diff --git a/coverage.out b/coverage.out
index de1df1b..fd91328 100644
--- a/coverage.out
+++ b/coverage.out
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/config.go:45.9,45.23 1 12
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/config.go:45.23,47.4 1 6
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/config.go:49.3,49.54 1 12
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/conversions.go:3.48,5.28 2 1
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/conversions.go:5.28,7.3 1 44
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/conversions.go:5.28,7.3 1 49
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/conversions.go:9.2,9.13 1 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/errors.go:8.63,9.16 1 4
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/errors.go:9.16,11.3 1 0
@@ -94,9 +94,9 @@ github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/srv.go:144.2,144.18 1 2
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/srv.go:144.18,146.3 1 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/srv.go:148.2,148.28 1 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:9.59,11.39 2 3
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:11.39,13.17 2 28
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:11.39,13.17 2 30
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:13.17,15.4 1 2
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:16.3,16.17 1 26
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:16.3,16.17 1 28
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/helpers/uuid.go:19.2,19.17 1 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/model/character.go:49.38,50.43 1 10
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/model/character.go:50.43,52.3 1 1
@@ -320,14 +320,23 @@ github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/inventory_r.go:30.16,32.3 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/inventory_r.go:34.2,34.23 1 4
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/inventory_r.go:38.111,41.2 2 5
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/inventory_r.go:43.71,45.2 1 11
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:17.70,18.24 1 1
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:18.24,20.3 1 0
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:21.2,21.27 1 1
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:21.27,23.3 1 0
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:24.2,27.16 3 1
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:27.16,29.3 1 0
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:31.2,32.16 2 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:19.70,20.24 1 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:20.24,22.3 1 0
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:23.2,23.27 1 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:23.27,25.3 1 0
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:26.2,28.27 2 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:28.27,31.3 2 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:32.2,32.16 1 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:32.16,34.3 1 0
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:36.2,37.16 2 1
 github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:37.16,39.3 1 0
-github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:41.2,41.28 1 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:41.2,41.27 1 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:41.27,44.3 2 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:45.2,45.16 1 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:45.16,47.3 1 0
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:49.2,49.28 1 1
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:52.35,56.46 4 2
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:56.46,57.39 1 0
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:57.39,59.4 1 0
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:61.3,61.13 1 0
+github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/repository/kafka.go:64.2,64.12 1 2
diff --git a/pkg/repository/kafka.go b/pkg/repository/kafka.go
index f86870b..40eb2d4 100644
--- a/pkg/repository/kafka.go
+++ b/pkg/repository/kafka.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"strconv"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ShatteredRealms/go-backend/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4"
 	"github.com/segmentio/kafka-go"
 )
 
@@ -23,7 +25,10 @@ func ConnectKafka(address config.ServerAddress) (*kafka.Conn, error) {
 	}
 	var err error
 
-	currentConn, err = kafka.Dial("tcp", address.Address())
+	err = retry(func() error {
+		currentConn, err = kafka.Dial("tcp", address.Address())
+		return err
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("kafka connect: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -33,10 +38,28 @@ func ConnectKafka(address config.ServerAddress) (*kafka.Conn, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("controller: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	controllerConn, err = kafka.Dial("tcp", net.JoinHostPort(controller.Host, strconv.Itoa(controller.Port)))
+	err = retry(func() error {
+		controllerConn, err = kafka.Dial("tcp", net.JoinHostPort(controller.Host, strconv.Itoa(controller.Port)))
+		return err
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("kafka controller connection: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	return controllerConn, nil
 }
+
+func retry(op func() error) error {
+	bo := backoff.NewExponentialBackOff()
+	bo.MaxInterval = time.Second * 5
+	bo.MaxElapsedTime = time.Minute
+	if err := backoff.Retry(op, bo); err != nil {
+		if bo.NextBackOff() == backoff.Stop {
+			return fmt.Errorf("reached retry deadline")
+		}
+
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}