diff --git a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/config/auth.go b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/config/auth.go
index 2bc85f3bdf..3e27651764 100644
--- a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/config/auth.go
+++ b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/config/auth.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func setupSASLSSLAuthentication(config kafka.ConfigMap) error {
 
 func withPasswordAuth(mechanism string, config kafka.ConfigMap) error {
 	// Set the SASL mechanism
-	config["security.protocol"] = "SASL_SSL"
+	config["security.protocol"] = tls.SecurityProtocolSASLSSL
 	config["sasl.mechanism"] = mechanism
 
 	// Set the SASL username and password
diff --git a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/constants.go b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/constants.go
index 58812e2d56..f079c03ba7 100644
--- a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/constants.go
+++ b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/constants.go
@@ -9,10 +9,18 @@ the Change License after the Change Date as each is defined in accordance with t
 
 package gateway
 
+import "time"
+
 const (
 	HeaderKeyType       = "seldon-infer-type"
 	HeaderValueJsonReq  = "json/inferModelRequest"
 	HeaderValueJsonRes  = "json/inferModelResponse"
 	HeaderValueProtoReq = "proto/InferModelRequest"
 	HeaderValueProtoRes = "proto/InferModelResponse"
+
+	// Topic creation retries
+	TopicCreateTimeout      = time.Minute
+	TopicDescribeTimeout    = time.Second
+	TopicDescribeMaxRetries = 60
+	TopicDescribeRetryDelay = time.Second
 )
diff --git a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/infer.go b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/infer.go
index dbf299d3ae..db743537e1 100644
--- a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/infer.go
+++ b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/infer.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4"
 	"github.com/confluentinc/confluent-kafka-go/v2/kafka"
 	"github.com/signalfx/splunk-otel-go/instrumentation/github.com/confluentinc/confluent-kafka-go/v2/kafka/splunkkafka"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -194,7 +195,10 @@ func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) GetNumModels() int {
 func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) createTopics(topicNames []string) error {
 	logger := kc.logger.WithField("func", "createTopics")
 	if kc.adminClient == nil {
-		logger.Warnf("Can't create topics %v as no admin client", topicNames)
+		logger.Warnf("no kafka admin client, can't create any of the following topics: %v", topicNames)
+		// An error would typically be returned here, but a missing adminClient typically
+		// indicates we're running tests. Instead of failing tests, we return nil here.
+		// TODO: find a better way of mocking kafka
 		return nil
 	}
 	t1 := time.Now()
@@ -210,18 +214,62 @@ func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) createTopics(topicNames []string) error {
 	results, err := kc.adminClient.CreateTopics(
 		context.Background(),
 		topicSpecs,
-		kafka.SetAdminOperationTimeout(time.Minute),
+		kafka.SetAdminOperationTimeout(TopicCreateTimeout),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Wait for topic creation
+	logFailure := func(err error, delay time.Duration) {
+		logger.WithError(err).Errorf("still waiting for all topics to be created...")
+	}
+
+	logger.Infof("waiting for kafka topic creation")
+	retryPolicy := backoff.WithMaxRetries(
+		backoff.NewConstantBackOff(TopicDescribeRetryDelay),
+		TopicDescribeMaxRetries,
+	)
+	err = backoff.RetryNotify(
+		func() error {
+			return kc.ensureTopicsExist(topicNames)
+		},
+		retryPolicy,
+		logFailure)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.WithError(err).Errorf("some topics not created, giving up")
+		return err
+	} else {
+		logger.Infof("all topics created")
+	}
+
 	for _, result := range results {
-		logger.Debugf("Topic result for %s", result.String())
+		logger.Debugf("topic result for %s", result.String())
 	}
 
 	t2 := time.Now()
-	logger.Infof("Topic created in %d millis", t2.Sub(t1).Milliseconds())
+	logger.Debugf("kafka topics created in %d millis", t2.Sub(t1).Milliseconds())
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) ensureTopicsExist(topicNames []string) error {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), TopicDescribeTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	topicsDescResult, err := kc.adminClient.DescribeTopics(
+		ctx,
+		kafka.NewTopicCollectionOfTopicNames(topicNames),
+		kafka.SetAdminOptionIncludeAuthorizedOperations(false))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, topicDescription := range topicsDescResult.TopicDescriptions {
+		if topicDescription.Error.Code() != kafka.ErrNoError {
+			return fmt.Errorf("topic description failure: %s", topicDescription.Error.Error())
+		}
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -241,7 +289,7 @@ func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) AddModel(modelName string) error {
 	kc.subscribedTopics[inputTopic] = true
 	err := kc.subscribeTopics()
 	if err != nil {
-		kc.logger.WithError(err).Warn("Failed to subscribe to topics")
+		kc.logger.WithError(err).Errorf("failed to subscribe to topics")
 		return nil
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -255,7 +303,7 @@ func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) RemoveModel(modelName string) error {
 	if len(kc.subscribedTopics) > 0 {
 		err := kc.subscribeTopics()
 		if err != nil {
-			kc.logger.WithError(err).Errorf("Failed to subscribe to topics")
+			kc.logger.WithError(err).Errorf("failed to subscribe to topics")
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
@@ -276,7 +324,7 @@ func (kc *InferKafkaHandler) Serve() {
 	for run {
 		select {
 		case <-kc.done:
-			logger.Infof("Stopping consumer %s", kc.consumer.String())
+			logger.Infof("stopping consumer %s", kc.consumer.String())
 			kc.producerActive.Store(false)
 			run = false
 		default:
diff --git a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/worker.go b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/worker.go
index 59dd005c43..37e336e725 100644
--- a/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/worker.go
+++ b/scheduler/pkg/kafka/gateway/worker.go
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func (iw *InferWorker) produce(
 	for k, vs := range headers {
 		for _, v := range vs {
 			if !existsKafkaHeader(kafkaHeaders, k, v) {
-				logger.Infof("Adding header to kafka response %s:%s", k, v)
+				logger.Debugf("Adding header to kafka response %s:%s", k, v)
 				kafkaHeaders = append(kafkaHeaders, kafka.Header{Key: k, Value: []byte(v)})
 			}
 		}