diff --git a/kafka/producer.go b/kafka/producer.go
index 0f85065f..03a0dcd6 100644
--- a/kafka/producer.go
+++ b/kafka/producer.go
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ func (p *Producer) Produce(ctx context.Context, rs ...apmqueue.Record) error {
 		ctx = queuecontext.DetachedContext(ctx)
 	}
 	namespacePrefix := p.cfg.namespacePrefix()
+
+	var errs []error
+	var mu sync.Mutex
+
 	for _, record := range rs {
 		kgoRecord := &kgo.Record{
 			Headers: headers,
@@ -259,6 +263,11 @@ func (p *Producer) Produce(ctx context.Context, rs ...apmqueue.Record) error {
 			// kotel already marks spans as errors. No need to handle it here.
 			if err != nil {
 				topicName := strings.TrimPrefix(r.Topic, namespacePrefix)
+
+				mu.Lock()
+				errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to produce message: %w", err))
+				mu.Unlock()
+
 				logger := p.cfg.Logger
 				if p.cfg.TopicLogFieldFunc != nil {
 					logger = logger.With(p.cfg.TopicLogFieldFunc(topicName))
@@ -279,6 +288,9 @@ func (p *Producer) Produce(ctx context.Context, rs ...apmqueue.Record) error {
 	}
 	if p.cfg.Sync {
 		wg.Wait()
+		if len(errs) > 0 {
+			return errors.Join(errs...)
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/kafka/producer_test.go b/kafka/producer_test.go
index f4988bc5..48376358 100644
--- a/kafka/producer_test.go
+++ b/kafka/producer_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp/cmpopts"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kerr"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
 	sdktrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace/tracetest"
@@ -222,6 +223,75 @@ func TestNewProducerBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	test(t, false)
 }
 
+func TestProduceSyncFailed(t *testing.T) {
+	correctNamespace := "name_space"
+	correctTopic := "default-topic"
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		desc      string
+		namespace string
+		topic     string
+	}{
+		{
+			desc:      "correct namespace and topic",
+			namespace: correctNamespace,
+			topic:     correctTopic,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:      "unknown namespace",
+			namespace: "unknown",
+			topic:     correctTopic,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:      "unknown topic",
+			namespace: correctNamespace,
+			topic:     "unknown",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, brokers := newClusterWithTopics(t,
+				int32(1),
+				correctNamespace+"-"+correctTopic,
+			)
+			producer := newProducer(t, ProducerConfig{
+				CommonConfig: CommonConfig{
+					Brokers:   brokers,
+					Logger:    zap.NewNop(),
+					Namespace: tc.namespace,
+				},
+				Sync:               true,
+				MaxBufferedRecords: 0,
+			})
+
+			batch := []apmqueue.Record{
+				{
+					Topic:       apmqueue.Topic(tc.topic),
+					OrderingKey: []byte("key"),
+					Value:       []byte("value"),
+				},
+			}
+
+			ctx := context.Background()
+
+			// Cancel the context before calling Produce
+			if tc.namespace == correctNamespace && tc.topic == correctTopic {
+				ctxCancelled, cancelProduce := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+				cancelProduce()
+				err := producer.Produce(ctxCancelled, batch...)
+				assert.Error(t, err)
+				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "context canceled")
+			}
+
+			if tc.namespace != correctNamespace || tc.topic != correctTopic {
+				err := producer.Produce(ctx, batch...)
+				assert.Error(t, err)
+				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), kerr.UnknownTopicOrPartition.Message)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func testVerboseLogger(t testing.TB) *zap.Logger {
 	t.Helper()
 	if testing.Verbose() {
@@ -311,7 +381,7 @@ func TestProducerConcurrentClose(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+	for range 10 {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()