diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index be668a9..199f590 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -428,22 +428,26 @@ func (c *Consumer) subscribe(subs map[string][]int32) error {
 	}
 
 	// create consumers in parallel
-	errs := make(chan error, len(subs))
+	var mu sync.Mutex
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
 	for topic, partitions := range subs {
 		for _, partition := range partitions {
+			wg.Add(1)
+
 			info := offsets[topic][partition]
 			go func(t string, p int32) {
-				errs <- c.createConsumer(t, p, info)
+				if e := c.createConsumer(t, p, info); e != nil {
+					mu.Lock()
+					err = e
+					mu.Unlock()
+				}
+				wg.Done()
 			}(topic, partition)
 		}
 	}
+	wg.Wait()
 
-	// consume errors
-	for i := 0; i < len(subs); i++ {
-		if e := <-errs; e != nil {
-			err = e
-		}
-	}
 	if err != nil {
 		_ = c.release()
 		_ = c.leaveGroup()
diff --git a/partitions.go b/partitions.go
index d9a987d..9d97981 100644
--- a/partitions.go
+++ b/partitions.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type partitionConsumer struct {
 	pcm sarama.PartitionConsumer
 
 	state partitionState
-	mutex sync.Mutex
+	mu    sync.Mutex
 
 	closed      bool
 	dying, dead chan none
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ func (c *partitionConsumer) State() partitionState {
 		return partitionState{}
 	}
 
-	c.mutex.Lock()
+	c.mu.Lock()
 	state := c.state
-	c.mutex.Unlock()
+	c.mu.Unlock()
 
 	return state
 }
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ func (c *partitionConsumer) MarkCommitted(offset int64) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.mutex.Lock()
+	c.mu.Lock()
 	if offset == c.state.Info.Offset {
 		c.state.Dirty = false
 	}
-	c.mutex.Unlock()
+	c.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (c *partitionConsumer) MarkOffset(offset int64, metadata string) {
@@ -109,13 +109,13 @@ func (c *partitionConsumer) MarkOffset(offset int64, metadata string) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.mutex.Lock()
+	c.mu.Lock()
 	if offset > c.state.Info.Offset {
 		c.state.Info.Offset = offset
 		c.state.Info.Metadata = metadata
 		c.state.Dirty = true
 	}
-	c.mutex.Unlock()
+	c.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ type partitionState struct {
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 type partitionMap struct {
-	data  map[topicPartition]*partitionConsumer
-	mutex sync.RWMutex
+	data map[topicPartition]*partitionConsumer
+	mu   sync.RWMutex
 }
 
 func newPartitionMap() *partitionMap {
@@ -139,21 +139,21 @@ func newPartitionMap() *partitionMap {
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) Fetch(topic string, partition int32) *partitionConsumer {
-	m.mutex.RLock()
+	m.mu.RLock()
 	pc, _ := m.data[topicPartition{topic, partition}]
-	m.mutex.RUnlock()
+	m.mu.RUnlock()
 	return pc
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) Store(topic string, partition int32, pc *partitionConsumer) {
-	m.mutex.Lock()
+	m.mu.Lock()
 	m.data[topicPartition{topic, partition}] = pc
-	m.mutex.Unlock()
+	m.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) HasDirty() bool {
-	m.mutex.RLock()
-	defer m.mutex.RUnlock()
+	m.mu.RLock()
+	defer m.mu.RUnlock()
 
 	for _, pc := range m.data {
 		if state := pc.State(); state.Dirty {
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ func (m *partitionMap) HasDirty() bool {
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) Snapshot() map[topicPartition]partitionState {
-	m.mutex.RLock()
-	defer m.mutex.RUnlock()
+	m.mu.RLock()
+	defer m.mu.RUnlock()
 
 	snap := make(map[topicPartition]partitionState, len(m.data))
 	for tp, pc := range m.data {
@@ -175,10 +175,10 @@ func (m *partitionMap) Snapshot() map[topicPartition]partitionState {
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) Stop() {
-	m.mutex.RLock()
-	defer m.mutex.RUnlock()
+	m.mu.RLock()
+	defer m.mu.RUnlock()
 
-	wg := new(sync.WaitGroup)
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for tp := range m.data {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func(p *partitionConsumer) {
@@ -190,20 +190,20 @@ func (m *partitionMap) Stop() {
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) Clear() {
-	m.mutex.Lock()
+	m.mu.Lock()
 	for tp := range m.data {
 		delete(m.data, tp)
 	}
-	m.mutex.Unlock()
+	m.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (m *partitionMap) Info() map[string][]int32 {
 	info := make(map[string][]int32)
-	m.mutex.RLock()
+	m.mu.RLock()
 	for tp := range m.data {
 		info[tp.Topic] = append(info[tp.Topic], tp.Partition)
 	}
-	m.mutex.RUnlock()
+	m.mu.RUnlock()
 
 	for topic := range info {
 		sort.Sort(int32Slice(info[topic]))