diff --git a/meta-client/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/ZkMetaClientCache.java b/meta-client/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/ZkMetaClientCache.java
index b73fe50dbf..1d36b3e3ea 100644
--- a/meta-client/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/ZkMetaClientCache.java
+++ b/meta-client/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/metaclient/impl/zk/ZkMetaClientCache.java
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ public class ZkMetaClientCache<T> extends ZkMetaClient<T> implements MetaClientC
     private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ZkMetaClientCache.class);
     private  ZkClient _cacheClient;
     private ExecutorService executor;
-    private final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+
+    // TODO: Look into using conditional variable instead of latch.
+    private final CountDownLatch _initializedCache = new CountDownLatch(1);
 
     /**
      * Constructor for ZkMetaClientCache.
@@ -79,9 +81,13 @@ public ZkMetaClientCache(ZkMetaClientConfig config, MetaClientCacheConfig cacheC
     @Override
     public T get(final String key) {
         if (_cacheData) {
-            return getDataCacheMap().get(key);
+            T data = getDataCacheMap().get(key);
+            if (data == null) {
+                LOG.debug("Data not found in cache for key: {}. This could be because the cache is still being populated.", key);
+            }
+            return data;
         }
-        return _cacheClient.readData(key, true);
+        return super.get(key);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -104,6 +110,7 @@ public int countDirectChildren(final String key) {
     }
 
     private void populateAllCache() {
+        // TODO: Concurrently populate children and data cache.
         if (_cacheData) {
             try {
                 List<String> children = _cacheClient.getChildren(_rootEntry);
@@ -118,28 +125,40 @@ private void populateAllCache() {
         }
     }
 
-    private void handleCacheUpdate(String path, ChildChangeListener.ChangeType changeType) {
-        waitForPopulateAllCache();
-        switch (changeType) {
-            case ENTRY_CREATED:
-                // Not implemented yet.
-                modifyDataInCache(path, false);
-                break;
-            case ENTRY_DELETED:
-                // Not implemented yet.
-                modifyDataInCache(path, true);
-                break;
-            case ENTRY_DATA_CHANGE:
-                modifyDataInCache(path, false);
-                break;
-            default:
-                LOG.error("Unknown change type: " + changeType);
+    private class CacheUpdateRunnable implements Runnable {
+        private final String path;
+        private final ChildChangeListener.ChangeType changeType;
+
+        public CacheUpdateRunnable(String path, ChildChangeListener.ChangeType changeType) {
+            this.path = path;
+            this.changeType = changeType;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void run() {
+            waitForPopulateAllCache();
+            //  TODO: HANDLE DEDUP EVENT CHANGES
+            switch (changeType) {
+                case ENTRY_CREATED:
+                    // Not implemented yet.
+                    modifyDataInCache(path, false);
+                    break;
+                case ENTRY_DELETED:
+                    // Not implemented yet.
+                    modifyDataInCache(path, true);
+                    break;
+                case ENTRY_DATA_CHANGE:
+                    modifyDataInCache(path, false);
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    LOG.error("Unknown change type: " + changeType);
+            }
         }
     }
 
     private void waitForPopulateAllCache() {
         try {
-            latch.await();
+            _initializedCache.await();
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
             throw new MetaClientException("Interrupted while waiting for cache to populate.", e);
         }
@@ -170,13 +189,14 @@ public TrieNode getChildrenCacheTree() {
     @Override
     public void connect() {
         super.connect();
-        _eventListener = this::handleCacheUpdate;
+        _eventListener = (path, changeType) -> {
+            Runnable cacheUpdateRunnable = new CacheUpdateRunnable(path, changeType);
+            executor.execute(cacheUpdateRunnable);
+        };
         executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
-        executor.execute(() -> {
-            _cacheClient.subscribePersistRecursiveListener(_rootEntry, new ChildListenerAdapter(_eventListener));
-        });
+        _cacheClient.subscribePersistRecursiveListener(_rootEntry, new ChildListenerAdapter(_eventListener));
         populateAllCache();
         // Notify the latch that cache is populated.
-        latch.countDown();
+        _initializedCache.countDown();
     }
 }