diff --git a/opl/get_kafka_times.py b/opl/get_kafka_times.py
index bf1e82c..1ec702a 100644
--- a/opl/get_kafka_times.py
+++ b/opl/get_kafka_times.py
@@ -85,38 +85,31 @@ def create_consumer(self):
         self.status_data.set("parameters.kafka.topic", self.kafka_topic)
         self.status_data.set("parameters.kafka.timeout", self.kafka_timeout)
 
-        try:
+        common_params = {
+            "bootstrap_servers": self.kafka_host,
+            "auto_offset_reset": "earliest",
+            "enable_auto_commit": True,
+            "group_id": self.kafka_group,
+            "max_poll_records": self.kafka_max_poll_records,
+            "session_timeout_ms": 50000,
+            "heartbeat_interval_ms": 10000,
+            "consumer_timeout_ms": self.kafka_timeout,
+        }
+
+        if self.kafka_username != "" and self.kafka_password != "":
             logging.info(
                 f"Creating consumer with sasl username&pasword to {self.kafka_host}"
             )
-            consumer = KafkaConsumer(
-                self.kafka_topic,
-                bootstrap_servers=self.kafka_host,  # self.kafka_hosts,
-                auto_offset_reset="earliest",
-                enable_auto_commit=True,
-                group_id=self.kafka_group,
-                max_poll_records=self.kafka_max_poll_records,
-                session_timeout_ms=50000,
-                heartbeat_interval_ms=10000,
-                consumer_timeout_ms=self.kafka_timeout,
-                security_protocol="SASL_SSL",
-                sasl_mechanism="SCRAM-SHA-512",
-                sasl_plain_username=self.kafka_username,
-                sasl_plain_password=self.kafka_password,
-            )
-        except AttributeError:
+            sasl_params = {
+                "security_protocol": "SASL_SSL",
+                "sasl_mechanism": "SCRAM-SHA-512",
+                "sasl_plain_username": self.kafka_username,
+                "sasl_plain_password": self.kafka_password,
+            }
+            consumer = KafkaConsumer([self.kafka_topic], **common_params, **sasl_params)
+        else:
             logging.info(f"Creating passwordless consumer to {self.kafka_host}")
-            consumer = KafkaConsumer(
-                self.kafka_topic,
-                bootstrap_servers=self.kafka_host,
-                auto_offset_reset="earliest",
-                enable_auto_commit=True,
-                group_id=self.kafka_group,
-                max_poll_records=self.kafka_max_poll_records,
-                session_timeout_ms=50000,
-                heartbeat_interval_ms=10000,
-                consumer_timeout_ms=self.kafka_timeout,
-            )
+            consumer = KafkaConsumer([self.kafka_topic], **common_params)
         return consumer
 
     def store_now(self):
diff --git a/opl/skip_to_end.py b/opl/skip_to_end.py
index 75d3a34..d219f2e 100755
--- a/opl/skip_to_end.py
+++ b/opl/skip_to_end.py
@@ -11,31 +11,22 @@
 from . import skelet
 
 
-def doit_seek_to_end(kafka_hosts, kafka_timeout, kafka_topic, kafka_group, args=""):
-    """
-    Create consumer and seek to end
-
-    This seek to end is important so we are not wasting our time processing
-    all the messages in the Kafka log for given topic. If we would have same
-    and static group name, we would have problems when running concurrently
-    on multiple pods.
-    """
-
+def create_consumer(args):
     # Common parameters for both cases
     common_params = {
-        "bootstrap_servers": kafka_hosts,
+        "bootstrap_servers": args.kafka_hosts,
         "auto_offset_reset": "latest",
         "enable_auto_commit": True,
-        "group_id": kafka_group,
+        "group_id": args.kafka_group,
         "session_timeout_ms": 50000,
         "heartbeat_interval_ms": 10000,
-        "consumer_timeout_ms": kafka_timeout,
+        "consumer_timeout_ms": args.kafka_timeout,
     }
 
     # Kafka consumer creation: SASL or noauth
-    try:
+    if args.kafka_username != "" and args.kafka_password != "":
         logging.info(
-            f"Creating SASL password-protected Kafka consumer for {kafka_hosts} in group {kafka_group} with timeout {kafka_timeout} ms topic {kafka_topic}"
+            f"Creating SASL password-protected Kafka consumer for {args.kafka_hosts} in group {args.kafka_group} with timeout {args.kafka_timeout} ms topic {args.kafka_topic}"
         )
         sasl_params = {
             "security_protocol": "SASL_SSL",
@@ -43,14 +34,26 @@ def doit_seek_to_end(kafka_hosts, kafka_timeout, kafka_topic, kafka_group, args=
             "sasl_plain_username": args.kafka_username,
             "sasl_plain_password": args.kafka_password,
         }
-        consumer = KafkaConsumer(**common_params, **sasl_params)
-    except AttributeError:
+        consumer = KafkaConsumer([args.kafka_topic], **common_params, **sasl_params)
+    else:
         logging.info(
-            f"Creating passwordless producer for for {kafka_hosts} in group {kafka_group} with timeout {kafka_timeout} ms topic {kafka_topic}"
+            f"Creating passwordless producer for for {args.kafka_hosts} in group {args.kafka_group} with timeout {args.kafka_timeout} ms topic {args.kafka_topic}"
         )
-        consumer = KafkaConsumer(**common_params)
+        consumer = KafkaConsumer([args.kafka_topic], **common_params)
+    return consumer
 
-    consumer.subscribe(kafka_topic)
+
+def doit_seek_to_end(args):
+    """
+    Create consumer and seek to end
+
+    This seek to end is important so we are not wasting our time processing
+    all the messages in the Kafka log for given topic. If we would have same
+    and static group name, we would have problems when running concurrently
+    on multiple pods.
+    """
+
+    consumer = create_consumer(args)
 
     # Seek to end
     for attempt in range(10):
@@ -71,13 +74,7 @@ def doit_seek_to_end(kafka_hosts, kafka_timeout, kafka_topic, kafka_group, args=
 
 
 def doit(args, status_data):
-    doit_seek_to_end(
-        [f"{args.kafka_host}:{args.kafka_port}"],
-        args.kafka_timeout,
-        args.kafka_topic,
-        args.kafka_group,
-        args,
-    )
+    doit_seek_to_end(args)
 
     status_data.set("parameters.kafka.seek_topic", args.kafka_topic)
     status_data.set("parameters.kafka.seek_timeout", args.kafka_timeout)