diff --git a/kafka/admin/client.py b/kafka/admin/client.py
index cc126c6d6..4e4e842d5 100644
--- a/kafka/admin/client.py
+++ b/kafka/admin/client.py
@@ -61,13 +61,14 @@ class KafkaAdminClient(object):
             wait before attempting to reconnect to a given host.
             Default: 50.
         reconnect_backoff_max_ms (int): The maximum amount of time in
-            milliseconds to wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
+            milliseconds to backoff/wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
             repeatedly failed to connect. If provided, the backoff per host
             will increase exponentially for each consecutive connection
-            failure, up to this maximum. To avoid connection storms, a
-            randomization factor of 0.2 will be applied to the backoff
-            resulting in a random range between 20% below and 20% above
-            the computed value. Default: 1000.
+            failure, up to this maximum. Once the maximum is reached,
+            reconnection attempts will continue periodically with this fixed
+            rate. To avoid connection storms, a randomization factor of 0.2
+            will be applied to the backoff resulting in a random range between
+            20% below and 20% above the computed value. Default: 1000.
         request_timeout_ms (int): Client request timeout in milliseconds.
             Default: 30000.
         connections_max_idle_ms: Close idle connections after the number of
diff --git a/kafka/client_async.py b/kafka/client_async.py
index 87b3fe0b2..4630b9087 100644
--- a/kafka/client_async.py
+++ b/kafka/client_async.py
@@ -69,13 +69,14 @@ class KafkaClient(object):
             wait before attempting to reconnect to a given host.
             Default: 50.
         reconnect_backoff_max_ms (int): The maximum amount of time in
-            milliseconds to wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
+            milliseconds to backoff/wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
             repeatedly failed to connect. If provided, the backoff per host
             will increase exponentially for each consecutive connection
-            failure, up to this maximum. To avoid connection storms, a
-            randomization factor of 0.2 will be applied to the backoff
-            resulting in a random range between 20% below and 20% above
-            the computed value. Default: 1000.
+            failure, up to this maximum. Once the maximum is reached,
+            reconnection attempts will continue periodically with this fixed
+            rate. To avoid connection storms, a randomization factor of 0.2
+            will be applied to the backoff resulting in a random range between
+            20% below and 20% above the computed value. Default: 1000.
         request_timeout_ms (int): Client request timeout in milliseconds.
             Default: 30000.
         connections_max_idle_ms: Close idle connections after the number of
diff --git a/kafka/conn.py b/kafka/conn.py
index bc01078ac..d4c546442 100644
--- a/kafka/conn.py
+++ b/kafka/conn.py
@@ -111,13 +111,14 @@ class BrokerConnection(object):
             wait before attempting to reconnect to a given host.
             Default: 50.
         reconnect_backoff_max_ms (int): The maximum amount of time in
-            milliseconds to wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
+            milliseconds to backoff/wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
             repeatedly failed to connect. If provided, the backoff per host
             will increase exponentially for each consecutive connection
-            failure, up to this maximum. To avoid connection storms, a
-            randomization factor of 0.2 will be applied to the backoff
-            resulting in a random range between 20% below and 20% above
-            the computed value. Default: 1000.
+            failure, up to this maximum. Once the maximum is reached,
+            reconnection attempts will continue periodically with this fixed
+            rate. To avoid connection storms, a randomization factor of 0.2
+            will be applied to the backoff resulting in a random range between
+            20% below and 20% above the computed value. Default: 1000.
         request_timeout_ms (int): Client request timeout in milliseconds.
             Default: 30000.
         max_in_flight_requests_per_connection (int): Requests are pipelined
diff --git a/kafka/consumer/group.py b/kafka/consumer/group.py
index e9fd44c97..cde956c8d 100644
--- a/kafka/consumer/group.py
+++ b/kafka/consumer/group.py
@@ -91,13 +91,14 @@ class KafkaConsumer(six.Iterator):
             wait before attempting to reconnect to a given host.
             Default: 50.
         reconnect_backoff_max_ms (int): The maximum amount of time in
-            milliseconds to wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
+            milliseconds to backoff/wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
             repeatedly failed to connect. If provided, the backoff per host
             will increase exponentially for each consecutive connection
-            failure, up to this maximum. To avoid connection storms, a
-            randomization factor of 0.2 will be applied to the backoff
-            resulting in a random range between 20% below and 20% above
-            the computed value. Default: 1000.
+            failure, up to this maximum. Once the maximum is reached,
+            reconnection attempts will continue periodically with this fixed
+            rate. To avoid connection storms, a randomization factor of 0.2
+            will be applied to the backoff resulting in a random range between
+            20% below and 20% above the computed value. Default: 1000.
         max_in_flight_requests_per_connection (int): Requests are pipelined
             to kafka brokers up to this number of maximum requests per
             broker connection. Default: 5.
diff --git a/kafka/producer/kafka.py b/kafka/producer/kafka.py
index 67b9e1971..dc383d626 100644
--- a/kafka/producer/kafka.py
+++ b/kafka/producer/kafka.py
@@ -209,13 +209,14 @@ class KafkaProducer(object):
             wait before attempting to reconnect to a given host.
             Default: 50.
         reconnect_backoff_max_ms (int): The maximum amount of time in
-            milliseconds to wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
+            milliseconds to backoff/wait when reconnecting to a broker that has
             repeatedly failed to connect. If provided, the backoff per host
             will increase exponentially for each consecutive connection
-            failure, up to this maximum. To avoid connection storms, a
-            randomization factor of 0.2 will be applied to the backoff
-            resulting in a random range between 20% below and 20% above
-            the computed value. Default: 1000.
+            failure, up to this maximum. Once the maximum is reached,
+            reconnection attempts will continue periodically with this fixed
+            rate. To avoid connection storms, a randomization factor of 0.2
+            will be applied to the backoff resulting in a random range between
+            20% below and 20% above the computed value. Default: 1000.
         max_in_flight_requests_per_connection (int): Requests are pipelined
             to kafka brokers up to this number of maximum requests per
             broker connection. Note that if this setting is set to be greater