diff --git a/src/consumer/fetchManager.js b/src/consumer/fetchManager.js
index 309a0986e..6b5cf65e4 100644
--- a/src/consumer/fetchManager.js
+++ b/src/consumer/fetchManager.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const seq = require('../utils/seq')
 const createFetcher = require('./fetcher')
 const createWorker = require('./worker')
 const createWorkerQueue = require('./workerQueue')
-const { KafkaJSFetcherRebalanceError } = require('../errors')
+const { KafkaJSFetcherRebalanceError, KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError } = require('../errors')
 
 /** @typedef {ReturnType<typeof createFetchManager>} FetchManager */
 
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ const createFetchManager = ({
     const nodeIds = getNodeIds()
     const partitionAssignments = new Map()
 
+    if (nodeIds.length === 0) {
+      throw new KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError()
+    }
+
     const validateShouldRebalance = () => {
       const current = getNodeIds()
       const hasChanged =
diff --git a/src/consumer/fetchManager.spec.js b/src/consumer/fetchManager.spec.js
index 9dbf26df8..bfbe65dd0 100644
--- a/src/consumer/fetchManager.spec.js
+++ b/src/consumer/fetchManager.spec.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const createFetchManager = require('./fetchManager')
 const Batch = require('./batch')
 const { newLogger } = require('testHelpers')
 const waitFor = require('../utils/waitFor')
-const { KafkaJSNonRetriableError } = require('../errors')
+const { KafkaJSNonRetriableError, KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError } = require('../errors')
 
 describe('FetchManager', () => {
   let fetchManager, fetch, handler, getNodeIds, concurrency, batchSize
@@ -94,4 +94,10 @@ describe('FetchManager', () => {
       await expect(fetchManagerPromise).rejects.toThrow('Node not found')
     })
   })
+
+  it('should throw an error when there are no brokers available', async () => {
+    getNodeIds.mockImplementation(() => seq(0))
+
+    await expect(fetchManager.start()).rejects.toThrowError(new KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError())
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/consumer/runner.js b/src/consumer/runner.js
index 7504d9b98..8ced6fa7b 100644
--- a/src/consumer/runner.js
+++ b/src/consumer/runner.js
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ module.exports = class Runner extends EventEmitter {
           return bail(e)
         }
 
-        if (e.name === 'KafkaJSConnectionError') {
+        if (e.name === 'KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError') {
           return bail(e)
         }
 
diff --git a/src/errors.js b/src/errors.js
index 67db90ad0..266192e19 100644
--- a/src/errors.js
+++ b/src/errors.js
@@ -258,6 +258,13 @@ class KafkaJSAggregateError extends Error {
 
 class KafkaJSFetcherRebalanceError extends Error {}
 
+class KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError extends KafkaJSError {
+  constructor() {
+    super('No broker available')
+    this.name = 'KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError'
+  }
+}
+
 const isRebalancing = e =>
   e.type === 'REBALANCE_IN_PROGRESS' ||
   e.type === 'NOT_COORDINATOR_FOR_GROUP' ||
@@ -295,6 +302,7 @@ module.exports = {
   KafkaJSCreateTopicError,
   KafkaJSAggregateError,
   KafkaJSFetcherRebalanceError,
+  KafkaJSNoBrokerAvailableError,
   KafkaJSAlterPartitionReassignmentsError,
   isRebalancing,
   isKafkaJSError,