diff --git a/core/internal/evaluator/caching.go b/core/internal/evaluator/caching.go
index f7b1edf0..cc956318 100644
--- a/core/internal/evaluator/caching.go
+++ b/core/internal/evaluator/caching.go
@@ -170,7 +170,8 @@ func (module *CachingEvaluator) getConsumerStatus(request *protocol.EvaluatorReq
 
 func (module *CachingEvaluator) evaluateConsumerStatus(clusterAndConsumer string) (interface{}, error) {
 	// First off, we need to separate the cluster and consumer values from the string provided
-	parts := strings.Split(clusterAndConsumer, " ")
+	// Allow space in consumer name
+	parts := strings.SplitN(clusterAndConsumer, " ", 2)
 	if len(parts) != 2 {
 		module.Log.Error("query with bad clusterAndConsumer", zap.String("arg", clusterAndConsumer))
 		return nil, &cacheError{StatusCode: 500, Reason: "bad request"}
diff --git a/core/internal/helpers/validation.go b/core/internal/helpers/validation.go
index 6d1fe8aa..612660dc 100644
--- a/core/internal/helpers/validation.go
+++ b/core/internal/helpers/validation.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func ValidateURL(rawURL string) bool {
 // ValidateHostList returns true if the provided slice of strings can all be parsed by ValidateHostPort
 func ValidateHostList(hosts []string) bool {
 	for _, host := range hosts {
-		if !ValidateHostPort(host, false) {
+		if !ValidateHostPort(host, true) {
 			return false
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/core/internal/helpers/validation_test.go b/core/internal/helpers/validation_test.go
index 7fadd636..8ccacb11 100644
--- a/core/internal/helpers/validation_test.go
+++ b/core/internal/helpers/validation_test.go
@@ -96,6 +96,13 @@ func TestValidateTopic(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestValidateFilename(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, testSet := range testTopics {
+		result := ValidateFilename(testSet.TestValue)
+		assert.Equalf(t, testSet.Result, result, "Test %v - Expected '%v' to return %v, not %v", i, testSet.TestValue, testSet.Result, result)
+	}
+}
+
 var testEmails = []TestSet{
 	{"ok@example.com", true},
 	{"need@domain", false},
@@ -173,10 +180,13 @@ var testHostPorts = []TestSet{
 	{"host.example.com:23", true},
 	{"thissegmentiswaytoolongbecauseitshouldnotbemorethansixtythreecharacters.foo.com:36334", false},
 	{"underscores_are.not.valid.com:3453", false},
+	{":2453", true},
+	{"hostname:stringsNotValid", false},
 }
 
 func TestValidateHostList(t *testing.T) {
 	for i, testSet := range testHostPorts {
+		// Test allow blank hostname
 		result := ValidateHostList([]string{testSet.TestValue})
 		assert.Equalf(t, testSet.Result, result, "Test %v - Expected '%v' to return %v, not %v", i, testSet.TestValue, testSet.Result, result)
 	}
diff --git a/core/internal/helpers/zookeeper.go b/core/internal/helpers/zookeeper.go
index f2fa04e0..943f58f0 100644
--- a/core/internal/helpers/zookeeper.go
+++ b/core/internal/helpers/zookeeper.go
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ func (z *BurrowZookeeperClient) GetW(path string) ([]byte, *zk.Stat, <-chan zk.E
 	return z.client.GetW(path)
 }
 
+// Exists returns a boolean stating whether or not the specified path exists.
+func (z *BurrowZookeeperClient) Exists(path string) (bool, *zk.Stat, error) {
+	return z.client.Exists(path)
+}
+
 // ExistsW returns a boolean stating whether or not the specified path exists. This method also sets a watch on the node
 // (exists if it does not currently exist, or a data watch otherwise), providing an event channel that will receive a
 // message when the watch fires
@@ -115,6 +120,12 @@ func (m *MockZookeeperClient) GetW(path string) ([]byte, *zk.Stat, <-chan zk.Eve
 	return args.Get(0).([]byte), args.Get(1).(*zk.Stat), args.Get(2).(<-chan zk.Event), args.Error(3)
 }
 
+// Exists mocks protocol.ZookeeperClient.Exists
+func (m *MockZookeeperClient) Exists(path string) (bool, *zk.Stat, error) {
+	args := m.Called(path)
+	return args.Bool(0), args.Get(1).(*zk.Stat), args.Error(2)
+}
+
 // ExistsW mocks protocol.ZookeeperClient.ExistsW
 func (m *MockZookeeperClient) ExistsW(path string) (bool, *zk.Stat, <-chan zk.Event, error) {
 	args := m.Called(path)
diff --git a/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator.go b/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator.go
index 43b98c5c..09e0a127 100644
--- a/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator.go
+++ b/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator.go
@@ -121,10 +121,16 @@ func (zc *Coordinator) createRecursive(path string) error {
 
 	parts := strings.Split(path, "/")
 	for i := 2; i <= len(parts); i++ {
-		_, err := zc.App.Zookeeper.Create(strings.Join(parts[:i], "/"), []byte{}, 0, zk.WorldACL(zk.PermAll))
-		// Ignore when the node exists already
-		if (err != nil) && (err != zk.ErrNodeExists) {
-			return err
+		// If the rootpath exists, skip the Create process to avoid "zk: not authenticated" error
+		exist, _, errExists := zc.App.Zookeeper.Exists(strings.Join(parts[:i], "/"))
+		if !exist {
+			_, err := zc.App.Zookeeper.Create(strings.Join(parts[:i], "/"), []byte{}, 0, zk.WorldACL(zk.PermAll))
+			// Ignore when the node exists already
+			if (err != nil) && (err != zk.ErrNodeExists) {
+				return err
+			}
+		} else {
+			return errExists
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator_test.go b/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator_test.go
index 846549fb..4fc65752 100644
--- a/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator_test.go
+++ b/core/internal/zookeeper/coordinator_test.go
@@ -65,8 +65,12 @@ func TestCoordinator_StartStop(t *testing.T) {
 		return &mockClient, eventChan, nil
 	}
 
+	offsetStat := &zk.Stat{}
+	mockClient.On("Exists", "/test").Return(true, offsetStat, nil)
 	mockClient.On("Create", "/test", []byte{}, int32(0), zk.WorldACL(zk.PermAll)).Return("", zk.ErrNodeExists)
+	mockClient.On("Exists", "/test/path").Return(true, offsetStat, nil)
 	mockClient.On("Create", "/test/path", []byte{}, int32(0), zk.WorldACL(zk.PermAll)).Return("", zk.ErrNodeExists)
+	mockClient.On("Exists", "/test/path/burrow").Return(false, offsetStat, nil)
 	mockClient.On("Create", "/test/path/burrow", []byte{}, int32(0), zk.WorldACL(zk.PermAll)).Return("", nil)
 	mockClient.On("Close").Run(func(args mock.Arguments) { close(eventChan) }).Return()
 
diff --git a/core/protocol/protocol.go b/core/protocol/protocol.go
index 513d157e..05565945 100644
--- a/core/protocol/protocol.go
+++ b/core/protocol/protocol.go
@@ -141,13 +141,17 @@ type ZookeeperClient interface {
 	// the children of the specified path, providing an event channel that will receive a message when the watch fires
 	GetW(path string) ([]byte, *zk.Stat, <-chan zk.Event, error)
 
+	// For the given path in Zookeeper, return a boolean stating whether or not the node exists.
+	// The method does not set watch on the node, but verifies existence of a node to avoid authentication error.
+	Exists(path string) (bool, *zk.Stat, error)
+
 	// For the given path in Zookeeper, return a boolean stating whether or not the node exists. This method also sets
 	// a watch on the node (exists if it does not currently exist, or a data watch otherwise), providing an event
 	// channel that will receive a message when the watch fires
 	ExistsW(path string) (bool, *zk.Stat, <-chan zk.Event, error)
 
 	// Create makes a new ZNode at the specified path with the contents set to the data byte-slice. Flags can be
-	// provided to specify that this is an ephemeral or sequence node, and an ACL must be provided. If no ACL is\
+	// provided to specify that this is an ephemeral or sequence node, and an ACL must be provided. If no ACL is
 	// desired, specify
 	//  zk.WorldACL(zk.PermAll)
 	Create(string, []byte, int32, []zk.ACL) (string, error)