diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 986e3707..2b4a06fd 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.10.1
 	github.com/ti-mo/conntrack v0.6.0
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.20.1
-	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm v1.17.0
+	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm v1.17.1
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kfake v0.0.0-20250711145744-a849b8be17b7
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.12.0
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go/plugin/kprom v1.3.0
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/jinzhu/now v1.1.5 // indirect
 	github.com/josharian/native v1.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12 // indirect
-	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.0 // indirect
+	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.1 // indirect
 	github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/leodido/go-urn v1.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/lufia/plan9stats v0.0.0-20211012122336-39d0f177ccd0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ba38a45e..0fef3769 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -247,8 +247,8 @@ github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12/go.mod h1:e30LSqwooZae/UwlEbR2852Gd8hjQvJoHm
 github.com/kisielk/errcheck v1.5.0/go.mod h1:pFxgyoBC7bSaBwPgfKdkLd5X25qrDl4LWUI2bnpBCr8=
 github.com/kisielk/gotool v1.0.0/go.mod h1:XhKaO+MFFWcvkIS/tQcRk01m1F5IRFswLeQ+oQHNcck=
 github.com/klauspost/compress v1.13.6/go.mod h1:/3/Vjq9QcHkK5uEr5lBEmyoZ1iFhe47etQ6QUkpK6sk=
-github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.0 h1:c/Cqfb0r+Yi+JtIEq73FWXVkRonBlf0CRNYc8Zttxdo=
-github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.0/go.mod h1:2Pp+KzxcywXVXMr50+X0Q/Lsb43OQHYWRCY2AiWywWQ=
+github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.1 h1:bcSGx7UbpBqMChDtsF28Lw6v/G94LPrrbMbdC3JH2co=
+github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.1/go.mod h1:ZQFFVG+MdnR0P+l6wpXgIL4NTtwiKIdBnrBd8Nrxr+0=
 github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.3.0 h1:S4CRMLnYUhGeDFDqkGriYKdfoFlDnMtqTiI/sFzhA9Y=
 github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.3.0/go.mod h1:hqwkgyIinND0mEev00jJYCxPNVRVXFQeu1XKlok6oO0=
 github.com/konsorten/go-windows-terminal-sequences v1.0.1/go.mod h1:T0+1ngSBFLxvqU3pZ+m/2kptfBszLMUkC4ZK/EgS/cQ=
@@ -433,8 +433,8 @@ github.com/twitchyliquid64/golang-asm v0.15.1 h1:SU5vSMR7hnwNxj24w34ZyCi/FmDZTkS
 github.com/twitchyliquid64/golang-asm v0.15.1/go.mod h1:a1lVb/DtPvCB8fslRZhAngC2+aY1QWCk3Cedj/Gdt08=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.20.1 h1:ql6+OXi0DPJPSEeOY2zApQu+IssoRLTazl+u2cy5xAo=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.20.1/go.mod h1:YCnepDd4gl6vdzG03I5Wa57RnCTIC6DVEyMpDX/J8UA=
-github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm v1.17.0 h1:u9iZ83OLbFu3xLKDP83NBaGPDeBRT/2OwOH+KJG0OF8=
-github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm v1.17.0/go.mod h1:VL9WdrYqaoVST5xRUzoWqSJN4itcTxdMrLE5Fhc2Prk=
+github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm v1.17.1 h1:Bt02Y/RLgnFO2NP2HVP1kd2TFtGRiJZx+fSArjZDtpw=
+github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm v1.17.1/go.mod h1:s4duQmrDbloVW9QTMXhs6mViTepze7JLG43xwPcAeTg=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kfake v0.0.0-20250711145744-a849b8be17b7 h1:SmVArSUtiB+bsqMjHtqemjL1YCj4L74NSiOxjtwAJ/o=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kfake v0.0.0-20250711145744-a849b8be17b7/go.mod h1:udxwmMC3r4xqjwrSrMi8p9jpqMDNpC2YwexpDSUmQtw=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.12.0 h1:CbatD7ers1KzDNgJqPbKOq0Bz/WLBdsTH75wgzeVaPc=
diff --git a/orchestrator/kafka/functional_test.go b/orchestrator/kafka/functional_test.go
index c846bf35..491d2ff2 100644
--- a/orchestrator/kafka/functional_test.go
+++ b/orchestrator/kafka/functional_test.go
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ func TestTopicMorePartitions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(1 * time.Second)
 	for {
-		client.ForceMetadataRefresh()
 		topics, err := adminClient.ListTopics(t.Context())
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("ListTopics() error:\n%+v", err)
@@ -178,7 +177,6 @@ func TestTopicMorePartitions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	deadline = time.Now().Add(1 * time.Second)
 	for {
-		client.ForceMetadataRefresh()
 		topics, err := adminClient.ListTopics(t.Context())
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("ListTopics() error:\n%+v", err)
diff --git a/orchestrator/kafka/root.go b/orchestrator/kafka/root.go
index f9448b52..aeeb76bf 100644
--- a/orchestrator/kafka/root.go
+++ b/orchestrator/kafka/root.go
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ func (c *Component) Start() error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to create topic %q: %w", c.kafkaTopic, err)
 		}
 		l.Info().Msg("topic created")
-		client.ForceMetadataRefresh()
 	} else {
 		nbPartitions := len(topic.Partitions)
 		if nbPartitions > int(c.config.TopicConfiguration.NumPartitions) {
@@ -96,7 +95,6 @@ func (c *Component) Start() error {
 					c.kafkaTopic, err)
 			}
 			l.Info().Msg("number of partitions increased")
-			client.ForceMetadataRefresh()
 		}
 		if int(c.config.TopicConfiguration.ReplicationFactor) != topic.Partitions.NumReplicas() {
 			// TODO: https://github.com/deviceinsight/kafkactl/blob/main/internal/topic/topic-operation.go
@@ -138,7 +136,6 @@ func (c *Component) Start() error {
 					c.kafkaTopic, err)
 			}
 			l.Info().Msg("topic updated")
-			client.ForceMetadataRefresh()
 		}
 	}
 	return nil