diff --git a/consumer_group.go b/consumer_group.go
index 230c5cefe..b603d1705 100644
--- a/consumer_group.go
+++ b/consumer_group.go
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ func newConsumerGroup(groupID string, client Client) (ConsumerGroup, error) {
 		groupID:  groupID,
 		errors:   make(chan error, config.ChannelBufferSize),
 		closed:   make(chan none),
+		userData: config.Consumer.Group.Member.UserData,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -329,7 +330,15 @@ func (c *consumerGroup) newSession(ctx context.Context, topics []string, handler
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		claims = members.Topics
-		c.userData = members.UserData
+
+		// in the case of stateful balance strategies, hold on to the returned
+		// assignment metadata, otherwise, reset the statically defined conusmer
+		// group metadata
+		if members.UserData != nil {
+			c.userData = members.UserData
+		} else {
+			c.userData = c.config.Consumer.Group.Member.UserData
+		}
 
 		for _, partitions := range claims {
 			sort.Sort(int32Slice(partitions))
@@ -351,14 +360,9 @@ func (c *consumerGroup) joinGroupRequest(coordinator *Broker, topics []string) (
 		req.RebalanceTimeout = int32(c.config.Consumer.Group.Rebalance.Timeout / time.Millisecond)
 	}
 
-	// use static user-data if configured, otherwise use consumer-group userdata from the last sync
-	userData := c.config.Consumer.Group.Member.UserData
-	if len(userData) == 0 {
-		userData = c.userData
-	}
 	meta := &ConsumerGroupMemberMetadata{
 		Topics:   topics,
-		UserData: userData,
+		UserData: c.userData,
 	}
 	strategy := c.config.Consumer.Group.Rebalance.Strategy
 	if err := req.AddGroupProtocolMetadata(strategy.Name(), meta); err != nil {
diff --git a/functional_consumer_group_test.go b/functional_consumer_group_test.go
index 581b498a7..13ed2e935 100644
--- a/functional_consumer_group_test.go
+++ b/functional_consumer_group_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
@@ -48,6 +49,51 @@ func TestFuncConsumerGroupPartitioning(t *testing.T) {
 	m2.AssertCleanShutdown()
 }
 
+func TestFuncConsumerGroupPartitioningStateful(t *testing.T) {
+	checkKafkaVersion(t, "0.10.2")
+	setupFunctionalTest(t)
+	defer teardownFunctionalTest(t)
+
+	groupID := testFuncConsumerGroupID(t)
+
+	m1s := newTestStatefulStrategy(t)
+	config := defaultConfig("M1")
+	config.Consumer.Group.Rebalance.Strategy = m1s
+	config.Consumer.Group.Member.UserData = []byte(config.ClientID)
+
+	// start M1
+	m1 := runTestFuncConsumerGroupMemberWithConfig(t, config, groupID, 0, nil)
+	defer m1.Stop()
+	m1.WaitForState(2)
+	m1.WaitForClaims(map[string]int{"test.4": 4})
+	m1.WaitForHandlers(4)
+	m1s.AssertInitialValues(1)
+
+	m2s := newTestStatefulStrategy(t)
+	config = defaultConfig("M2")
+	config.Consumer.Group.Rebalance.Strategy = m2s
+	config.Consumer.Group.Member.UserData = []byte(config.ClientID)
+
+	// start M2
+	m2 := runTestFuncConsumerGroupMemberWithConfig(t, config, groupID, 0, nil, "test.1", "test.4")
+	defer m2.Stop()
+	m2.WaitForState(2)
+	m1s.AssertInitialValues(2)
+	m2s.AssertNoInitialValues()
+
+	// assert that claims are shared among both members
+	m1.WaitForClaims(map[string]int{"test.4": 2})
+	m1.WaitForHandlers(2)
+	m2.WaitForClaims(map[string]int{"test.1": 1, "test.4": 2})
+	m2.WaitForHandlers(3)
+
+	// shutdown M1, wait for M2 to take over
+	m1.AssertCleanShutdown()
+	m2.WaitForClaims(map[string]int{"test.1": 1, "test.4": 4})
+	m2.WaitForHandlers(5)
+	m2s.AssertNoInitialValues()
+}
+
 func TestFuncConsumerGroupExcessConsumers(t *testing.T) {
 	checkKafkaVersion(t, "0.10.2")
 	setupFunctionalTest(t)
@@ -305,15 +351,25 @@ type testFuncConsumerGroupMember struct {
 	mu sync.RWMutex
 }
 
-func runTestFuncConsumerGroupMember(t *testing.T, groupID, clientID string, maxMessages int32, sink *testFuncConsumerGroupSink, topics ...string) *testFuncConsumerGroupMember {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	config := NewTestConfig()
+func defaultConfig(clientID string) *Config {
+	config := NewConfig()
 	config.ClientID = clientID
 	config.Version = V0_10_2_0
 	config.Consumer.Return.Errors = true
 	config.Consumer.Offsets.Initial = OffsetOldest
 	config.Consumer.Group.Rebalance.Timeout = 10 * time.Second
+	return config
+}
+
+func runTestFuncConsumerGroupMember(t *testing.T, groupID, clientID string, maxMessages int32, sink *testFuncConsumerGroupSink, topics ...string) *testFuncConsumerGroupMember {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	config := defaultConfig(clientID)
+	return runTestFuncConsumerGroupMemberWithConfig(t, config, groupID, maxMessages, sink, topics...)
+}
+
+func runTestFuncConsumerGroupMemberWithConfig(t *testing.T, config *Config, groupID string, maxMessages int32, sink *testFuncConsumerGroupSink, topics ...string) *testFuncConsumerGroupMember {
+	t.Helper()
 
 	group, err := NewConsumerGroup(FunctionalTestEnv.KafkaBrokerAddrs, groupID, config)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -327,7 +383,7 @@ func runTestFuncConsumerGroupMember(t *testing.T, groupID, clientID string, maxM
 
 	member := &testFuncConsumerGroupMember{
 		ConsumerGroup: group,
-		clientID:      clientID,
+		clientID:      config.ClientID,
 		claims:        make(map[string]int),
 		maxMessages:   maxMessages,
 		isCapped:      maxMessages != 0,
@@ -488,3 +544,53 @@ func (m *testFuncConsumerGroupMember) loop(topics []string) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func newTestStatefulStrategy(t *testing.T) *testStatefulStrategy {
+	return &testStatefulStrategy{
+		BalanceStrategy: BalanceStrategyRange,
+		t:               t,
+	}
+}
+
+type testStatefulStrategy struct {
+	BalanceStrategy
+	t       *testing.T
+	initial int32
+	state   sync.Map
+}
+
+func (h *testStatefulStrategy) Name() string {
+	return "TestStatefulStrategy"
+}
+
+func (h *testStatefulStrategy) Plan(members map[string]ConsumerGroupMemberMetadata, topics map[string][]int32) (BalanceStrategyPlan, error) {
+	h.state = sync.Map{}
+	for memberID, metadata := range members {
+		if !strings.HasSuffix(string(metadata.UserData), "-stateful") {
+			metadata.UserData = []byte(string(metadata.UserData) + "-stateful")
+			atomic.AddInt32(&h.initial, 1)
+		}
+		h.state.Store(memberID, metadata.UserData)
+	}
+	return h.BalanceStrategy.Plan(members, topics)
+}
+
+func (h *testStatefulStrategy) AssignmentData(memberID string, topics map[string][]int32, generationID int32) ([]byte, error) {
+	if obj, ok := h.state.Load(memberID); ok {
+		return obj.([]byte), nil
+	}
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+func (h *testStatefulStrategy) AssertInitialValues(count int32) {
+	h.t.Helper()
+	actual := atomic.LoadInt32(&h.initial)
+	if actual != count {
+		h.t.Fatalf("unexpected count of initial values: %d, expected: %d", actual, count)
+	}
+}
+
+func (h *testStatefulStrategy) AssertNoInitialValues() {
+	h.t.Helper()
+	h.AssertInitialValues(0)
+}