diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 147cb35..4eeb13d 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ except:
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='warcprox',
-        version='2.0b2.dev27',
+        version='2.0b2.dev28',
         description='WARC writing MITM HTTP/S proxy',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/warcprox',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/warcprox/kafkafeed.py b/warcprox/kafkafeed.py
index 683e925..e17d2c4 100644
--- a/warcprox/kafkafeed.py
+++ b/warcprox/kafkafeed.py
@@ -32,9 +32,24 @@ class CaptureFeed:
     def __init__(self, broker_list, topic=None):
         self.broker_list = broker_list
         self.topic = topic
-        # acks=0 to avoid ever blocking
-        self._producer = kafka.KafkaProducer(
-                bootstrap_servers=broker_list, acks=0)
+        self.__producer = None
+        self._connection_exception = None
+
+    def _producer(self):
+        if not self.__producer:
+            try:
+                # acks=0 to avoid ever blocking
+                self.__producer = kafka.KafkaProducer(
+                        bootstrap_servers=self.broker_list, acks=0)
+                if self._connection_exception:
+                    logging.info('connected to kafka successfully!')
+                    self._connection_exception = None
+            except Exception as e:
+                if not self._connection_exception:
+                    self._connection_exception = e
+                    logging.error('problem connecting to kafka', exc_info=True)
+
+        return self.__producer
 
     def notify(self, recorded_url, records):
         if records[0].type not in (b'revisit', b'response'):
@@ -80,5 +95,7 @@ class CaptureFeed:
 
         msg = json.dumps(d, separators=(',', ':')).encode('utf-8')
         self.logger.debug('feeding kafka topic=%s msg=%s', repr(topic), msg)
-        self._producer.send(topic, msg)
+        p = self._producer()
+        if p:
+            p.send(topic, msg)