diff --git a/kafka/client.py b/kafka/client.py
index d0e07d072..9cb4b48d8 100644
--- a/kafka/client.py
+++ b/kafka/client.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
+import collections
 import copy
+import functools
+import itertools
 import logging
-import collections
-
+import time
 import kafka.common
 
-from functools import partial
-from itertools import count
 from kafka.common import (TopicAndPartition,
                           ConnectionError, FailedPayloadsError,
                           PartitionUnavailableError,
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 class KafkaClient(object):
 
     CLIENT_ID = "kafka-python"
-    ID_GEN = count()
+    ID_GEN = itertools.count()
 
     # NOTE: The timeout given to the client should always be greater than the
     # one passed to SimpleConsumer.get_message(), otherwise you can get a
@@ -213,6 +213,16 @@ def reset_all_metadata(self):
     def has_metadata_for_topic(self, topic):
         return topic in self.topic_partitions
 
+    def ensure_topic_exists(self, topic, timeout = 30):
+        start_time = time.time()
+
+        self.load_metadata_for_topics(topic)
+        while not self.has_metadata_for_topic(topic):
+            if time.time() > start_time + timeout:
+                raise KafkaTimeoutError("Unable to create topic {}".format(topic))
+            self.load_metadata_for_topics(topic)
+            time.sleep(.5)
+
     def close(self):
         for conn in self.conns.values():
             conn.close()
@@ -289,7 +299,7 @@ def send_produce_request(self, payloads=[], acks=1, timeout=1000,
         order of input payloads
         """
 
-        encoder = partial(
+        encoder = functools.partial(
             KafkaProtocol.encode_produce_request,
             acks=acks,
             timeout=timeout)
@@ -321,7 +331,7 @@ def send_fetch_request(self, payloads=[], fail_on_error=True,
         to the same brokers.
         """
 
-        encoder = partial(KafkaProtocol.encode_fetch_request,
+        encoder = functools.partial(KafkaProtocol.encode_fetch_request,
                           max_wait_time=max_wait_time,
                           min_bytes=min_bytes)
 
@@ -359,7 +369,7 @@ def send_offset_request(self, payloads=[], fail_on_error=True,
 
     def send_offset_commit_request(self, group, payloads=[],
                                    fail_on_error=True, callback=None):
-        encoder = partial(KafkaProtocol.encode_offset_commit_request,
+        encoder = functools.partial(KafkaProtocol.encode_offset_commit_request,
                           group=group)
         decoder = KafkaProtocol.decode_offset_commit_response
         resps = self._send_broker_aware_request(payloads, encoder, decoder)
@@ -378,7 +388,7 @@ def send_offset_commit_request(self, group, payloads=[],
     def send_offset_fetch_request(self, group, payloads=[],
                                   fail_on_error=True, callback=None):
 
-        encoder = partial(KafkaProtocol.encode_offset_fetch_request,
+        encoder = functools.partial(KafkaProtocol.encode_offset_fetch_request,
                           group=group)
         decoder = KafkaProtocol.decode_offset_fetch_response
         resps = self._send_broker_aware_request(payloads, encoder, decoder)
diff --git a/kafka/producer.py b/kafka/producer.py
index 8e40be5b1..95c75c452 100644
--- a/kafka/producer.py
+++ b/kafka/producer.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from multiprocessing import Queue, Process
 
 from kafka.common import (
-    ProduceRequest, TopicAndPartition, UnsupportedCodecError
+    ProduceRequest, TopicAndPartition, UnsupportedCodecError, UnknownTopicOrPartitionError
 )
 from kafka.partitioner import HashedPartitioner
 from kafka.protocol import CODEC_NONE, ALL_CODECS, create_message_set
@@ -216,7 +216,10 @@ def _next_partition(self, topic):
         if topic not in self.partition_cycles:
             if topic not in self.client.topic_partitions:
                 self.client.load_metadata_for_topics(topic)
-            self.partition_cycles[topic] = cycle(self.client.topic_partitions[topic])
+            try:
+                self.partition_cycles[topic] = cycle(self.client.topic_partitions[topic])
+            except KeyError:
+                raise UnknownTopicOrPartitionError(topic)
 
             # Randomize the initial partition that is returned
             if self.random_start:
diff --git a/test/test_producer_integration.py b/test/test_producer_integration.py
index c69e1178b..7d3a1805d 100644
--- a/test/test_producer_integration.py
+++ b/test/test_producer_integration.py
@@ -142,6 +142,15 @@ def test_simple_producer(self):
 
         producer.stop()
 
+    @kafka_versions("all")
+    def test_produce__new_topic_fails_with_reasonable_error(self):
+        new_topic = 'new_topic_{guid}'.format(guid = str(uuid.uuid4()))
+        producer = SimpleProducer(self.client)
+
+        # At first it doesn't exist
+        with self.assertRaises(UnknownTopicOrPartitionError):
+            resp = producer.send_messages(new_topic, self.msg("one"))
+
     @kafka_versions("all")
     def test_producer_random_order(self):
         producer = SimpleProducer(self.client, random_start = True)
diff --git a/test/testutil.py b/test/testutil.py
index 78e6f7d93..4f5f6eead 100644
--- a/test/testutil.py
+++ b/test/testutil.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     'random_string',
-    'ensure_topic_creation',
     'get_open_port',
     'kafka_versions',
     'KafkaIntegrationTestCase',
@@ -39,16 +38,6 @@ def wrapper(self):
         return wrapper
     return kafka_versions
 
-def ensure_topic_creation(client, topic_name, timeout = 30):
-    start_time = time.time()
-
-    client.load_metadata_for_topics(topic_name)
-    while not client.has_metadata_for_topic(topic_name):
-        if time.time() > start_time + timeout:
-            raise Exception("Unable to create topic %s" % topic_name)
-        client.load_metadata_for_topics(topic_name)
-        time.sleep(1)
-
 def get_open_port():
     sock = socket.socket()
     sock.bind(("", 0))
@@ -71,7 +60,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         if self.create_client:
             self.client = KafkaClient('%s:%d' % (self.server.host, self.server.port))
 
-        ensure_topic_creation(self.client, self.topic)
+        self.client.ensure_topic_exists(self.topic)
 
         self._messages = {}