diff --git a/admin.go b/admin.go
index fdb111dcd..08352b734 100644
--- a/admin.go
+++ b/admin.go
@@ -985,7 +985,8 @@ func (ca *clusterAdmin) DescribeConsumerGroups(groups []string) (result []*Group
 
 		if ca.conf.Version.IsAtLeast(V2_4_0_0) {
 			// Starting in version 4, the response will include group.instance.id info for members.
-			describeReq.Version = 4
+			// Starting in version 5, the response uses flexible encoding
+			describeReq.Version = 5
 		} else if ca.conf.Version.IsAtLeast(V2_3_0_0) {
 			// Starting in version 3, authorized operations can be requested.
 			describeReq.Version = 3
diff --git a/describe_groups_request.go b/describe_groups_request.go
index 425f59c88..b2fb07e49 100644
--- a/describe_groups_request.go
+++ b/describe_groups_request.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) encode(pe packetEncoder) error {
 	if r.Version >= 3 {
 		pe.putBool(r.IncludeAuthorizedOperations)
 	}
+	pe.putEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) decode(pd packetDecoder, version int16) (err err
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	_, err = pd.getEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
+	return err
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) key() int16 {
@@ -43,15 +45,28 @@ func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) version() int16 {
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) headerVersion() int16 {
+	if r.Version >= 5 {
+		return 2
+	}
 	return 1
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) isValidVersion() bool {
-	return r.Version >= 0 && r.Version <= 4
+	return r.Version >= 0 && r.Version <= 5
+}
+
+func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) isFlexible() bool {
+	return r.isFlexibleVersion(r.Version)
+}
+
+func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) isFlexibleVersion(version int16) bool {
+	return version >= 5
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsRequest) requiredVersion() KafkaVersion {
 	switch r.Version {
+	case 5:
+		return V2_4_0_0
 	case 4:
 		return V2_4_0_0
 	case 3:
diff --git a/describe_groups_request_test.go b/describe_groups_request_test.go
index ff15637c3..8ffc0907b 100644
--- a/describe_groups_request_test.go
+++ b/describe_groups_request_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ var (
 	doubleDescribeGroupsRequestV0 = []byte{
 		0, 0, 0, 2, // 2 groups
 		0, 3, 'f', 'o', 'o', // group name: foo
-		0, 3, 'b', 'a', 'r', // group name: foo
+		0, 3, 'b', 'a', 'r', // group name: bar
 	}
 )
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ var (
 	doubleDescribeGroupsRequestV3 = []byte{
 		0, 0, 0, 2, // 2 groups
 		0, 3, 'f', 'o', 'o', // group name: foo
-		0, 3, 'b', 'a', 'r', // group name: foo
+		0, 3, 'b', 'a', 'r', // group name: bar
 		1,
 	}
 )
@@ -71,3 +71,43 @@ func TestDescribeGroupsRequestV3(t *testing.T) {
 	request.IncludeAuthorizedOperations = true
 	testRequest(t, "two groups", request, doubleDescribeGroupsRequestV3)
 }
+
+var (
+	emptyDescribeGroupsRequestV5 = []byte{
+		1, // 1+0 no groups
+		0, // do not include authorized operations
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+	}
+
+	singleDescribeGroupsRequestV5 = []byte{
+		2,                // 1+1 group
+		4, 'f', 'o', 'o', // group name: foo
+		0, // do not include authorized operations
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+	}
+
+	doubleDescribeGroupsRequestV5 = []byte{
+		3,                // 1+2 groups
+		4, 'f', 'o', 'o', // group name: foo
+		4, 'b', 'a', 'r', // group name: bar
+		1, // do include authorized operations
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+	}
+)
+
+func TestDescribeGroupsRequestV5(t *testing.T) {
+	var request *DescribeGroupsRequest
+
+	request = &DescribeGroupsRequest{Version: 5}
+	testRequest(t, "no groups", request, emptyDescribeGroupsRequestV5)
+
+	request = &DescribeGroupsRequest{Version: 5}
+	request.AddGroup("foo")
+	testRequest(t, "one group", request, singleDescribeGroupsRequestV5)
+
+	request = &DescribeGroupsRequest{Version: 5}
+	request.AddGroup("foo")
+	request.AddGroup("bar")
+	request.IncludeAuthorizedOperations = true
+	testRequest(t, "two groups", request, doubleDescribeGroupsRequestV5)
+}
diff --git a/describe_groups_response.go b/describe_groups_response.go
index a599665f8..dcc274dc5 100644
--- a/describe_groups_response.go
+++ b/describe_groups_response.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) encode(pe packetEncoder) (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	pe.putEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) decode(pd packetDecoder, version int16) (err er
 		}
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	_, err = pd.getEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
+	return err
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) key() int16 {
@@ -66,15 +68,28 @@ func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) version() int16 {
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) headerVersion() int16 {
+	if r.Version >= 5 {
+		return 1
+	}
 	return 0
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) isValidVersion() bool {
-	return r.Version >= 0 && r.Version <= 4
+	return r.Version >= 0 && r.Version <= 5
+}
+
+func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) isFlexible() bool {
+	return r.isFlexibleVersion(r.Version)
+}
+
+func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) isFlexibleVersion(version int16) bool {
+	return version >= 5
 }
 
 func (r *DescribeGroupsResponse) requiredVersion() KafkaVersion {
 	switch r.Version {
+	case 5:
+		return V2_4_0_0
 	case 4:
 		return V2_4_0_0
 	case 3:
@@ -148,6 +163,7 @@ func (gd *GroupDescription) encode(pe packetEncoder, version int16) (err error)
 		pe.putInt32(gd.AuthorizedOperations)
 	}
 
+	pe.putEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -191,7 +207,8 @@ func (gd *GroupDescription) decode(pd packetDecoder, version int16) (err error)
 		}
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	_, err = pd.getEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
+	return err
 }
 
 // GroupMemberDescription contains the group members.
@@ -239,6 +256,7 @@ func (gmd *GroupMemberDescription) encode(pe packetEncoder, version int16) (err
 		return err
 	}
 
+	pe.putEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -265,7 +283,8 @@ func (gmd *GroupMemberDescription) decode(pd packetDecoder, version int16) (err
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	_, err = pd.getEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
+	return err
 }
 
 func (gmd *GroupMemberDescription) GetMemberAssignment() (*ConsumerGroupMemberAssignment, error) {
diff --git a/describe_groups_response_test.go b/describe_groups_response_test.go
index 7370c8145..66abb6782 100644
--- a/describe_groups_response_test.go
+++ b/describe_groups_response_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package sarama
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -160,6 +161,44 @@ var (
 		0, 0, 0, 0, // authorizedOperations 0
 
 	}
+
+	describeGroupsResponseEmptyV5 = []byte{
+		0, 0, 0, 0, // throttle time 0
+		1, // no groups
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+	}
+
+	describeGroupsResponsePopulatedV5 = []byte{
+		0, 0, 0, 0, // throttle time 0
+		3, // 1+2 groups
+
+		0, 0, // no error
+		4, 'f', 'o', 'o', // Group ID
+		4, 'b', 'a', 'r', // State
+		9, 'c', 'o', 'n', 's', 'u', 'm', 'e', 'r', // ConsumerProtocol type
+		4, 'b', 'a', 'z', // Protocol name
+		2,           // 1 member
+		3, 'i', 'd', // Member ID
+		4, 'g', 'i', 'd', // Group Instance ID
+		7, 's', 'a', 'r', 'a', 'm', 'a', // Client ID
+		10, 'l', 'o', 'c', 'a', 'l', 'h', 'o', 's', 't', // Client Host
+		4, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, // MemberMetadata
+		4, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06, // MemberAssignment
+		0,          // empty tagged fields
+		0, 0, 0, 0, // authorizedOperations 0
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+
+		0, 30, // ErrGroupAuthorizationFailed
+		1,          // empty Group ID
+		1,          // empty State
+		1,          // empty Type
+		1,          // empty Data
+		1,          // no members
+		0, 0, 0, 0, // authorizedOperations 0
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+		0, // empty tagged fields
+
+	}
 )
 
 func TestDescribeGroupsResponseV1plus(t *testing.T) {
@@ -255,10 +294,54 @@ func TestDescribeGroupsResponseV1plus(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+
+		{
+			"empty",
+			5,
+			describeGroupsResponseEmptyV5,
+			&DescribeGroupsResponse{
+				Version: 5,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			"populated",
+			5,
+			describeGroupsResponsePopulatedV5,
+			&DescribeGroupsResponse{
+				Version:        5,
+				ThrottleTimeMs: int32(0),
+				Groups: []*GroupDescription{
+					{
+						Version:      5,
+						Err:          KError(0),
+						GroupId:      "foo",
+						State:        "bar",
+						ProtocolType: "consumer",
+						Protocol:     "baz",
+						Members: map[string]*GroupMemberDescription{
+							"id": {
+								Version:          5,
+								MemberId:         "id",
+								GroupInstanceId:  &groupInstanceId,
+								ClientId:         "sarama",
+								ClientHost:       "localhost",
+								MemberMetadata:   []byte{1, 2, 3},
+								MemberAssignment: []byte{4, 5, 6},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Version:   5,
+						Err:       KError(30),
+						ErrorCode: 30,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range tests {
-		t.Run(c.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%s-v%d", c.Name, c.Version), func(t *testing.T) {
 			response := new(DescribeGroupsResponse)
 			testVersionDecodable(t, c.Name, response, c.MessageBytes, c.Version)
 			if !assert.Equal(t, c.Message, response) {
diff --git a/request_test.go b/request_test.go
index 19c3819af..31246c9a0 100644
--- a/request_test.go
+++ b/request_test.go
@@ -352,8 +352,7 @@ func TestAllocateBodyProtocolVersions(t *testing.T) {
 				// apiKeyLeaveGroup:                  4, // up from 2
 				// TODO: SyncGroupRequest v4 is not supported, but expected for KafkaVersion 2.4.0
 				// apiKeySyncGroup:                   4, // up from 3
-				// TODO: DescribeGroupsRequest v5 is not supported, but expected for KafkaVersion 2.4.0
-				// apiKeyDescribeGroups:              5, // up from 3
+				apiKeyDescribeGroups:              5, // up from 3
 				apiKeyListGroups:                  3, // up from 2
 				apiKeyApiVersions:                 3, // up from 2
 				apiKeyCreateTopics:                5, // up from 3