diff --git a/zk.go b/zk.go
index a3f4b42..9d5b659 100644
--- a/zk.go
+++ b/zk.go
@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ func MesosFromZKOpts(options ...ZKOpt) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Create a closure that allows us to use the ExponentialBackoff function.
-	config.backoff.Steps = 1
 	retryErr := ExponentialBackoff(config.backoff, config.logger, func() (bool, error) {
 
 		c, _, err := zk.Connect(config.endpoints, config.timeout, func(c *zk.Conn) { c.SetLogger(config.logger) })
@@ -234,15 +233,20 @@ func MesosFromZKOpts(options ...ZKOpt) (string, error) {
 
 		// Search for the leader through all the children in the given path
 		minScore := math.MaxInt64
-		mesosInstance := new(MesosInstance)
+		var mesosInstance MesosInstance
 		for _, child := range children {
-
 			// Only the leader will start with json.info_
 			if strings.HasPrefix(child, "json.info_") {
-				score, err := strconv.Atoi((strings.Split(child, "_"))[1])
-				if err != nil {
-					NewTemporaryError(errors.Wrap(err, "unable to read the zk node for Mesos."))
+				strs := strings.Split(child, "_")
+				if len(strs) < 2 {
+					config.logger.Printf("Zk node %v/%v's name is malformed.", config.path, child)
+					continue
 				}
+				score, err := strconv.Atoi(strs[1])
+				if err != nil {
+					return false, NewTemporaryError(errors.Wrap(err, "unable to read the zk node for Mesos."))
+				}
+
 				// get the leader from the child with the smallest score.
 				if score < minScore {
 					minScore = score
@@ -256,7 +260,7 @@ func MesosFromZKOpts(options ...ZKOpt) (string, error) {
 						return false, NewTemporaryError(errors.Wrap(err, "error fetching contents of leader"))
 					}
 
-					err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), mesosInstance)
+					err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &mesosInstance)
 					if err != nil {
 						config.logger.Printf("%s", err)
 						return false,