diff --git a/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler.go b/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler.go
index e1773a7885e..cb57db287c5 100644
--- a/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler.go
+++ b/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler.go
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ type kafkaScaler struct {
 }
 
 type kafkaMetadata struct {
-	bootstrapServers []string
-	group            string
-	topic            string
-	lagThreshold     int64
+	bootstrapServers  []string
+	group             string
+	topic             string
+	lagThreshold      int64
+	offsetResetPolicy offsetResetPolicy
 
 	// auth
 	authMode kafkaAuthMode
@@ -42,6 +43,13 @@ type kafkaMetadata struct {
 	ca   string
 }
 
+type offsetResetPolicy string
+
+const (
+	latest   offsetResetPolicy = "latest"
+	earliest offsetResetPolicy = "earliest"
+)
+
 type kafkaAuthMode string
 
 const (
@@ -57,6 +65,7 @@ const (
 	lagThresholdMetricName   = "lagThreshold"
 	kafkaMetricType          = "External"
 	defaultKafkaLagThreshold = 10
+	defaultOffsetResetPolicy = latest
 )
 
 var kafkaLog = logf.Log.WithName("kafka_scaler")
@@ -100,6 +109,16 @@ func parseKafkaMetadata(resolvedEnv, metadata, authParams map[string]string) (ka
 	}
 	meta.topic = metadata["topic"]
 
+	meta.offsetResetPolicy = defaultOffsetResetPolicy
+
+	if metadata["offsetResetPolicy"] != "" {
+		policy := offsetResetPolicy(metadata["offsetResetPolicy"])
+		if policy != earliest && policy != latest {
+			return meta, fmt.Errorf("err offsetResetPolicy policy %s given", policy)
+		}
+		meta.offsetResetPolicy = policy
+	}
+
 	meta.lagThreshold = defaultKafkaLagThreshold
 
 	if val, ok := metadata[lagThresholdMetricName]; ok {
@@ -295,11 +314,13 @@ func (s *kafkaScaler) getLagForPartition(partition int32, offsets *sarama.Offset
 	}
 
 	var lag int64
-	// For now, assume a consumer group that has no committed
-	// offset will read all messages from the topic. This may be
-	// something we want to allow users to configure.
+
 	if consumerOffset == sarama.OffsetNewest || consumerOffset == sarama.OffsetOldest {
-		lag = latestOffset
+		if s.metadata.offsetResetPolicy == latest {
+			lag = 0
+		} else {
+			lag = latestOffset
+		}
 	} else {
 		lag = latestOffset - consumerOffset
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler_test.go b/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler_test.go
index 41365920064..e5680a8d67c 100644
--- a/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/scalers/kafka_scaler_test.go
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 type parseKafkaMetadataTestData struct {
-	metadata   map[string]string
-	isError    bool
-	numBrokers int
-	brokers    []string
-	group      string
-	topic      string
+	metadata          map[string]string
+	isError           bool
+	numBrokers        int
+	brokers           []string
+	group             string
+	topic             string
+	offsetResetPolicy offsetResetPolicy
 }
 
 // A complete valid metadata example for reference
@@ -33,16 +34,21 @@ var validWithoutAuthParams = map[string]string{}
 
 var parseKafkaMetadataTestDataset = []parseKafkaMetadataTestData{
 	// failure, no bootstrapServers
-	{map[string]string{}, true, 0, nil, "", ""},
-
+	{map[string]string{}, true, 0, nil, "", "", ""},
 	// failure, no consumer group
-	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foobar:9092"}, true, 1, []string{"foobar:9092"}, "", ""},
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foobar:9092"}, true, 1, []string{"foobar:9092"}, "", "", "latest"},
 	// failure, no topic
-	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foobar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group"}, true, 1, []string{"foobar:9092"}, "my-group", ""},
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foobar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group"}, true, 1, []string{"foobar:9092"}, "my-group", "", offsetResetPolicy("latest")},
 	// success
-	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foobar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic"}, false, 1, []string{"foobar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic"},
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foobar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic"}, false, 1, []string{"foobar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic", offsetResetPolicy("latest")},
 	// success, more brokers
-	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foo:9092,bar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic"}, false, 2, []string{"foo:9092", "bar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic"},
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foo:9092,bar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic"}, false, 2, []string{"foo:9092", "bar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic", offsetResetPolicy("latest")},
+	// success, offsetResetPolicy policy latest
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foo:9092,bar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic", "offsetResetPolicy": "latest"}, false, 2, []string{"foo:9092", "bar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic", offsetResetPolicy("latest")},
+	// failure, offsetResetPolicy policy wrong
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foo:9092,bar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic", "offsetResetPolicy": "foo"}, true, 2, []string{"foo:9092", "bar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic", ""},
+	// success, offsetResetPolicy policy earliest
+	{map[string]string{"bootstrapServers": "foo:9092,bar:9092", "consumerGroup": "my-group", "topic": "my-topic", "offsetResetPolicy": "earliest"}, false, 2, []string{"foo:9092", "bar:9092"}, "my-group", "my-topic", offsetResetPolicy("earliest")},
 }
 
 func TestGetBrokers(t *testing.T) {
@@ -67,6 +73,9 @@ func TestGetBrokers(t *testing.T) {
 		if meta.topic != testData.topic {
 			t.Errorf("Expected topic %s but got %s\n", testData.topic, meta.topic)
 		}
+		if err == nil && meta.offsetResetPolicy != testData.offsetResetPolicy {
+			t.Errorf("Expected offsetResetPolicy %s but got %s\n", testData.offsetResetPolicy, meta.offsetResetPolicy)
+		}
 
 		meta, err = parseKafkaMetadata(nil, testData.metadata, validWithoutAuthParams)
 
@@ -88,5 +97,8 @@ func TestGetBrokers(t *testing.T) {
 		if meta.topic != testData.topic {
 			t.Errorf("Expected topic %s but got %s\n", testData.topic, meta.topic)
 		}
+		if err == nil && meta.offsetResetPolicy != testData.offsetResetPolicy {
+			t.Errorf("Expected offsetResetPolicy %s but got %s\n", testData.offsetResetPolicy, meta.offsetResetPolicy)
+		}
 	}
 }