diff --git a/pkg/kgo/client.go b/pkg/kgo/client.go
index 07bb9adc..3f9fe29d 100644
--- a/pkg/kgo/client.go
+++ b/pkg/kgo/client.go
@@ -1505,6 +1505,31 @@ func (cl *Client) loadCoordinator(ctx context.Context, typ int8, key string) (*b
 }
 
 func (cl *Client) loadCoordinators(ctx context.Context, typ int8, keys ...string) map[string]brokerOrErr {
+	mch := make(chan map[string]brokerOrErr, 1)
+	go func() { mch <- cl.doLoadCoordinators(ctx, typ, keys...) }()
+	select {
+	case m := <-mch:
+		return m
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		m := make(map[string]brokerOrErr, len(keys))
+		for _, k := range keys {
+			m[k] = brokerOrErr{nil, ctx.Err()}
+		}
+		return m
+	}
+}
+
+// doLoadCoordinators uses the caller context to cancel loading metadata
+// (brokerOrErr), but we use the client context to actually issue the request.
+// There should be only one direct call to doLoadCoordinators, just above in
+// loadCoordinator. It is possible for two requests to be loading the same
+// coordinator (in fact, that's the point of this function -- collapse these
+// requests). We do not want the first request canceling it's context to cause
+// errors for the second request.
+//
+// It is ok to leave FindCoordinator running even if the caller quits. Worst
+// case, we just cache things for some time in the future; yay.
+func (cl *Client) doLoadCoordinators(ctx context.Context, typ int8, keys ...string) map[string]brokerOrErr {
 	m := make(map[string]brokerOrErr, len(keys))
 	if len(keys) == 0 {
 		return m
@@ -1575,7 +1600,12 @@ func (cl *Client) loadCoordinators(ctx context.Context, typ int8, keys ...string
 			}
 		}
 
-		shards := cl.RequestSharded(ctx, req)
+		cl.cfg.logger.Log(LogLevelDebug, "prepared to issue find coordinator request",
+			"coordinator_type", typ,
+			"coordinator_keys", req.CoordinatorKeys,
+		)
+
+		shards := cl.RequestSharded(cl.ctx, req)
 
 		for _, shard := range shards {
 			if shard.Err != nil {
@@ -1674,10 +1704,17 @@ func (cl *Client) maybeDeleteStaleCoordinator(name string, typ int8, err error)
 func (cl *Client) deleteStaleCoordinator(name string, typ int8) {
 	cl.coordinatorsMu.Lock()
 	defer cl.coordinatorsMu.Unlock()
-	delete(cl.coordinators, coordinatorKey{
-		name: name,
-		typ:  typ,
-	})
+	k := coordinatorKey{name, typ}
+	v := cl.coordinators[k]
+	if v == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-v.loadWait:
+		delete(cl.coordinators, k)
+	default:
+		// We are actively reloading this coordinator.
+	}
 }
 
 type brokerOrErr struct {