diff --git a/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/inmemory_checkpoint_store_test.go b/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/inmemory_checkpoint_store_test.go
index be8978f9c292..ea3aa5677ee6 100644
--- a/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/inmemory_checkpoint_store_test.go
+++ b/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/inmemory_checkpoint_store_test.go
@@ -206,13 +206,18 @@ func (cps *testCheckpointStore) ClaimOwnership(ctx context.Context, partitionOwn
 
 			current, exists := cps.ownerships[key]
 
-			if exists && po.ETag != nil && *current.ETag != *po.ETag {
-				// can't own it, didn't have the expected etag
-				return nil, nil
+			if exists {
+				if po.ETag == nil {
+					panic("Ownership blob exists, we should have claimed it using an etag")
+				}
+
+				if *po.ETag != *current.ETag {
+					// can't own it, didn't have the expected etag
+					return nil, nil
+				}
 			}
 
 			newOwnership := po
-
 			uuid, err := uuid.New()
 
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/internal/errors.go b/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/internal/errors.go
index 2f9fb1a90b56..c9e011725dfc 100644
--- a/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/internal/errors.go
+++ b/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/internal/errors.go
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ var amqpConditionsToRecoveryKind = map[amqp.ErrCond]RecoveryKind{
 	amqp.ErrCondNotAllowed:                                 RecoveryKindFatal, // "amqp:not-allowed"
 	amqp.ErrCond("com.microsoft:entity-disabled"):          RecoveryKindFatal, // entity is disabled in the portal
 	amqp.ErrCond("com.microsoft:session-cannot-be-locked"): RecoveryKindFatal,
+	amqp.ErrCond("com.microsoft:argument-out-of-range"):    RecoveryKindFatal, // asked for a partition ID that doesn't exist
 	errorConditionLockLost:                                 RecoveryKindFatal,
 }
 
diff --git a/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/processor_load_balancer.go b/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/processor_load_balancer.go
index 419e227ee163..99f396cfd652 100644
--- a/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/processor_load_balancer.go
+++ b/sdk/messaging/azeventhubs/processor_load_balancer.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"math/rand"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/internal/log"
 )
 
 type processorLoadBalancer struct {
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) LoadBalance(ctx context.Context, partitionIDs [
 		// - I have too many. We expect to have some stolen from us, but we'll maintain
 		//    ownership for now.
 		claimMorePartitions = false
+		log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Owns %d/%d, no more needed", len(lbinfo.current), lbinfo.maxAllowed)
 	} else if lbinfo.extraPartitionPossible && len(lbinfo.current) == lbinfo.maxAllowed-1 {
 		// In the 'extraPartitionPossible' scenario, some consumers will have an extra partition
 		// since things don't divide up evenly. We're one under the max, which means we _might_
@@ -81,6 +84,10 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) LoadBalance(ctx context.Context, partitionIDs [
 		// We will attempt to grab _one_ more but only if there are free partitions available
 		// or if one of the consumers has more than the max allowed.
 		claimMorePartitions = len(lbinfo.unownedOrExpired) > 0 || len(lbinfo.aboveMax) > 0
+		log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Unowned/expired: %d, above max: %d, need to claim: %t",
+			len(lbinfo.unownedOrExpired),
+			len(lbinfo.aboveMax),
+			claimMorePartitions)
 	}
 
 	ownerships := lbinfo.current
@@ -88,8 +95,10 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) LoadBalance(ctx context.Context, partitionIDs [
 	if claimMorePartitions {
 		switch lb.strategy {
 		case ProcessorStrategyGreedy:
+			log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Using greedy strategy to claim partitions")
 			ownerships = lb.greedyLoadBalancer(ctx, lbinfo)
 		case ProcessorStrategyBalanced:
+			log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Using balanced strategy to claim partitions")
 			o := lb.balancedLoadBalancer(ctx, lbinfo)
 
 			if o != nil {
@@ -106,6 +115,8 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) LoadBalance(ctx context.Context, partitionIDs [
 // getAvailablePartitions finds all partitions that are either completely unowned _or_
 // their ownership is stale.
 func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) getAvailablePartitions(ctx context.Context, partitionIDs []string) (loadBalancerInfo, error) {
+	log.Writef(EventConsumer, "[%s] Listing ownership for %s/%s/%s", lb.details.ClientID, lb.details.FullyQualifiedNamespace, lb.details.EventHubName, lb.details.ConsumerGroup)
+
 	ownerships, err := lb.checkpointStore.ListOwnership(ctx, lb.details.FullyQualifiedNamespace, lb.details.EventHubName, lb.details.ConsumerGroup, nil)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -132,6 +143,9 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) getAvailablePartitions(ctx context.Context, par
 		groupedByOwner[o.OwnerID] = append(groupedByOwner[o.OwnerID], o)
 	}
 
+	numExpired := len(unownedOrExpired)
+	log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Expired: %d", numExpired)
+
 	// add in all the unowned partitions
 	for _, partID := range partitionIDs {
 		if alreadyAdded[partID] {
@@ -149,6 +163,8 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) getAvailablePartitions(ctx context.Context, par
 		})
 	}
 
+	log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Unowned: %d", len(unownedOrExpired)-numExpired)
+
 	maxAllowed := len(partitionIDs) / len(groupedByOwner)
 	hasRemainder := len(partitionIDs)%len(groupedByOwner) > 0
 
@@ -188,6 +204,8 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) greedyLoadBalancer(ctx context.Context, lbinfo
 	ours = append(ours, randomOwnerships...)
 
 	if len(ours) < lbinfo.maxAllowed {
+		log.Writef(EventConsumer, "Not enough expired or unowned partitions, will need to steal from other processors")
+
 		// if that's not enough then we'll randomly steal from any owners that had partitions
 		// above the maximum.
 		randomOwnerships := getRandomOwnerships(lb.rnd, lbinfo.aboveMax, lbinfo.maxAllowed-len(ours))
@@ -197,6 +215,7 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) greedyLoadBalancer(ctx context.Context, lbinfo
 	for i := 0; i < len(ours); i++ {
 		ours[i] = lb.resetOwnership(ours[i])
 	}
+
 	return ours
 }
 
@@ -225,7 +244,6 @@ func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) balancedLoadBalancer(ctx context.Context, lbinf
 }
 
 func (lb *processorLoadBalancer) resetOwnership(o Ownership) Ownership {
-	o.ETag = nil
 	o.OwnerID = lb.details.ClientID
 	return o
 }