diff --git a/kafka/client_async.py b/kafka/client_async.py
index 96959d9ae..9e57efd5e 100644
--- a/kafka/client_async.py
+++ b/kafka/client_async.py
@@ -399,13 +399,23 @@ def _should_recycle_connection(self, conn):
         return False
 
     def _maybe_connect(self, node_id):
-        """Idempotent non-blocking connection attempt to the given node id."""
+        """Idempotent non-blocking connection attempt to the given node id.
+
+        Returns True if connection object exists and is connected / connecting
+        """
         with self._lock:
             conn = self._conns.get(node_id)
 
+            # Check if existing connection should be recreated because host/port changed
+            if conn is not None and self._should_recycle_connection(conn):
+                self._conns.pop(node_id).close()
+                conn = None
+
             if conn is None:
                 broker = self.cluster.broker_metadata(node_id)
-                assert broker, 'Broker id %s not in current metadata' % (node_id,)
+                if broker is None:
+                    log.debug('Broker id %s not in current metadata', node_id)
+                    return False
 
                 log.debug("Initiating connection to node %s at %s:%s",
                           node_id, broker.host, broker.port)
@@ -417,16 +427,11 @@ def _maybe_connect(self, node_id):
                                         **self.config)
                 self._conns[node_id] = conn
 
-            # Check if existing connection should be recreated because host/port changed
-            elif self._should_recycle_connection(conn):
-                self._conns.pop(node_id)
-                return False
-
             elif conn.connected():
                 return True
 
             conn.connect()
-            return conn.connected()
+            return not conn.disconnected()
 
     def ready(self, node_id, metadata_priority=True):
         """Check whether a node is connected and ok to send more requests.
@@ -621,7 +626,10 @@ def poll(self, timeout_ms=None, future=None):
 
                 # Attempt to complete pending connections
                 for node_id in list(self._connecting):
-                    self._maybe_connect(node_id)
+                    # False return means no more connection progress is possible
+                    # Connected nodes will update _connecting via state_change callback
+                    if not self._maybe_connect(node_id):
+                        self._connecting.remove(node_id)
 
                 # If we got a future that is already done, don't block in _poll
                 if future is not None and future.is_done:
@@ -965,7 +973,12 @@ def check_version(self, node_id=None, timeout=None, strict=False):
             if try_node is None:
                 self._lock.release()
                 raise Errors.NoBrokersAvailable()
-            self._maybe_connect(try_node)
+            if not self._maybe_connect(try_node):
+                if try_node == node_id:
+                    raise Errors.NodeNotReadyError("Connection failed to %s" % node_id)
+                else:
+                    continue
+
             conn = self._conns[try_node]
 
             # We will intentionally cause socket failures
diff --git a/test/test_client_async.py b/test/test_client_async.py
index ccdd57037..16ee4291d 100644
--- a/test/test_client_async.py
+++ b/test/test_client_async.py
@@ -71,19 +71,14 @@ def test_can_connect(cli, conn):
 
 
 def test_maybe_connect(cli, conn):
-    try:
-        # Node not in metadata, raises AssertionError
-        cli._maybe_connect(2)
-    except AssertionError:
-        pass
-    else:
-        assert False, 'Exception not raised'
+    # Node not in metadata, return False
+    assert not cli._maybe_connect(2)
 
     # New node_id creates a conn object
     assert 0 not in cli._conns
     conn.state = ConnectionStates.DISCONNECTED
     conn.connect.side_effect = lambda: conn._set_conn_state(ConnectionStates.CONNECTING)
-    assert cli._maybe_connect(0) is False
+    assert cli._maybe_connect(0) is True
     assert cli._conns[0] is conn