diff --git a/lib/kafka_ex.ex b/lib/kafka_ex.ex
index 688eef45..2fde081d 100644
--- a/lib/kafka_ex.ex
+++ b/lib/kafka_ex.ex
@@ -471,7 +471,18 @@ defmodule KafkaEx do
     }
   end
 
-  defp build_worker_options(worker_init) do
+  @doc """
+  Builds options to be used with workers
+
+  Merges the given options with defaults from the application env config.
+  Returns p{:error, :invalid_consumer_options}` if the consumer group
+  configuation is invalid, and `{:ok, merged_options}` otherwise.
+
+  Note this happens automatically when using `KafkaEx.create_worker`.
+  """
+  @spec build_worker_options(worker_init) ::
+    {:ok, worker_init} | {:error, :invalid_consumer_group}
+  def build_worker_options(worker_init) do
     defaults = [
       uris: Application.get_env(:kafka_ex, :brokers),
       consumer_group: Application.get_env(:kafka_ex, :consumer_group),
diff --git a/lib/kafka_ex/server.ex b/lib/kafka_ex/server.ex
index 7cbcdc23..444d79fc 100644
--- a/lib/kafka_ex/server.ex
+++ b/lib/kafka_ex/server.ex
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.Server do
   Defines the KafkaEx.Server behavior that all Kafka API servers must implement, this module also provides some common callback functions that are injected into the servers that `use` it.
   """
 
+  alias KafkaEx.NetworkClient
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.ConsumerMetadata
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Heartbeat.Request, as: HeartbeatRequest
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.JoinGroup.Request, as: JoinGroupRequest
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.Server do
   defmodule State do
     @moduledoc false
 
+    alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Metadata.Response, as: MetadataResponse
+    alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Metadata.Broker
+
     defstruct(
       metadata: %Metadata.Response{},
       brokers: [],
@@ -47,6 +51,21 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.Server do
         ssl_options: KafkaEx.ssl_options,
         use_ssl: boolean
       }
+
+    @spec increment_correlation_id(t) :: t
+    def increment_correlation_id(state = %State{correlation_id: cid}) do
+      %{state | correlation_id: cid + 1}
+    end
+
+    @spec broker_for_partition(t, binary, integer) :: Broker.t | nil
+    def broker_for_partition(state, topic, partition) do
+      MetadataResponse.broker_for_topic(
+        state.metadata,
+        state.brokers,
+        topic,
+        partition
+      )
+    end
   end
 
   @callback kafka_server_init(args :: [term]) ::
@@ -376,6 +395,110 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.Server do
         kafka_server_metadata: 2, kafka_server_update_metadata: 1,
       ]
 
+      defp kafka_common_init(args, name) do
+        use_ssl = Keyword.get(args, :use_ssl, false)
+        ssl_options = Keyword.get(args, :ssl_options, [])
+
+        uris = Keyword.get(args, :uris, [])
+        metadata_update_interval = Keyword.get(
+          args,
+          :metadata_update_interval,
+          @metadata_update_interval
+        )
+
+        brokers = for {host, port} <- uris do
+          connect_broker(host, port, ssl_options, use_ssl)
+        end
+
+        {correlation_id, metadata} = retrieve_metadata(
+          brokers,
+          0,
+          config_sync_timeout()
+        )
+
+        state = %State{
+          metadata: metadata,
+          brokers: brokers,
+          correlation_id: correlation_id,
+          metadata_update_interval: metadata_update_interval,
+          ssl_options: ssl_options,
+          use_ssl: use_ssl,
+          worker_name: name
+        }
+
+        state = update_metadata(state)
+        {:ok, _} = :timer.send_interval(
+          state.metadata_update_interval,
+          :update_metadata
+        )
+
+        state
+      end
+
+      defp connect_broker(host, port, ssl_opts, use_ssl) do
+        %Broker{
+          host: host,
+          port: port,
+          socket: NetworkClient.create_socket(host, port, ssl_opts, use_ssl)
+        }
+      end
+
+      defp client_request(request, state) do
+        %{
+          request |
+          client_id: @client_id,
+          correlation_id: state.correlation_id
+        }
+      end
+
+      # gets the broker for a given partition, updating metadata if necessary
+      # returns {broker, maybe_updated_state}
+      defp broker_for_partition_with_update(state, topic, partition) do
+        case State.broker_for_partition(state, topic, partition) do
+          nil ->
+            updated_state = update_metadata(state)
+            {
+              State.broker_for_partition(updated_state, topic, partition),
+              updated_state
+            }
+          broker ->
+            {broker, state}
+        end
+      end
+
+      # assumes module.create_request(request) and module.parse_response
+      # both work
+      defp network_request(request, module, state) do
+        {broker, updated_state} = broker_for_partition_with_update(
+          state,
+          request.topic,
+          request.partition
+        )
+
+        case broker do
+          nil ->
+            Logger.error(fn ->
+              "Leader for topic #{request.topic} is not available"
+            end)
+            {{:error, :topic_not_found}, updated_state}
+          _ ->
+            wire_request = request
+            |> client_request(updated_state)
+            |> module.create_request
+
+            response = broker
+            |> NetworkClient.send_sync_request(
+              wire_request,
+              config_sync_timeout()
+            )
+            |> module.parse_response
+
+            state_out = State.increment_correlation_id(updated_state)
+
+            {response, state_out}
+        end
+      end
+
       defp remove_stale_brokers(brokers, metadata_brokers) do
         {brokers_to_keep, brokers_to_remove} = Enum.partition(brokers, fn(broker) ->
           Enum.find_value(metadata_brokers, &(broker.node_id == -1 || (broker.node_id == &1.node_id) && broker.socket && Socket.info(broker.socket)))
diff --git a/lib/kafka_ex/server_0_p_8_p_0.ex b/lib/kafka_ex/server_0_p_8_p_0.ex
index b6745793..a6c0d3ff 100644
--- a/lib/kafka_ex/server_0_p_8_p_0.ex
+++ b/lib/kafka_ex/server_0_p_8_p_0.ex
@@ -18,25 +18,21 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.Server0P8P0 do
 
   use KafkaEx.Server
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Fetch
-  alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Fetch.Request, as: FetchRequest
-  alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Metadata.Broker
-  alias KafkaEx.Protocol.Metadata.Response, as: MetadataResponse
-  alias KafkaEx.Server.State
-  alias KafkaEx.NetworkClient
 
   def kafka_server_init([args]) do
     kafka_server_init([args, self()])
   end
 
   def kafka_server_init([args, name]) do
-    uris = Keyword.get(args, :uris, [])
-    metadata_update_interval = Keyword.get(args, :metadata_update_interval, @metadata_update_interval)
-    brokers = Enum.map(uris, fn({host, port}) -> %Broker{host: host, port: port, socket: NetworkClient.create_socket(host, port)} end)
-    {correlation_id, metadata} = retrieve_metadata(brokers, 0, config_sync_timeout())
-    state = %State{metadata: metadata, brokers: brokers, correlation_id: correlation_id, metadata_update_interval: metadata_update_interval, worker_name: name}
-    # Get the initial "real" broker list and start a regular refresh cycle.
-    state = update_metadata(state)
-    {:ok, _} = :timer.send_interval(state.metadata_update_interval, :update_metadata)
+    # warn if ssl is configured
+    if Keyword.get(args, :use_ssl) do
+      Logger.warn(fn ->
+        "KafkaEx is being configured to use ssl with a broker version that " <>
+          "does not support ssl"
+      end)
+    end
+
+    state = kafka_common_init(args, name)
 
     {:ok, state}
   end
@@ -67,28 +63,10 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.Server0P8P0 do
   def kafka_server_heartbeat(_, _, _state), do: raise "Heartbeat is not supported in 0.8.0 version of kafka"
   def kafka_server_update_consumer_metadata(_state), do: raise "Consumer Group Metadata is not supported in 0.8.0 version of kafka"
 
-  defp fetch(fetch_request, state) do
-    fetch_data = Fetch.create_request(%FetchRequest{
-      fetch_request |
-      client_id: @client_id,
-      correlation_id: state.correlation_id,
-    })
-    {broker, state} = case MetadataResponse.broker_for_topic(state.metadata, state.brokers, fetch_request.topic, fetch_request.partition) do
-      nil    ->
-        updated_state = update_metadata(state)
-        {MetadataResponse.broker_for_topic(state.metadata, state.brokers, fetch_request.topic, fetch_request.partition), updated_state}
-      broker -> {broker, state}
-    end
-
-    case broker do
-      nil ->
-        Logger.log(:error, "Leader for topic #{fetch_request.topic} is not available")
-        {:topic_not_found, state}
-      _ ->
-        response = broker
-          |> NetworkClient.send_sync_request(fetch_data, config_sync_timeout())
-          |> Fetch.parse_response
-        {response, %{state | correlation_id: state.correlation_id + 1}}
+  defp fetch(request, state) do
+    case network_request(request, Fetch, state) do
+      {{:error, error}, state_out} -> {error, state_out}
+      {response, state_out} -> {response, state_out}
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/scripts/ci_tests.sh b/scripts/ci_tests.sh
index a853c67b..48dd5b95 100755
--- a/scripts/ci_tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci_tests.sh
@@ -25,5 +25,5 @@ then
   echo "First tests passed, skipping repeat"
 else
   echo "Repeating tests"
-  mix "$TEST_COMMAND" --include integration --include consumer_group --include server_0_p_9_p_0 
+  mix "$TEST_COMMAND" --include integration --include consumer_group --include server_0_p_9_p_0 --include server_0_p_8_p_0
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/docker_up.sh b/scripts/docker_up.sh
index 953fb0e2..5ae17653 100755
--- a/scripts/docker_up.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker_up.sh
@@ -48,4 +48,4 @@ done
 docker-compose up -d
 
 # create topics needed for testing
-docker-compose exec kafka3 /bin/bash -c "KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT=zookeeper:2181 KAFKA_PORT=9094 KAFKA_CREATE_TOPICS=consumer_group_implementation_test:4:2 create-topics.sh"
+docker-compose exec kafka3 /bin/bash -c "KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT=zookeeper:2181 KAFKA_PORT=9094 KAFKA_CREATE_TOPICS=consumer_group_implementation_test:4:2,test0p8p0:4:2 create-topics.sh"
diff --git a/test/integration/server0_p_8_p_0_test.exs b/test/integration/server0_p_8_p_0_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2cd5b26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/server0_p_8_p_0_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+defmodule KafkaEx.Server0P8P0.Test do
+  use ExUnit.Case
+  import TestHelper
+
+  @moduletag :server_0_p_8_p_0
+
+  alias KafkaEx.Server0P8P0, as: Server
+
+  @topic "test0p8p0"
+
+  setup do
+    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
+    {:ok, worker} = Server.start_link(args, :no_name)
+
+    # we don't want to crash if the worker crashes
+    Process.unlink(worker)
+
+    on_exit fn ->
+      if Process.alive?(worker) do
+        Process.exit(worker, :normal)
+      end
+    end
+
+    {:ok, [worker: worker]}
+  end
+
+  test "can produce and fetch a message", %{worker: worker}do
+    now = :erlang.monotonic_time
+    msg = "test message #{now}"
+    partition = 0
+    :ok = KafkaEx.produce(@topic, partition, msg, worker_name: worker)
+
+    wait_for(fn ->
+      [got] = KafkaEx.fetch(
+        @topic,
+        partition,
+        worker_name: worker,
+        offset: 1,
+        auto_commit: false
+      )
+      [got_partition] = got.partitions
+      Enum.any?(got_partition.message_set, fn(m) -> m.value == msg end)
+    end)
+  end
+
+  test "when the partition is not found", %{worker: worker} do
+    partition = 42
+    assert :topic_not_found == KafkaEx.fetch(
+      @topic,
+      partition,
+      worker_name: worker,
+      offset: 1,
+      auto_commit: false
+    )
+  end
+end