diff --git a/async_producer.go b/async_producer.go
index d0ce01b66..303ab45d4 100644
--- a/async_producer.go
+++ b/async_producer.go
@@ -535,6 +535,7 @@ func (pp *partitionProducer) dispatch() {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	leaderRetries := 0
 	for msg := range pp.input {
 		if pp.brokerProducer != nil && pp.brokerProducer.abandoned != nil {
 			select {
@@ -579,10 +580,14 @@ func (pp *partitionProducer) dispatch() {
 
 		if pp.brokerProducer == nil {
 			if err := pp.updateLeader(); err != nil {
+				// Report the error on this message and wait for the backoff, then move on to the next one.
 				pp.parent.returnError(msg, err)
-				pp.backoff(msg.retries)
+				pp.backoff(leaderRetries)
+				leaderRetries++
 				continue
 			}
+			// On success, reset the retry count to 0.
+			leaderRetries = 0
 			Logger.Printf("producer/leader/%s/%d selected broker %d\n", pp.topic, pp.partition, pp.leader.ID())
 		}