diff --git a/src/main/config/mon-thresh-sample-config.yml b/src/main/config/mon-thresh-sample-config.yml
index ebca360..4c3f6aa 100644
--- a/src/main/config/mon-thresh-sample-config.yml
+++ b/src/main/config/mon-thresh-sample-config.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-metricSpoutThreads: 1
-metricSpoutTasks: 1
+metricSpoutThreads: 2
+metricSpoutTasks: 2
 
 metricSpoutConfig:
 
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ metricSpoutConfig:
     zookeeperConnectionTimeoutMs : 6000
     zookeeperSyncTimeMs: 2000
 
-eventSpoutThreads: 1
-eventSpoutTasks: 1
+eventSpoutThreads: 2
+eventSpoutTasks: 2
 
 eventSpoutConfig:
   #Kafka settings.
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/hpcloud/mon/infrastructure/thresholding/KafkaSpout.java b/src/main/java/com/hpcloud/mon/infrastructure/thresholding/KafkaSpout.java
index 028c7f9..5a1ae07 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/hpcloud/mon/infrastructure/thresholding/KafkaSpout.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/hpcloud/mon/infrastructure/thresholding/KafkaSpout.java
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ public abstract class KafkaSpout extends BaseRichSpout {
         LOG.info(" topic = " + kafkaConsumerConfig.getTopic());
 
         Properties kafkaProperties = KafkaConsumerProperties.createKafkaProperties(kafkaConsumerConfig);
+        // Have to use a different consumer.id for each spout so use the storm taskId. Otherwise,
+        // zookeeper complains about a conflicted ephemeral node when there is more than one spout
+        // reading from a topic
+        kafkaProperties.setProperty("consumer.id", String.valueOf(context.getThisTaskId()));
         ConsumerConfig consumerConfig = new ConsumerConfig(kafkaProperties);
         this.consumerConnector = Consumer.createJavaConsumerConnector(consumerConfig);
     }