diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index d20d356c0..dd861dca6 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 type client struct {
-	conf   *Config
-	closer chan none
+	conf           *Config
+	closer, closed chan none // for shutting down background metadata updater
 
 	// the broker addresses given to us through the constructor are not guaranteed to be returned in
 	// the cluster metadata (I *think* it only returns brokers who are currently leading partitions?)
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ func NewClient(addrs []string, conf *Config) (Client, error) {
 	client := &client{
 		conf:                    conf,
 		closer:                  make(chan none),
+		closed:                  make(chan none),
 		brokers:                 make(map[int32]*Broker),
 		metadata:                make(map[string]map[int32]*PartitionMetadata),
 		cachedPartitionsResults: make(map[string][maxPartitionIndex][]int32),
@@ -151,6 +152,10 @@ func (client *client) Close() error {
 		return ErrClosedClient
 	}
 
+	// shutdown and wait for the background thread before we take the lock, to avoid races
+	close(client.closer)
+	<-client.closed
+
 	client.lock.Lock()
 	defer client.lock.Unlock()
 	Logger.Println("Closing Client")
@@ -166,8 +171,6 @@ func (client *client) Close() error {
 	client.brokers = nil
 	client.metadata = nil
 
-	close(client.closer)
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -530,11 +533,15 @@ func (client *client) getOffset(topic string, partitionID int32, time int64) (in
 // core metadata update logic
 
 func (client *client) backgroundMetadataUpdater() {
+	defer close(client.closed)
+
 	if client.conf.Metadata.RefreshFrequency == time.Duration(0) {
 		return
 	}
 
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(client.conf.Metadata.RefreshFrequency)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ticker.C:
@@ -542,7 +549,6 @@ func (client *client) backgroundMetadataUpdater() {
 				Logger.Println("Client background metadata update:", err)
 			}
 		case <-client.closer:
-			ticker.Stop()
 			return
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/client_test.go b/client_test.go
index a5e182123..d1d24af64 100644
--- a/client_test.go
+++ b/client_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func safeClose(t *testing.T, c io.Closer) {
@@ -554,3 +555,45 @@ func TestClientCoordinatorWithoutConsumerOffsetsTopic(t *testing.T) {
 	seedBroker.Close()
 	safeClose(t, client)
 }
+
+func TestClientAutorefreshShutdownRace(t *testing.T) {
+	seedBroker := newMockBroker(t, 1)
+
+	metadataResponse := new(MetadataResponse)
+	seedBroker.Returns(metadataResponse)
+
+	conf := NewConfig()
+	conf.Metadata.RefreshFrequency = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	client, err := NewClient([]string{seedBroker.Addr()}, conf)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Wait for the background refresh to kick in
+	time.Sleep(110 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	done := make(chan none)
+	go func() {
+		// Close the client
+		if err := client.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		close(done)
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for the Close to kick in
+	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Then return some metadata to the still-running background thread
+	leader := newMockBroker(t, 2)
+	metadataResponse.AddBroker(leader.Addr(), leader.BrokerID())
+	metadataResponse.AddTopicPartition("foo", 0, leader.BrokerID(), []int32{2}, []int32{2}, ErrNoError)
+	seedBroker.Returns(metadataResponse)
+
+	<-done
+
+	seedBroker.Close()
+
+	// give the update time to happen so we get a panic if it's still running (which it shouldn't)
+	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+}