diff --git a/kafka/consumer/group.py b/kafka/consumer/group.py
index 27be4588d..e58b8518b 100644
--- a/kafka/consumer/group.py
+++ b/kafka/consumer/group.py
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@ class KafkaConsumer(six.Iterator):
             metrics. Default: 2
         metrics_sample_window_ms (int): The maximum age in milliseconds of
             samples used to compute metrics. Default: 30000
+        coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms (int): The timeout used to detect
+            that the Kafka coordinator is not available. If 'None', the default
+            behavior of polling indefinitely would be kept. Default: None
         selector (selectors.BaseSelector): Provide a specific selector
             implementation to use for I/O multiplexing.
             Default: selectors.DefaultSelector
@@ -316,6 +319,7 @@ class KafkaConsumer(six.Iterator):
         'metrics_num_samples': 2,
         'metrics_sample_window_ms': 30000,
         'metric_group_prefix': 'consumer',
+        'coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms': None,
         'selector': selectors.DefaultSelector,
         'exclude_internal_topics': True,
         'sasl_mechanism': None,
diff --git a/kafka/coordinator/base.py b/kafka/coordinator/base.py
index a30b5a9b8..5ea12cfa0 100644
--- a/kafka/coordinator/base.py
+++ b/kafka/coordinator/base.py
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ class BaseCoordinator(object):
         'group_id': 'kafka-python-default-group',
         'session_timeout_ms': 10000,
         'heartbeat_interval_ms': 3000,
+        'coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms': None,
         'max_poll_interval_ms': 300000,
         'retry_backoff_ms': 100,
         'api_version': (0, 10, 1),
@@ -103,6 +104,10 @@ def __init__(self, client, metrics, **configs):
                 should be set no higher than 1/3 of that value. It can be
                 adjusted even lower to control the expected time for normal
                 rebalances. Default: 3000
+            coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms (int): The timeout used to
+                detect that the Kafka coordinator is not available. If 'None',
+                the default behavior of polling indefinitely would be kept.
+                Default: None
             retry_backoff_ms (int): Milliseconds to backoff when retrying on
                 errors. Default: 100.
         """
@@ -234,10 +239,12 @@ def coordinator(self):
         else:
             return self.coordinator_id
 
-    def ensure_coordinator_ready(self):
+    def ensure_coordinator_ready(self, timeout_ms=None):
         """Block until the coordinator for this group is known
         (and we have an active connection -- java client uses unsent queue).
         """
+        retry_timeout_ms = timeout_ms or self.config['coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms']
+        retry_start_time_in_secs = time.time()
         with self._client._lock, self._lock:
             while self.coordinator_unknown():
 
@@ -255,7 +262,15 @@ def ensure_coordinator_ready(self):
 
                 if future.failed():
                     if future.retriable():
-                        if getattr(future.exception, 'invalid_metadata', False):
+                        if retry_timeout_ms is not None and isinstance(
+                                future.exception, (Errors.NodeNotReadyError, Errors.NoBrokersAvailable)):
+                            remaining_retry_timeout_ms = retry_timeout_ms - (
+                                time.time() - retry_start_time_in_secs) * 1000
+                            if remaining_retry_timeout_ms <= 0:
+                                raise future.exception  # pylint: disable-msg=raising-bad-type
+                            self._client.poll(timeout_ms=min(
+                                self.config['retry_backoff_ms'], remaining_retry_timeout_ms))
+                        elif getattr(future.exception, 'invalid_metadata', False):
                             log.debug('Requesting metadata for group coordinator request: %s', future.exception)
                             metadata_update = self._client.cluster.request_update()
                             self._client.poll(future=metadata_update)
diff --git a/kafka/coordinator/consumer.py b/kafka/coordinator/consumer.py
index 9c662ce7f..c1e5d828a 100644
--- a/kafka/coordinator/consumer.py
+++ b/kafka/coordinator/consumer.py
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ class ConsumerCoordinator(BaseCoordinator):
         'retry_backoff_ms': 100,
         'api_version': (0, 10, 1),
         'exclude_internal_topics': True,
-        'metric_group_prefix': 'consumer'
+        'metric_group_prefix': 'consumer',
+        'coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms': None
     }
 
     def __init__(self, client, subscription, metrics, **configs):
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ def __init__(self, client, subscription, metrics, **configs):
                 (such as offsets) should be exposed to the consumer. If set to
                 True the only way to receive records from an internal topic is
                 subscribing to it. Requires 0.10+. Default: True
+            coordinator_not_ready_retry_timeout_ms (int): The timeout used to
+                detect that the Kafka coordinator is not available. If 'None',
+                the default behavior of polling indefinitely would be kept.
+                Default: None.
         """
         super(ConsumerCoordinator, self).__init__(client, metrics, **configs)