diff --git a/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeper.cpp b/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeper.cpp
index 41d715b23f1..bee875d1c74 100644
--- a/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeper.cpp
+++ b/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeper.cpp
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ bool ZooKeeper::waitForDisappear(const std::string & path, const WaitCondition &
 {
     WaitForDisappearStatePtr state = std::make_shared<WaitForDisappearState>();
 
-    auto callback = [state](const Coordination::ExistsResponse & response)
+    auto callback = [state](const Coordination::GetResponse & response)
     {
         state->code = int32_t(response.error);
         if (state->code)
@@ -683,8 +683,9 @@ bool ZooKeeper::waitForDisappear(const std::string & path, const WaitCondition &
 
     while (!condition || !condition())
     {
-        /// NOTE: if the node doesn't exist, the watch will leak.
-        impl->exists(path, callback, watch);
+        /// Use getData insteand of exists to avoid watch leak.
+        impl->get(path, callback, watch);
+
         if (!condition)
             state->event.wait();
         else if (!state->event.tryWait(1000))
diff --git a/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeperImpl.cpp b/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeperImpl.cpp
index 2ee0c5aba17..abb8158781b 100644
--- a/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeperImpl.cpp
+++ b/src/Common/ZooKeeper/ZooKeeperImpl.cpp
@@ -422,6 +422,18 @@ void ZooKeeperRequest::write(WriteBuffer & out) const
 }
 
 
+static void removeRootPath(String & path, const String & root_path)
+{
+    if (root_path.empty())
+        return;
+
+    if (path.size() <= root_path.size())
+        throw Exception("Received path is not longer than root_path", Error::ZDATAINCONSISTENCY);
+
+    path = path.substr(root_path.size());
+}
+
+
 struct ZooKeeperResponse : virtual Response
 {
     virtual ~ZooKeeperResponse() override = default;
@@ -1092,8 +1104,6 @@ void ZooKeeper::sendThread()
                     {
                         info.request->has_watch = true;
                         CurrentMetrics::add(CurrentMetrics::ZooKeeperWatch);
-                        std::lock_guard lock(watches_mutex);
-                        watches[info.request->getPath()].emplace_back(std::move(info.watch));
                     }
 
                     if (expired)
@@ -1278,6 +1288,30 @@ void ZooKeeper::receiveEvent()
             response->removeRootPath(root_path);
         }
 
+        /// Instead of setting the watch in sendEvent, set it in receiveEvent becuase need to check the response.
+        /// The watch shouldn't be set if the node does not exist and it will never exist like sequential ephemeral nodes.
+        /// By using getData() instead of exists(), a watch won't be set if the node doesn't exist.
+        if (request_info.watch)
+        {
+            bool add_watch = false;
+            /// 3 indicates the ZooKeeperExistsRequest. 
+            // For exists, we set the watch on both node exist and nonexist case.
+            // For other case like getData, we only set the watch when node exists.
+            if (request_info.request->getOpNum() == 3)
+                add_watch = (response->error == Error::ZOK || response->error == Error::ZNONODE);
+            else
+                add_watch = response->error == Error::ZOK;
+
+            if (add_watch)
+            {
+                /// The key of wathces should exclude the root_path
+                String req_path = request_info.request->getPath();
+                removeRootPath(req_path, root_path);
+                std::lock_guard lock(watches_mutex);
+                watches[req_path].emplace_back(std::move(request_info.watch));
+            }
+        }
+
         int32_t actual_length = in->count() - count_before_event;
         if (length != actual_length)
             throw Exception("Response length doesn't match. Expected: " + toString(length) + ", actual: " + toString(actual_length), Error::ZMARSHALLINGERROR);
diff --git a/src/Storages/MergeTree/LeaderElection.h b/src/Storages/MergeTree/LeaderElection.h
index 89715085eda..a5f7ebce84f 100644
--- a/src/Storages/MergeTree/LeaderElection.h
+++ b/src/Storages/MergeTree/LeaderElection.h
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ private:
 
             /// Watch for the node in front of us.
             --my_node_it;
-            if (!zookeeper.existsWatch(path + "/" + *my_node_it, nullptr, task->getWatchCallback()))
+            std::string get_path_value;
+            if (!zookeeper.tryGetWatch(path + "/" + *my_node_it, get_path_value, nullptr, task->getWatchCallback()))
                 task->schedule();
 
             success = true;