diff --git a/src/async_kinesis_client/dynamodb.py b/src/async_kinesis_client/dynamodb.py
index 406b7d1..ca0e2b8 100644
--- a/src/async_kinesis_client/dynamodb.py
+++ b/src/async_kinesis_client/dynamodb.py
@@ -20,20 +20,19 @@ class DynamoDB:
 
     DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES = 5
 
-    def __init__(self, table_name, shard_id, max_retries=DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES, host_key=None):
+    def __init__(self, table, shard_id, max_retries=DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES, host_key=None):
         """
         Initialize DynamoDB
-        :param table_name:  DynamoDB table name
+        :param table:  DynamoDB table object
         :param shard_id:    ShardId as returned by kinesis client
         :param max_retries: Max retries for communicating with DynamoDB
         :param host_key:    Key to identify reader. If no key provided, defaults to FQDN
         """
-        self.table_name = table_name
         self.shard_id = shard_id
         self.shard = {}
         self.host_key = host_key or socket.getfqdn()
-        self.lock_holding_time = None
-        table = aioboto3.resource('dynamodb').Table(self.table_name)
+        self.lock_holding_time = 0
+        self.table_name = table.table_name
         self.dynamo_table = RetriableDynamoDB(table=table, retries=max_retries, retry_sleep_time=1)
 
     async def checkpoint(self, seq):
diff --git a/src/async_kinesis_client/kinesis_consumer.py b/src/async_kinesis_client/kinesis_consumer.py
index c0b9f17..5ccdc92 100644
--- a/src/async_kinesis_client/kinesis_consumer.py
+++ b/src/async_kinesis_client/kinesis_consumer.py
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ async def get_shard_lock(self, shard_id):
             # obtain lock if we don't have it, or refresh if we're already holding it
             if dynamodb is None:
                 dynamodb = DynamoDB(
-                    table_name=self.checkpoint_table,
+                    table=self.checkpoint_table,
                     shard_id=shard_id,
                     host_key=self.host_key
                 )