diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/DistributedQueue.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/DistributedQueue.java
index c6fa6ed816a..d92f5350325 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/DistributedQueue.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/DistributedQueue.java
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeMap;
@@ -93,14 +95,8 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
   private TreeMap<Long,String> orderedChildren(Watcher watcher)
       throws KeeperException, InterruptedException {
     TreeMap<Long,String> orderedChildren = new TreeMap<>();
-    
-    List<String> childNames = null;
-    try {
-      childNames = zookeeper.getChildren(dir, watcher, true);
-    } catch (KeeperException.NoNodeException e) {
-      throw e;
-    }
-    
+
+    List<String> childNames = zookeeper.getChildren(dir, watcher, true);
     for (String childName : childNames) {
       try {
         // Check format
@@ -127,13 +123,7 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
   public boolean containsTaskWithRequestId(String requestId)
       throws KeeperException, InterruptedException {
 
-    List<String> childNames = null;
-    try {
-      childNames = zookeeper.getChildren(dir, null, true);
-    } catch (KeeperException.NoNodeException e) {
-      throw e;
-    }
-
+    List<String> childNames = zookeeper.getChildren(dir, null, true);
     for (String childName : childNames) {
       if (childName != null) {
         try {
@@ -249,11 +239,13 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
   
   private class LatchChildWatcher implements Watcher {
     
-    Object lock = new Object();
+    final Object lock;
     private WatchedEvent event = null;
     
-    public LatchChildWatcher() {}
-    
+    public LatchChildWatcher() {
+      this.lock = new Object();
+    }
+
     public LatchChildWatcher(Object lock) {
       this.lock = lock;
     }
@@ -281,12 +273,20 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
   }
 
   // we avoid creating *many* watches in some cases
-  // by saving the childrenWatcher - see SOLR-6336
-  private volatile LatchChildWatcher childrenWatcher;
-  private TreeMap<Long, String> getChildren(long wait) throws InterruptedException, KeeperException
+  // by saving the childrenWatcher and the children associated - see SOLR-6336
+  private LatchChildWatcher childrenWatcher;
+  private TreeMap<Long,String> fetchedChildren;
+  private final Object childrenWatcherLock = new Object();
+
+  private Map<Long, String> getChildren(long wait) throws InterruptedException, KeeperException
   {
-    LatchChildWatcher watcher = childrenWatcher;
-    TreeMap<Long,String> children = new TreeMap<> ();
+    LatchChildWatcher watcher;
+    TreeMap<Long,String> children;
+    synchronized (childrenWatcherLock) {
+      watcher = childrenWatcher;
+      children = fetchedChildren;
+    }
+
     if (watcher == null ||  watcher.getWatchedEvent() != null) {
       watcher = new LatchChildWatcher();
       while (true) {
@@ -298,7 +298,10 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
           // go back to the loop and try again
         }
       }
-      childrenWatcher = watcher;
+      synchronized (childrenWatcherLock) {
+        childrenWatcher = watcher;
+        fetchedChildren = children;
+      }
     }
 
     while (true) {
@@ -309,7 +312,7 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
       }
       if (wait != Long.MAX_VALUE) break;
     }
-    return children;
+    return Collections.unmodifiableMap(children);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -321,7 +324,7 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
     // Same as for element. Should refactor this.
     TimerContext timer = stats.time(dir + "_take");
     try {
-      TreeMap<Long, String> orderedChildren = getChildren(Long.MAX_VALUE);
+      Map<Long, String> orderedChildren = getChildren(Long.MAX_VALUE);
       for (String headNode : orderedChildren.values()) {
         String path = dir + "/" + headNode;
         try {
@@ -429,7 +432,7 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
     else time = stats.time(dir + "_peekTopN_wait" + wait);
 
     try {
-      TreeMap<Long, String> orderedChildren = getChildren(wait);
+      Map<Long, String> orderedChildren = getChildren(wait);
       for (String headNode : orderedChildren.values()) {
         if (headNode != null && topN.size() < n) {
           try {
@@ -576,7 +579,7 @@ public class DistributedQueue {
         return element();
       }
 
-      TreeMap<Long, String> orderedChildren = getChildren(wait);
+      Map<Long, String> orderedChildren = getChildren(wait);
       for (String headNode : orderedChildren.values()) {
         String path = dir + "/" + headNode;
         try {