diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/master/rules/LoadRule.java b/server/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/master/rules/LoadRule.java
index 9ca7fd4c091..a7b3b28358c 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/master/rules/LoadRule.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/master/rules/LoadRule.java
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import com.google.common.collect.MinMaxPriorityQueue;
 import com.metamx.druid.client.DataSegment;
 import com.metamx.druid.master.DruidMaster;
-import com.metamx.druid.master.ReplicationThrottler;
 import com.metamx.druid.master.DruidMasterRuntimeParams;
 import com.metamx.druid.master.LoadPeonCallback;
 import com.metamx.druid.master.MasterStats;
+import com.metamx.druid.master.ReplicationThrottler;
 import com.metamx.druid.master.ServerHolder;
 import com.metamx.emitter.EmittingLogger;
 
@@ -74,13 +74,6 @@ public abstract class LoadRule implements Rule
 
     List<ServerHolder> assignedServers = Lists.newArrayList();
     while (totalReplicants < expectedReplicants) {
-      if (totalReplicants > 0) { // don't throttle if there's only 1 copy of this segment in the cluster
-        if (!replicationManager.canAddReplicant(getTier()) ||
-            !replicationManager.registerReplicantCreation(getTier(), segment.getIdentifier())) {
-          break;
-        }
-      }
-
       ServerHolder holder = serverQueue.pollFirst();
       if (holder == null) {
         log.warn(
@@ -118,6 +111,14 @@ public abstract class LoadRule implements Rule
         break;
       }
 
+      if (totalReplicants > 0) { // don't throttle if there's only 1 copy of this segment in the cluster
+        if (!replicationManager.canAddReplicant(getTier()) ||
+            !replicationManager.registerReplicantCreation(getTier(), segment.getIdentifier())) {
+          serverQueue.add(holder);
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+
       holder.getPeon().loadSegment(
           segment,
           new LoadPeonCallback()
@@ -173,19 +174,20 @@ public abstract class LoadRule implements Rule
 
       List<ServerHolder> droppedServers = Lists.newArrayList();
       while (actualNumReplicantsForType > expectedNumReplicantsForType) {
-        if (expectedNumReplicantsForType > 0) { // don't throttle unless we are removing extra replicants
-          if (!replicationManager.canDestroyReplicant(getTier()) ||
-              !replicationManager.registerReplicantTermination(getTier(), segment.getIdentifier())) {
-            break;
-          }
-        }
-
         ServerHolder holder = serverQueue.pollLast();
         if (holder == null) {
           log.warn("Wtf, holder was null?  I have no servers serving [%s]?", segment.getIdentifier());
           break;
         }
 
+        if (expectedNumReplicantsForType > 0) { // don't throttle unless we are removing extra replicants
+          if (!replicationManager.canDestroyReplicant(getTier()) ||
+              !replicationManager.registerReplicantTermination(getTier(), segment.getIdentifier())) {
+            serverQueue.add(holder);
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+
         if (holder.isServingSegment(segment)) {
           holder.getPeon().dropSegment(
               segment,