diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 329dec4f..96bcf028 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ jobs:
         key: kafka-go-mod-{{ checksum "go.sum" }}-1
         paths:
         - /go/pkg/mod
+    - run:
+        name: Wait for kafka
+        command: ./scripts/wait-for-kafka.sh
     - run:
         name: Test kafka-go
         command: go test -race -cover ./...
diff --git a/addoffsetstotxn_test.go b/addoffsetstotxn_test.go
index 56d6ee46..d86a5fd9 100644
--- a/addoffsetstotxn_test.go
+++ b/addoffsetstotxn_test.go
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ func TestClientAddOffsetsToTxn(t *testing.T) {
 	defer shutdown()
 
 	err := clientCreateTopic(client, topic, 3)
+	defer deleteTopic(t, topic)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*30)
+	waitForTopic(ctx, t, topic)
 	defer cancel()
 	respc, err := waitForCoordinatorIndefinitely(ctx, client, &FindCoordinatorRequest{
 		Addr:    client.Addr,
diff --git a/reader_test.go b/reader_test.go
index f413d742..64d45190 100644
--- a/reader_test.go
+++ b/reader_test.go
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ func createTopic(t *testing.T, topic string, partitions int) {
 				ReplicationFactor: 1,
 			},
 		},
-		Timeout: milliseconds(time.Second),
+		Timeout: milliseconds(5 * time.Second),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		if !errors.Is(err, TopicAlreadyExists) {
@@ -364,8 +364,8 @@ func waitForTopic(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, topic string) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		t.Logf("retrying after 1s")
-		time.Sleep(time.Second)
+		t.Logf("retrying after 100ms")
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		continue
 	}
 }
@@ -1559,17 +1559,22 @@ func TestConsumerGroupWithGroupTopicsSingle(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestConsumerGroupWithGroupTopicsMultple(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+func TestConsumerGroupWithGroupTopicsMultiple(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	client, shutdown := newLocalClient()
 	defer shutdown()
-
+	t1 := makeTopic()
+	createTopic(t, t1, 1)
+	defer deleteTopic(t, t1)
+	t2 := makeTopic()
+	createTopic(t, t2, 1)
+	defer deleteTopic(t, t2)
 	conf := ReaderConfig{
 		Brokers:                []string{"localhost:9092"},
 		GroupID:                makeGroupID(),
-		GroupTopics:            []string{makeTopic(), makeTopic()},
+		GroupTopics:            []string{t1, t2},
 		MaxWait:                time.Second,
 		PartitionWatchInterval: 100 * time.Millisecond,
 		WatchPartitionChanges:  true,
diff --git a/scripts/wait-for-kafka.sh b/scripts/wait-for-kafka.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5cd33655
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/wait-for-kafka.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#/bin/bash
+
+COUNTER=0; 
+echo foo | nc localhost 9092
+STATUS=$?
+ATTEMPTS=60
+until [ ${STATUS} -eq 0 ] || [ "$COUNTER" -ge "${ATTEMPTS}" ];
+do
+    let COUNTER=$COUNTER+1;
+    sleep 1;
+    echo "[$COUNTER] waiting for 9092 port to be open";
+    echo foo | nc localhost 9092
+    STATUS=$?
+done
+
+if [ "${COUNTER}" -gt "${ATTEMPTS}" ];
+then
+    echo "Kafka is not running, failing"
+    exit 1
+fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/txnoffsetcommit_test.go b/txnoffsetcommit_test.go
index eb3d33cb..8562e896 100644
--- a/txnoffsetcommit_test.go
+++ b/txnoffsetcommit_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ func TestClientTxnOffsetCommit(t *testing.T) {
 
 	client, shutdown := newLocalClientWithTopic(topic, 1)
 	defer shutdown()
+	waitForTopic(context.TODO(), t, topic)
+	defer deleteTopic(t, topic)
 
 	now := time.Now()