ShardIteratorType))
+	}
+
+	resp, err := c.svc.GetShardIterator(params)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Logger.WithError(err).Error("GetShardIterator")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	return resp.ShardIterator
+}
+
+func (c *Consumer) getShardIterator(shardID string) *string {
+	params := &kinesis.GetShardIteratorInput{
+		ShardId:    aws.String(shardID),
+		StreamName: aws.String(c.StreamName),
+	}
+
+	if c.Checkpoint.CheckpointExists(shardID) {
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(ShardIteratorAfterSequenceNumber))
+		params.StartingSequenceNumber = aws.String(c.Checkpoint.SequenceNumber())
+	} else {
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(c.ShardIteratorType))
+	}
+
+	resp, err := c.svc.GetShardIterator(params)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Logger.WithError(err).Error("GetShardIterator")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	return resp.ShardIterator
+}