diff --git a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/cluster.clj b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/cluster.clj
index 7231b15d6..055eca6f5 100644
--- a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/cluster.clj
+++ b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/cluster.clj
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
   (update-storm! [this storm-id new-elems])
   (remove-storm-base! [this storm-id])
   (set-assignment! [this storm-id info])
+  (remove-assignment! [this storm-id])
   (remove-storm! [this storm-id])
   (report-error [this storm-id task-id error])
   (errors [this storm-id task-id])
@@ -327,6 +328,9 @@
         (set-data cluster-state (assignment-path storm-id) (Utils/serialize info))
         )
 
+      (remove-assignment! [this storm-id]
+        (delete-node cluster-state (assignment-path storm-id)))
+
       (remove-storm! [this storm-id]
         (delete-node cluster-state (assignment-path storm-id))
         (remove-storm-base! this storm-id))
diff --git a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/nimbus.clj b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/nimbus.clj
index 04731dc8f..7e88760e8 100644
--- a/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/nimbus.clj
+++ b/storm-core/src/clj/backtype/storm/daemon/nimbus.clj
@@ -642,7 +642,8 @@
                                         ;; for the topology which wants rebalance (specified by the scratch-topology-id)
                                         ;; we exclude its assignment, meaning that all the slots occupied by its assignment
                                         ;; will be treated as free slot in the scheduler code.
-                                        (when (or (nil? scratch-topology-id) (not= tid scratch-topology-id))
+                                        (if (and (not-nil? scratch-topology-id) (= tid scratch-topology-id))
+                                          (.remove-assignment! storm-cluster-state tid)
                                           {tid (.assignment-info storm-cluster-state tid nil)})))
         ;; make the new assignments for topologies
         topology->executor->node+port (compute-new-topology->executor->node+port