diff --git a/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py b/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py
index 9cbff65e..4ac03cad 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
 
         self._fetch_cluster = True
         self._fetch_status = True
+        self.__last_member_data = None
 
         self._orig_kazoo_connect = self._client._connection._connect
         self._client._connection._connect = self._kazoo_connect
@@ -348,11 +349,11 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
     def touch_member(self, data, permanent=False):
         cluster = self.cluster
         member = cluster and cluster.get_member(self._name, fallback_to_leader=False)
-        encoded_data = json.dumps(data, separators=(',', ':')).encode('utf-8')
+        member_data = self.__last_member_data or member and member.data
         if member and (self._client.client_id is not None and member.session != self._client.client_id[0] or
-                       not (deep_compare(member.data.get('tags', {}), data.get('tags', {})) and
-                            member.data.get('version') == data.get('version') and
-                            member.data.get('checkpoint_after_promote') == data.get('checkpoint_after_promote'))):
+                       not (deep_compare(member_data.get('tags', {}), data.get('tags', {})) and
+                            member_data.get('version') == data.get('version') and
+                            member_data.get('checkpoint_after_promote') == data.get('checkpoint_after_promote'))):
             try:
                 self._client.delete_async(self.member_path).get(timeout=1)
             except NoNodeError:
@@ -361,13 +362,15 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
                 return False
             member = None
 
+        encoded_data = json.dumps(data, separators=(',', ':')).encode('utf-8')
         if member:
-            if deep_compare(data, member.data):
+            if deep_compare(data, member_data):
                 return True
         else:
             try:
                 self._client.create_async(self.member_path, encoded_data, makepath=True,
                                           ephemeral=not permanent).get(timeout=1)
+                self.__last_member_data = data
                 return True
             except Exception as e:
                 if not isinstance(e, NodeExistsError):
@@ -375,6 +378,7 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
                     return False
         try:
             self._client.set_async(self.member_path, encoded_data).get(timeout=1)
+            self.__last_member_data = data
             return True
         except Exception:
             logger.exception('touch_member')
diff --git a/tests/test_zookeeper.py b/tests/test_zookeeper.py
index ed718a21..09857fb2 100644
--- a/tests/test_zookeeper.py
+++ b/tests/test_zookeeper.py
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ class TestZooKeeper(unittest.TestCase):
         self.zk.touch_member({'retry': 'retry'})
         self.zk._fetch_cluster = True
         self.zk.get_cluster()
+        self.zk.touch_member({'retry': 'retry'})
         self.zk.touch_member({'conn_url': 'postgres://repuser:rep-pass@localhost:5434/postgres',
                               'api_url': 'http://127.0.0.1:8009/patroni'})