Embodiments of a method implemented in at least one fat tree network node for improved load distribution, wherein the node is one of a plurality of fat tree network nodes in a fat tree network each of which implement a tie-breaking process to produce minimum cost trees, is described. In some embodiments, a spanning tree computation for each root node of the fat tree network in order from a lowest ranked root node to a highest ranked node is performed, a filtering database for each root node of the fat tree network, wherein the filtering database includes a set of media access control (MAC) addresses of the leaf nodes of the fat tree network generated, and link utilization for each computed tree to use as a prefix to link identifiers used for at least one tie-breaking algorithm added.