diff --git a/bin/swift-ring-builder b/bin/swift-ring-builder
index 9ac6b3c2cd..a5fdde5fee 100755
--- a/bin/swift-ring-builder
+++ b/bin/swift-ring-builder
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from time import time
 
 from swift.common import exceptions
 from swift.common.ring import RingBuilder
+from swift.common.ring.builder import MAX_BALANCE
 from swift.common.utils import lock_parent_directory
 
 MAJOR_VERSION = 1
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ swift-ring-builder <builder_file>
                     continue
                 if not dev['weight']:
                     if dev['parts']:
-                        balance = 999.99
+                        balance = MAX_BALANCE
                     else:
                         balance = 0
                 else:
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ swift-ring-builder <builder_file> search <search-value>
         for dev in devs:
             if not dev['weight']:
                 if dev['parts']:
-                    balance = 999.99
+                    balance = MAX_BALANCE
                 else:
                     balance = 0
             else:
@@ -519,7 +520,12 @@ swift-ring-builder <builder_file> rebalance <seed>
             print 'Either none need to be or none can be due to ' \
                   'min_part_hours [%s].' % builder.min_part_hours
             exit(EXIT_WARNING)
-        if not devs_changed and abs(last_balance - balance) < 1:
+        # If we set device's weight to zero, currently balance will be set
+        # special value(MAX_BALANCE) until zero weighted device return all
+        # its partitions. So we cannot check balance has changed.
+        # Thus we need to check balance or last_balance is special value.
+        if not devs_changed and abs(last_balance - balance) < 1 and \
+                not (last_balance == MAX_BALANCE and balance == MAX_BALANCE):
             print 'Cowardly refusing to save rebalance as it did not change ' \
                   'at least 1%.'
             exit(EXIT_WARNING)
diff --git a/swift/common/ring/builder.py b/swift/common/ring/builder.py
index e073edbeea..ca2699d58d 100644
--- a/swift/common/ring/builder.py
+++ b/swift/common/ring/builder.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ from swift.common import exceptions
 from swift.common.ring import RingData
 from swift.common.ring.utils import tiers_for_dev, build_tier_tree
 
+MAX_BALANCE = 999.99
+
 
 class RingBuilder(object):
     """
@@ -414,9 +416,9 @@ class RingBuilder(object):
                     if dev_usage[dev['id']]:
                         # If a device has no weight, but has partitions, then
                         # its overage is considered "infinity" and therefore
-                        # always the worst possible. We show 999.99 for
+                        # always the worst possible. We show MAX_BALANCE for
                         # convenience.
-                        worst = 999.99
+                        worst = MAX_BALANCE
                         break
                     continue
                 skew = abs(100.0 * dev_usage[dev['id']] /
@@ -444,8 +446,8 @@ class RingBuilder(object):
                 if dev['parts']:
                     # If a device has no weight, but has partitions, then its
                     # overage is considered "infinity" and therefore always the
-                    # worst possible. We show 999.99 for convenience.
-                    balance = 999.99
+                    # worst possible. We show MAX_BALANCE for convenience.
+                    balance = MAX_BALANCE
                     break
                 continue
             dev_balance = abs(100.0 * dev['parts'] /
diff --git a/test/unit/common/ring/test_builder.py b/test/unit/common/ring/test_builder.py
index 6a73176002..510b3d2b46 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/ring/test_builder.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/ring/test_builder.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from mock import Mock, call as mock_call
 
 from swift.common import exceptions
 from swift.common import ring
+from swift.common.ring.builder import MAX_BALANCE
 
 
 class TestRingBuilder(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -763,7 +764,7 @@ class TestRingBuilder(unittest.TestCase):
 
         rb.set_dev_weight(2, 0)
         rb.rebalance()
-        self.assertEquals(rb.validate(stats=True)[1], 999.99)
+        self.assertEquals(rb.validate(stats=True)[1], MAX_BALANCE)
 
         # Test not all partitions doubly accounted for
         rb.devs[1]['parts'] -= 1
@@ -799,12 +800,12 @@ class TestRingBuilder(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # Validate that zero weight devices with no partitions don't count on
         # the 'worst' value.
-        self.assertNotEquals(rb.validate(stats=True)[1], 999.99)
+        self.assertNotEquals(rb.validate(stats=True)[1], MAX_BALANCE)
         rb.add_dev({'id': 4, 'region': 0, 'zone': 0, 'weight': 0,
                     'ip': '127.0.0.1', 'port': 10004, 'device': 'sda1'})
         rb.pretend_min_part_hours_passed()
         rb.rebalance()
-        self.assertNotEquals(rb.validate(stats=True)[1], 999.99)
+        self.assertNotEquals(rb.validate(stats=True)[1], MAX_BALANCE)
 
     def test_get_part_devices(self):
         rb = ring.RingBuilder(8, 3, 1)