diff --git a/zookeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/zookeeper/ZKWatchManager.java b/zookeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/zookeeper/ZKWatchManager.java
index 95a07f0e7be..9da4249447a 100644
--- a/zookeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/zookeeper/ZKWatchManager.java
+++ b/zookeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/zookeeper/ZKWatchManager.java
@@ -404,13 +404,13 @@ public Set<Watcher> materialize(
             synchronized (existWatches) {
                 addTo(existWatches.remove(clientPath), result);
             }
-            addPersistentWatches(clientPath, result);
+            addPersistentWatches(clientPath, type, result);
             break;
         case NodeChildrenChanged:
             synchronized (childWatches) {
                 addTo(childWatches.remove(clientPath), result);
             }
-            addPersistentWatches(clientPath, result);
+            addPersistentWatches(clientPath, type, result);
             break;
         case NodeDeleted:
             synchronized (dataWatches) {
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ public Set<Watcher> materialize(
             synchronized (childWatches) {
                 addTo(childWatches.remove(clientPath), result);
             }
-            addPersistentWatches(clientPath, result);
+            addPersistentWatches(clientPath, type, result);
             break;
         default:
             String errorMsg = String.format(
@@ -442,10 +442,17 @@ public Set<Watcher> materialize(
         return result;
     }
 
-    private void addPersistentWatches(String clientPath, Set<Watcher> result) {
+    private void addPersistentWatches(String clientPath, Watcher.Event.EventType type, Set<Watcher> result) {
         synchronized (persistentWatches) {
             addTo(persistentWatches.get(clientPath), result);
         }
+        // The semantics of persistent recursive watch promise no child events on descendant nodes. When there
+        // are standard child watches on descendants of node being watched in persistent recursive mode, server
+        // will deliver child events to client inevitably. So we have to filter out child events for persistent
+        // recursive watches on client side.
+        if (type == Watcher.Event.EventType.NodeChildrenChanged) {
+            return;
+        }
         synchronized (persistentRecursiveWatches) {
             for (String path : PathParentIterator.forAll(clientPath).asIterable()) {
                 addTo(persistentRecursiveWatches.get(path), result);
diff --git a/zookeeper-server/src/test/java/org/apache/zookeeper/test/PersistentRecursiveWatcherTest.java b/zookeeper-server/src/test/java/org/apache/zookeeper/test/PersistentRecursiveWatcherTest.java
index 80d8c400cd2..e74ee2fd683 100644
--- a/zookeeper-server/src/test/java/org/apache/zookeeper/test/PersistentRecursiveWatcherTest.java
+++ b/zookeeper-server/src/test/java/org/apache/zookeeper/test/PersistentRecursiveWatcherTest.java
@@ -114,6 +114,27 @@ public void testRemoval()
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testNoChildEvents() throws Exception {
+        try (ZooKeeper zk = createClient()) {
+            zk.create("/a", new byte[0], ZooDefs.Ids.OPEN_ACL_UNSAFE, CreateMode.PERSISTENT);
+
+            zk.addWatch("/", persistentWatcher, PERSISTENT_RECURSIVE);
+
+            BlockingQueue<WatchedEvent> childEvents = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
+            zk.getChildren("/a", childEvents::add);
+
+            zk.create("/a/b", new byte[0], ZooDefs.Ids.OPEN_ACL_UNSAFE, CreateMode.PERSISTENT);
+            zk.create("/a/b/c", new byte[0], ZooDefs.Ids.OPEN_ACL_UNSAFE, CreateMode.PERSISTENT);
+
+            assertEvent(childEvents, Watcher.Event.EventType.NodeChildrenChanged, "/a");
+
+            assertEvent(events, Watcher.Event.EventType.NodeCreated, "/a/b");
+            assertEvent(events, Watcher.Event.EventType.NodeCreated, "/a/b/c");
+            assertTrue(events.isEmpty());
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testDisconnect() throws Exception {
         try (ZooKeeper zk = createClient(new CountdownWatcher(), hostPort)) {