diff --git a/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/Manager.java b/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/Manager.java
index ea5bb097dca..64deeac56d0 100644
--- a/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/Manager.java
+++ b/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/Manager.java
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ private long balanceTablets() {
         }
         // Create a view of the tserver status such that it only contains the tables
         // for this level in the tableMap.
-        final SortedMap<TServerInstance,TabletServerStatus> tserverStatusForLevel =
+        SortedMap<TServerInstance,TabletServerStatus> tserverStatusForLevel =
             createTServerStatusView(dl, tserverStatus);
         // Construct the Thrift variant of the map above for the BalancerParams
         final SortedMap<TabletServerId,TServerStatus> tserverStatusForBalancerLevel =
@@ -1048,17 +1048,36 @@ private long balanceTablets() {
         int attemptNum = 0;
         do {
           log.debug("Balancing for tables at level {}, times-in-loop: {}", dl, ++attemptNum);
-          params = BalanceParamsImpl.fromThrift(tserverStatusForBalancerLevel,
-              tserverStatusForLevel, partitionedMigrations.get(dl));
+
+          SortedMap<TabletServerId,TServerStatus> statusForBalancerLevel =
+              tserverStatusForBalancerLevel;
+          if (attemptNum > 1 && (dl == DataLevel.ROOT || dl == DataLevel.METADATA)) {
+            // If we are still migrating then perform a re-check on the tablet
+            // servers to make sure non of them have failed.
+            Set<TServerInstance> currentServers = tserverSet.getCurrentServers();
+            tserverStatus = gatherTableInformation(currentServers);
+            // Create a view of the tserver status such that it only contains the tables
+            // for this level in the tableMap.
+            tserverStatusForLevel = createTServerStatusView(dl, tserverStatus);
+            final SortedMap<TabletServerId,TServerStatus> tserverStatusForBalancerLevel2 =
+                new TreeMap<>();
+            tserverStatusForLevel.forEach((tsi, status) -> tserverStatusForBalancerLevel2
+                .put(new TabletServerIdImpl(tsi), TServerStatusImpl.fromThrift(status)));
+            statusForBalancerLevel = tserverStatusForBalancerLevel2;
+          }
+
+          params = BalanceParamsImpl.fromThrift(statusForBalancerLevel, tserverStatusForLevel,
+              partitionedMigrations.get(dl));
           wait = Math.max(tabletBalancer.balance(params), wait);
-          migrationsOutForLevel = params.migrationsOut().size();
-          for (TabletMigration m : checkMigrationSanity(tserverStatusForBalancerLevel.keySet(),
-              params.migrationsOut())) {
+          migrationsOutForLevel = 0;
+          for (TabletMigration m : checkMigrationSanity(statusForBalancerLevel.keySet(),
+              params.migrationsOut(), dl)) {
             final KeyExtent ke = KeyExtent.fromTabletId(m.getTablet());
             if (migrations.containsKey(ke)) {
               log.warn("balancer requested migration more than once, skipping {}", m);
               continue;
             }
+            migrationsOutForLevel++;
             migrations.put(ke, TabletServerIdImpl.toThrift(m.getNewTabletServer()));
             log.debug("migration {}", m);
           }
@@ -1082,11 +1101,16 @@ private long balanceTablets() {
     }
 
     private List<TabletMigration> checkMigrationSanity(Set<TabletServerId> current,
-        List<TabletMigration> migrations) {
+        List<TabletMigration> migrations, DataLevel level) {
       return migrations.stream().filter(m -> {
         boolean includeMigration = false;
         if (m.getTablet() == null) {
           log.error("Balancer gave back a null tablet {}", m);
+        } else if (DataLevel.of(m.getTablet().getTable()) != level) {
+          log.trace(
+              "Balancer wants to move a tablet ({}) outside of the current processing level ({}), "
+                  + "ignoring and should be processed at the correct level ({})",
+              m.getTablet(), level, DataLevel.of(m.getTablet().getTable()));
         } else if (m.getNewTabletServer() == null) {
           log.error("Balancer did not set the destination {}", m);
         } else if (m.getOldTabletServer() == null) {