diff --git a/pkg/kgo/consumer_group.go b/pkg/kgo/consumer_group.go
index 74b2f8e6..00aeb2da 100644
--- a/pkg/kgo/consumer_group.go
+++ b/pkg/kgo/consumer_group.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -260,8 +261,6 @@ type groupConsumer struct {
 	lastAssigned map[string][]int32 // only updated in join&sync loop
 	nowAssigned  map[string][]int32 // only updated in join&sync loop
 
-	groupExtraTopics map[string]struct{} // TODO TODO TODO
-
 	// leader is whether we are the leader right now. This is set to false
 	//
 	//  - set to false at the beginning of a join group session
@@ -1135,7 +1134,6 @@ func (g *groupConsumer) handleJoinResp(resp *kmsg.JoinGroupResponse) (restart bo
 		)
 
 		plan, err = g.balanceGroup(protocol, resp.Members)
-		g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelDebug, "balanced", "plan", plan)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
@@ -1162,7 +1160,14 @@ func (g *groupConsumer) handleSyncResp(resp *kmsg.SyncGroupResponse, plan balanc
 		return err
 	}
 
-	g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelDebug, "synced", "assigned", kassignment.Topics)
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	for i, topic := range kassignment.Topics {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "%s%v", topic.Topic, topic.Partitions)
+		if i < len(kassignment.Topics)-1 {
+			sb.WriteString(", ")
+		}
+	}
+	g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelInfo, "synced", "assigned", sb.String())
 
 	// Past this point, we will fall into the setupAssigned prerevoke code,
 	// meaning for cooperative, we will revoke what we need to.
diff --git a/pkg/kgo/group_balancer.go b/pkg/kgo/group_balancer.go
index e6965090..5384ad47 100644
--- a/pkg/kgo/group_balancer.go
+++ b/pkg/kgo/group_balancer.go
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package kgo
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kerr"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo/internal/sticky"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg"
 )
@@ -42,12 +44,33 @@ type groupMember struct {
 	owned []kmsg.GroupMemberMetadataOwnedPartition
 }
 
+func (m *groupMember) balanceInterests() string {
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	sb.WriteString("interested topics: ")
+	fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "%v", m.topics)
+	sb.WriteString(", previously owned: ")
+	for i, owned := range m.owned {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "%s%v", owned.Topic, owned.Partitions)
+		if i < len(m.owned) {
+			sb.WriteString(", ")
+		}
+	}
+	return sb.String()
+}
+
 type groupMemberID struct {
 	memberID    string
 	instanceID  string
 	hasInstance bool
 }
 
+func (id *groupMemberID) String() string {
+	if id.hasInstance {
+		return id.memberID + "(" + id.instanceID + ")"
+	}
+	return id.memberID
+}
+
 func (me groupMemberID) less(other groupMemberID) bool {
 	if me.hasInstance && other.hasInstance {
 		return me.instanceID < other.instanceID
@@ -65,6 +88,33 @@ func (me groupMemberID) less(other groupMemberID) bool {
 // member id => topic => partitions
 type balancePlan map[groupMemberID]map[string][]int32
 
+func (p balancePlan) String() string {
+	var sb strings.Builder
+
+	var membersWritten int
+	for member, topics := range p {
+		membersWritten++
+		sb.WriteString(member.String())
+		sb.WriteString("{")
+
+		var topicsWritten int
+		for topic, partitions := range topics {
+			fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "%s%v", topic, partitions)
+			topicsWritten++
+			if topicsWritten < len(topics) {
+				sb.WriteString(", ")
+			}
+		}
+
+		sb.WriteString("}")
+		if membersWritten < len(p) {
+			sb.WriteString(", ")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return sb.String()
+}
+
 func newBalancePlan(members []groupMember) balancePlan {
 	plan := make(map[groupMemberID]map[string][]int32, len(members))
 	for i := range members {
@@ -113,15 +163,52 @@ func (g *groupConsumer) balanceGroup(proto string, kmembers []kmsg.JoinGroupResp
 	sort.Slice(members, func(i, j int) bool {
 		return members[i].id.less(members[j].id) // guarantee sorted members
 	})
+
+	myTopics := g.cl.loadTopics()
+	allTopics := make(map[string]struct{})
+	var needMeta bool
+
+	g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelInfo, "balancing group as leader")
 	for i := range members {
-		sort.Strings(members[i].topics) // guarantee sorted topics
 		m := &members[i]
-		g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelDebug, "member interests", "id", m.id, "topics", m.topics, "previously_owned", m.owned)
+		sort.Strings(m.topics) // guarantee sorted topics
+		g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelInfo, "balance group member", "id", m.id.String(), "interests", m.balanceInterests())
+
+		for _, topic := range m.topics {
+			allTopics[topic] = struct{}{}
+			if _, exists := myTopics[topic]; !exists {
+				needMeta = true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	shortTopics := g.cl.loadShortTopics()
+	if needMeta {
+		g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelInfo, "group members indicated interest in topics the leader is not assigned, fetching metadata for all group topics")
+		var metaTopics []string
+		for topic := range allTopics {
+			metaTopics = append(metaTopics, topic)
+		}
+
+		_, resp, err := g.cl.fetchMetadataForTopics(g.ctx, false, metaTopics)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to fetch metadata for group topics: %v", err)
+		}
+		for i := range resp.Topics {
+			t := &resp.Topics[i]
+			if t.ErrorCode != 0 {
+				g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelWarn, "metadata resp in balance for topic has error, skipping...", "topic", t.Topic, "err", kerr.ErrorForCode(t.ErrorCode))
+				continue
+			}
+			shortTopics[t.Topic] = int32(len(t.Partitions))
+		}
 	}
 
 	for _, balancer := range g.balancers {
 		if balancer.protocolName() == proto {
-			return balancer.balance(members, g.cl.loadShortTopics()), nil
+			plan := balancer.balance(members, shortTopics)
+			g.cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelInfo, "balanced", "plan", plan.String())
+			return plan, nil
 		}
 	}
 	return nil, ErrInvalidResp