diff --git a/admin.go b/admin.go
index 03b5438be..29eeca1c6 100644
--- a/admin.go
+++ b/admin.go
@@ -273,13 +273,19 @@ func (ca *clusterAdmin) CreateTopic(topic string, detail *TopicDetail, validateO
 }
 
 func (ca *clusterAdmin) DescribeTopics(topics []string) (metadata []*TopicMetadata, err error) {
-	controller, err := ca.Controller()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	request := NewMetadataRequest(ca.conf.Version, topics)
-	response, err := controller.GetMetadata(request)
+	var response *MetadataResponse
+	err = ca.retryOnError(isErrNoController, func() error {
+		controller, err := ca.Controller()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		request := NewMetadataRequest(ca.conf.Version, topics)
+		response, err = controller.GetMetadata(request)
+		if isErrNoController(err) {
+			_, _ = ca.refreshController()
+		}
+		return err
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -287,13 +293,20 @@ func (ca *clusterAdmin) DescribeTopics(topics []string) (metadata []*TopicMetada
 }
 
 func (ca *clusterAdmin) DescribeCluster() (brokers []*Broker, controllerID int32, err error) {
-	controller, err := ca.Controller()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, int32(0), err
-	}
+	var response *MetadataResponse
+	err = ca.retryOnError(isErrNoController, func() error {
+		controller, err := ca.Controller()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-	request := NewMetadataRequest(ca.conf.Version, nil)
-	response, err := controller.GetMetadata(request)
+		request := NewMetadataRequest(ca.conf.Version, nil)
+		response, err = controller.GetMetadata(request)
+		if isErrNoController(err) {
+			_, _ = ca.refreshController()
+		}
+		return err
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, int32(0), err
 	}
@@ -543,13 +556,20 @@ func (ca *clusterAdmin) ListPartitionReassignments(topic string, partitions []in
 
 	request.AddBlock(topic, partitions)
 
-	b, err := ca.Controller()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	_ = b.Open(ca.client.Config())
+	var rsp *ListPartitionReassignmentsResponse
+	err = ca.retryOnError(isErrNoController, func() error {
+		b, err := ca.Controller()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		_ = b.Open(ca.client.Config())
 
-	rsp, err := b.ListPartitionReassignments(request)
+		rsp, err = b.ListPartitionReassignments(request)
+		if isErrNoController(err) {
+			_, _ = ca.refreshController()
+		}
+		return err
+	})
 
 	if err == nil && rsp != nil {
 		return rsp.TopicStatus, nil