diff --git a/pkg/kgo/client.go b/pkg/kgo/client.go
index 486708c6..34c648bf 100644
--- a/pkg/kgo/client.go
+++ b/pkg/kgo/client.go
@@ -1645,6 +1645,13 @@ func missingOrCodeP(t string, p int32, exists bool, code int16) error {
 	return kerr.ErrorForCode(code)
 }
 
+func noLeader(t string, p int32, l int32) error {
+	if l < 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("topic %s partition %d has no leader according to the metadata lookup", t, p, l)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // This is a helper for the sharded requests below; if mapping metadata fails
 // to load topics or partitions, we group the failures by error.
 //
@@ -1760,6 +1767,10 @@ func (cl *listOffsetsSharder) shard(ctx context.Context, kreq kmsg.Request) ([]i
 				unknowns.err(err, t, partition)
 				continue
 			}
+			if err := noLeader(t, p.Partition, p.Leader); err != nil {
+				unknowns.err(err, t, partition)
+				continue
+			}
 
 			brokerReq := brokerReqs[p.Leader]
 			if brokerReq == nil {
@@ -2178,6 +2189,10 @@ func (cl *deleteRecordsSharder) shard(ctx context.Context, kreq kmsg.Request) ([
 				unknowns.err(err, t, partition)
 				continue
 			}
+			if err := noLeader(t, p.Partition, p.Leader); err != nil {
+				unknowns.err(err, t, partition)
+				continue
+			}
 
 			brokerReq := brokerReqs[p.Leader]
 			if brokerReq == nil {
@@ -2272,6 +2287,10 @@ func (cl *offsetForLeaderEpochSharder) shard(ctx context.Context, kreq kmsg.Requ
 				unknowns.err(err, t, partition)
 				continue
 			}
+			if err := noLeader(t, p.Partition, p.Leader); err != nil {
+				unknowns.err(err, t, partition)
+				continue
+			}
 
 			brokerReq := brokerReqs[p.Leader]
 			if brokerReq == nil {