diff --git a/sd/consul/client_test.go b/sd/consul/client_test.go
index bc988b3e2..feeec36f3 100644
--- a/sd/consul/client_test.go
+++ b/sd/consul/client_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (c *testClient) Service(service, tag string, _ bool, opts *stdconsul.QueryO
 		results = append(results, entry)
 	}
 
-	return results, &stdconsul.QueryMeta{}, nil
+	return results, &stdconsul.QueryMeta{LastIndex: opts.WaitIndex}, nil
 }
 
 func (c *testClient) Register(r *stdconsul.AgentServiceRegistration) error {
diff --git a/sd/consul/instancer.go b/sd/consul/instancer.go
index fc992dfe0..75f4fc642 100644
--- a/sd/consul/instancer.go
+++ b/sd/consul/instancer.go
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ func (s *Instancer) loop(lastIndex uint64) {
 		d         time.Duration = 10 * time.Millisecond
 	)
 	for {
-		instances, lastIndex, err = s.getInstances(lastIndex, s.quitc)
+		index := lastIndex
+		instances, index, err = s.getInstances(lastIndex, s.quitc)
 		switch {
 		case err == errStopped:
 			return // stopped via quitc
@@ -76,6 +77,15 @@ func (s *Instancer) loop(lastIndex uint64) {
 			time.Sleep(d)
 			d = conn.Exponential(d)
 			s.cache.Update(sd.Event{Err: err})
+		case index == defaultIndex:
+			s.logger.Log("err", "index is not sane")
+			time.Sleep(d)
+			d = conn.Exponential(d)
+		case index < lastIndex:
+			s.logger.Log("err", "index is less than previous; reseting to default")
+			lastIndex = defaultIndex
+			time.Sleep(d)
+			d = conn.Exponential(d)
 		default:
 			s.cache.Update(sd.Event{Instances: instances})
 			d = 10 * time.Millisecond
diff --git a/sd/consul/instancer_test.go b/sd/consul/instancer_test.go
index 745e1e25e..52b055970 100644
--- a/sd/consul/instancer_test.go
+++ b/sd/consul/instancer_test.go
@@ -202,3 +202,61 @@ func TestInstancerWithEOF(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("failed, to receive call in time")
 	}
 }
+
+type badIndexTestClient struct {
+	client *testClient
+	called chan struct{}
+}
+
+func newBadIndexTestClient(client *testClient, called chan struct{}) Client {
+	return &badIndexTestClient{client: client, called: called}
+}
+
+func (c *badIndexTestClient) Register(r *consul.AgentServiceRegistration) error {
+	return c.client.Register(r)
+}
+
+func (c *badIndexTestClient) Deregister(r *consul.AgentServiceRegistration) error {
+	return c.client.Deregister(r)
+}
+
+func (c *badIndexTestClient) Service(service, tag string, passingOnly bool, queryOpts *consul.QueryOptions) ([]*consul.ServiceEntry, *consul.QueryMeta, error) {
+	switch {
+	case queryOpts.WaitIndex == 0:
+		queryOpts.WaitIndex = 100
+	case queryOpts.WaitIndex == 100:
+		queryOpts.WaitIndex = 99
+	default:
+	}
+	c.called <- struct{}{}
+	return c.client.Service(service, tag, passingOnly, queryOpts)
+}
+
+func TestInstancerWithInvalidIndex(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		called = make(chan struct{}, 1)
+		logger = log.NewNopLogger()
+		client = newBadIndexTestClient(newTestClient(consulState), called)
+	)
+
+	s := NewInstancer(client, logger, "search", []string{"api"}, true)
+	defer s.Stop()
+
+	select {
+	case <-called:
+	case <-time.Tick(time.Millisecond * 500):
+		t.Error("failed, to receive call")
+	}
+
+	state := s.cache.State()
+	if want, have := 2, len(state.Instances); want != have {
+		t.Errorf("want %d, have %d", want, have)
+	}
+
+	// loop should continue
+	select {
+	case <-called:
+	case <-time.Tick(time.Millisecond * 500):
+		t.Error("failed, to receive call in time")
+	}
+}