diff --git a/admin.go b/admin.go
index a88fe6b06..1d58bc68f 100644
--- a/admin.go
+++ b/admin.go
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"maps"
 	"math/rand"
+	"net"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -211,16 +213,23 @@ func (ca *clusterAdmin) refreshController() (*Broker, error) {
 }
 
 // isRetriableControllerError returns `true` if the given error type unwraps to
-// an `ErrNotController` or `EOF` response from Kafka
+// an `ErrNotController`, `EOF` response from Kafka, or a network-level error.
 func isRetriableControllerError(err error) bool {
-	return errors.Is(err, ErrNotController) || errors.Is(err, io.EOF)
+	return errors.Is(err, ErrNotController) || errors.Is(err, io.EOF) || isNetworkError(err)
 }
 
 // isRetriableGroupCoordinatorError returns `true` if the given error type
 // unwraps to an `ErrNotCoordinatorForConsumer`,
-// `ErrConsumerCoordinatorNotAvailable` or `EOF` response from Kafka
+// `ErrConsumerCoordinatorNotAvailable`, `EOF` response from Kafka, or a network-level error
 func isRetriableGroupCoordinatorError(err error) bool {
-	return errors.Is(err, ErrNotCoordinatorForConsumer) || errors.Is(err, ErrConsumerCoordinatorNotAvailable) || errors.Is(err, io.EOF)
+	return errors.Is(err, ErrNotCoordinatorForConsumer) || errors.Is(err, ErrConsumerCoordinatorNotAvailable) || errors.Is(err, io.EOF) || isNetworkError(err)
+}
+
+// isNetworkError categorizes transient network failures that should trigger
+// a reconnect/retry path (e.g. broken pipe, connection reset/timeout).
+func isNetworkError(err error) bool {
+	var ne net.Error
+	return errors.Is(err, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF) || errors.Is(err, syscall.EPIPE) || errors.As(err, &ne)
 }
 
 // retryOnError will repeatedly call the given (error-returning) func in the
@@ -234,6 +243,13 @@ func (ca *clusterAdmin) retryOnError(retryable func(error) bool, fn func() error
 		if err == nil || attemptsRemaining <= 0 || !retryable(err) {
 			return err
 		}
+		if isNetworkError(err) {
+			// Close the cached controller connection so the next attempt will reopen it.
+			// Ref: https://github.com/IBM/sarama/issues/1162 — admin calls can get stuck on a broken controller connection.
+			if ctrl, e := ca.client.Controller(); e == nil {
+				_ = ctrl.Close()
+			}
+		}
 		Logger.Printf(
 			"admin/request retrying after %dms... (%d attempts remaining)\n",
 			ca.conf.Admin.Retry.Backoff/time.Millisecond, attemptsRemaining)