diff --git a/curator-recipes/pom.xml b/curator-recipes/pom.xml
index 927af0c28..1ac5a8b75 100644
--- a/curator-recipes/pom.xml
+++ b/curator-recipes/pom.xml
@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
 
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
+            <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.awaitility</groupId>
             <artifactId>awaitility</artifactId>
diff --git a/curator-recipes/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/LeaderLatch.java b/curator-recipes/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/LeaderLatch.java
index 80509dbf8..4d20f9afd 100644
--- a/curator-recipes/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/LeaderLatch.java
+++ b/curator-recipes/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/LeaderLatch.java
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ public void processResult(CuratorFramework client, CuratorEvent event) throws Ex
                         getChildren();
                     }
                 } else {
-                    log.error("getChildren() failed. rc = " + event.getResultCode());
+                    log.error("getChildren() failed. rc = {}", event.getResultCode());
                 }
             }
         };
@@ -548,43 +548,57 @@ private void checkLeadership(List<String> children) throws Exception {
         log.debug("checkLeadership with id: {}, ourPath: {}, children: {}", id, localOurPath, sortedChildren);
 
         if (ourIndex < 0) {
-            log.error("Can't find our node. Resetting. Index: " + ourIndex);
+            log.error("Can't find our node. Resetting. Index: {}", ourIndex);
             reset();
-        } else if (ourIndex == 0) {
-            lastPathIsLeader.set(localOurPath);
-            setLeadership(true);
-        } else {
-            setLeadership(false);
-            String watchPath = sortedChildren.get(ourIndex - 1);
-            Watcher watcher = new Watcher() {
-                @Override
-                public void process(WatchedEvent event) {
-                    if (state.get() == State.STARTED && event.getType() == Event.EventType.NodeDeleted) {
-                        try {
-                            getChildren();
-                        } catch (Exception ex) {
-                            ThreadUtils.checkInterrupted(ex);
-                            log.error("An error occurred checking the leadership.", ex);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (ourIndex == 0) {
+            client.getData()
+                    .inBackground((client, event) -> {
+                        final long ephemeralOwner =
+                                event.getStat() != null ? event.getStat().getEphemeralOwner() : -1;
+                        final long thisSessionId =
+                                client.getZookeeperClient().getZooKeeper().getSessionId();
+                        if (ephemeralOwner != thisSessionId) {
+                            // this node is gone - reset
+                            reset();
+                        } else {
+                            lastPathIsLeader.set(localOurPath);
+                            setLeadership(true);
                         }
-                    }
-                }
-            };
+                    })
+                    .forPath(localOurPath);
+            return;
+        }
 
-            BackgroundCallback callback = new BackgroundCallback() {
-                @Override
-                public void processResult(CuratorFramework client, CuratorEvent event) throws Exception {
-                    if (event.getResultCode() == KeeperException.Code.NONODE.intValue()) {
-                        // previous node is gone - retry getChildren
+        setLeadership(false);
+        String watchPath = sortedChildren.get(ourIndex - 1);
+        Watcher watcher = new Watcher() {
+            @Override
+            public void process(WatchedEvent event) {
+                if (state.get() == State.STARTED && event.getType() == Event.EventType.NodeDeleted) {
+                    try {
                         getChildren();
+                    } catch (Exception ex) {
+                        ThreadUtils.checkInterrupted(ex);
+                        log.error("An error occurred checking the leadership.", ex);
                     }
                 }
-            };
-            // use getData() instead of exists() to avoid leaving unneeded watchers which is a type of resource leak
-            client.getData()
-                    .usingWatcher(watcher)
-                    .inBackground(callback)
-                    .forPath(ZKPaths.makePath(latchPath, watchPath));
-        }
+            }
+        };
+
+        BackgroundCallback callback = new BackgroundCallback() {
+            @Override
+            public void processResult(CuratorFramework client, CuratorEvent event) throws Exception {
+                if (event.getResultCode() == KeeperException.Code.NONODE.intValue()) {
+                    // previous node is gone - retry getChildren
+                    getChildren();
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        // use getData() instead of exists() to avoid leaving unneeded watchers which is a type of resource leak
+        client.getData().usingWatcher(watcher).inBackground(callback).forPath(ZKPaths.makePath(latchPath, watchPath));
     }
 
     private void getChildren() throws Exception {
diff --git a/curator-recipes/src/test/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/TestLeaderLatch.java b/curator-recipes/src/test/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/TestLeaderLatch.java
index dc79f6668..528b317ff 100644
--- a/curator-recipes/src/test/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/TestLeaderLatch.java
+++ b/curator-recipes/src/test/java/org/apache/curator/framework/recipes/leader/TestLeaderLatch.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.apache.curator.framework.recipes.leader;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
@@ -72,9 +73,12 @@
 import org.awaitility.Awaitility;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Tag;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 @Tag(CuratorTestBase.zk35TestCompatibilityGroup)
 public class TestLeaderLatch extends BaseClassForTests {
+    private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TestLeaderLatch.class);
     private static final String PATH_NAME = "/one/two/me";
     private static final int MAX_LOOPS = 5;
 
@@ -208,6 +212,58 @@ public void testWatchedNodeDeletedOnReconnect() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testSessionInterruptionDoNotCauseBrainSplit() throws Exception {
+        final String latchPath = "/testSessionInterruptionDoNotCauseBrainSplit";
+        final Timing2 timing = new Timing2();
+        final BlockingQueue<TestEvent> events0 = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
+        final BlockingQueue<TestEvent> events1 = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
+
+        final List<Closeable> closeableResources = new ArrayList<>();
+        try {
+            final String id0 = "id0";
+            final CuratorFramework client0 = createAndStartClient(server.getConnectString(), timing, id0, null);
+            closeableResources.add(client0);
+            final LeaderLatch latch0 = createAndStartLeaderLatch(client0, latchPath, id0, events0);
+            closeableResources.add(latch0);
+
+            assertThat(events0.poll(timing.forWaiting().milliseconds(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS))
+                    .isNotNull()
+                    .isEqualTo(new TestEvent(id0, TestEventType.GAINED_LEADERSHIP));
+
+            final String id1 = "id1";
+            final CuratorFramework client1 = createAndStartClient(server.getConnectString(), timing, id1, null);
+            closeableResources.add(client1);
+            final LeaderLatch latch1 = createAndStartLeaderLatch(client1, latchPath, id1, events1);
+            closeableResources.add(latch1);
+
+            // wait for the non-leading LeaderLatch (i.e. latch1) instance to be done with its creation
+            // this call is time-consuming but necessary because we don't have a handle to detect the end of the reset
+            // call
+            timing.forWaiting().sleepABit();
+
+            assertTrue(latch0.hasLeadership());
+            assertFalse(latch1.hasLeadership());
+
+            client0.getZookeeperClient().getZooKeeper().getTestable().injectSessionExpiration();
+
+            assertThat(events1.poll(timing.forWaiting().milliseconds(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS))
+                    .isNotNull()
+                    .isEqualTo(new TestEvent(id1, TestEventType.GAINED_LEADERSHIP));
+
+            assertThat(events0.poll(timing.forWaiting().milliseconds(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS))
+                    .isNotNull()
+                    .isEqualTo(new TestEvent(id0, TestEventType.LOST_LEADERSHIP));
+            // No leadership grained to old leader after session changed, hence no brain split.
+            assertThat(events0.poll(20, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS))
+                    .isNotEqualTo(new TestEvent(id0, TestEventType.GAINED_LEADERSHIP));
+        } finally {
+            // reverse is necessary for closing the LeaderLatch instances before closing the corresponding client
+            Collections.reverse(closeableResources);
+            closeableResources.forEach(CloseableUtils::closeQuietly);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testResettingOfLeadershipAfterConcurrentLeadershipChange() throws Exception {
         final String latchPath = "/test";
@@ -316,7 +372,9 @@ private static CuratorFramework createAndStartClient(
 
         client.getConnectionStateListenable().addListener((client1, newState) -> {
             if (newState == ConnectionState.CONNECTED) {
-                events.add(new TestEvent(id, TestEventType.GAINED_CONNECTION));
+                if (events != null) {
+                    events.add(new TestEvent(id, TestEventType.GAINED_CONNECTION));
+                }
             }
         });
 
@@ -366,6 +424,11 @@ public boolean equals(Object o) {
             TestEvent testEvent = (TestEvent) o;
             return Objects.equals(id, testEvent.id) && eventType == testEvent.eventType;
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public String toString() {
+            return "TestEvent{" + "eventType=" + eventType + ", id='" + id + '\'' + '}';
+        }
     }
 
     @Test