diff --git a/Dockerfile.synchronizer b/Dockerfile.synchronizer
index 23a0f61..743a3c5 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.synchronizer
+++ b/Dockerfile.synchronizer
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # docker build -t xosproject/kubernetes-synchronizer:candidate -f Dockerfile.synchronizer .
 
 # xosproject/kubernetes-synchronizer
-FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:2.1.0
+FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:2.1.5
 
 COPY xos/synchronizer /opt/xos/synchronizers/kubernetes
 COPY VERSION /opt/xos/synchronizers/kubernetes/
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 6d7de6e..4abbf0b 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.0.2
+1.0.3-dev0
diff --git a/xos/synchronizer/kubernetes-synchronizer.py b/xos/synchronizer/kubernetes-synchronizer.py
index 34cb34d..563f499 100755
--- a/xos/synchronizer/kubernetes-synchronizer.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizer/kubernetes-synchronizer.py
@@ -37,9 +37,14 @@
 else:
     Config.init(base_config_file, 'synchronizer-config-schema.yaml')
 
+from xoskafka import XOSKafkaProducer
+
 # prevent logging noise from k8s API calls
 logging.getLogger("kubernetes.client.rest").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
 
+# init kafka producer connection
+XOSKafkaProducer.init()
+
 synchronizer_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(
     os.path.realpath(__file__)), "../../synchronizers/new_base")
 sys.path.append(synchronizer_path)
diff --git a/xos/synchronizer/pull_steps/pull_pods.py b/xos/synchronizer/pull_steps/pull_pods.py
index 0fe0fc0..65b657f 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizer/pull_steps/pull_pods.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizer/pull_steps/pull_pods.py
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 
 from xosconfig import Config
 from multistructlog import create_logger
+from xoskafka import XOSKafkaProducer
 
 log = create_logger(Config().get('logging'))
 
+
 class KubernetesServiceInstancePullStep(PullStep):
     """
          KubernetesServiceInstancePullStep
@@ -41,13 +43,6 @@
     def __init__(self):
         super(KubernetesServiceInstancePullStep, self).__init__(observed_model=KubernetesServiceInstance)
 
-        self.kafka_producer = None
-        if Config.get("event_bus.endpoint"):
-            try:
-                self.init_kafka_producer()
-            except:
-                log.exception("Failed to initialize Kafka producer")
-
         self.init_kubernetes_client()
 
     def init_kubernetes_client(self):
@@ -57,21 +52,6 @@
         self.v1apps = kubernetes_client.AppsV1Api()
         self.v1batch = kubernetes_client.BatchV1Api()
 
-    def init_kafka_producer(self):
-        from kafka import KafkaProducer
-        eventbus_kind = Config.get("event_bus.kind")
-        eventbus_endpoint = Config.get("event_bus.endpoint")
-
-        if not eventbus_kind:
-            log.error("Eventbus kind is not configured in synchronizer config file.")
-            return
-
-        if eventbus_kind not in ["kafka"]:
-            log.error("Eventbus kind is set to a technology we do not implement.", eventbus_kind=eventbus_kind)
-            return
-
-        self.kafka_producer = KafkaProducer(bootstrap_servers = [eventbus_endpoint])
-
     def obj_to_handle(self, obj):
         """ Convert a Kubernetes resource into a handle that we can use to uniquely identify the object within
             Kubernetes.
@@ -215,8 +195,6 @@
             return None
 
     def send_notification(self, xos_pod, k8s_pod, status):
-        if not self.kafka_producer:
-            return
 
         event = {"status": status,
                  "name": xos_pod.name,
@@ -232,8 +210,12 @@
                 event["netinterfaces"] = [{"name": "primary",
                                           "addresses": [k8s_pod.status.pod_ip]}]
 
-        self.kafka_producer.send("xos.kubernetes.pod-details", json.dumps(event))
-        self.kafka_producer.flush()
+        topic = "xos.kubernetes.pod-details"
+        key = xos_pod.name
+        value = json.dumps(event, default=lambda o: repr(o))
+
+        XOSKafkaProducer.produce(topic, key, value)
+
 
     def pull_records(self):
         # Read all pods from Kubernetes, store them in k8s_pods_by_name
@@ -298,7 +280,7 @@
 
                 # Check to see if we haven't sent the Kafka event yet. It's possible Kafka could be down. If
                 # so, then we'll try to send the event again later.
-                if (xos_pod.need_event) and (self.kafka_producer):
+                if (xos_pod.need_event):
                     if xos_pod.last_event_sent == "created":
                         event_kind = "updated"
                     else:
diff --git a/xos/synchronizer/tests/test_pull_pods.py b/xos/synchronizer/tests/test_pull_pods.py
index 01ba354..ff5c8f3 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizer/tests/test_pull_pods.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizer/tests/test_pull_pods.py
@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@
         self.unittest_setup = setup_sync_unit_test(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))),
                                                    globals(),
                                                    [("kubernetes-service", "kubernetes.proto")] )
+        self.mockxoskafka = MagicMock()
+
+        modules = {
+            'xoskafka': self.mockxoskafka,
+            'xoskafka.XOSKafkaProducer': self.mockxoskafka.XOSKafkaProducer,
+        }
+
+        self.module_patcher = patch.dict('sys.modules', modules)
+        self.module_patcher.start()
 
         sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))), "../pull_steps"))
 
@@ -43,6 +52,7 @@
 
     def tearDown(self):
         sys.path = self.unittest_setup["sys_path_save"]
+        self.module_patcher.stop()
 
     def test_read_obj_kind(self):
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client):
@@ -222,7 +232,7 @@
         return pod
 
     def test_pull_records_new_pod(self):
-        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance sohuld be created
+        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance should be created
         """
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client), \
              patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "get_trustdomain_from_pod") as get_trustdomain, \
@@ -250,7 +260,7 @@
 
             pull_step.pull_records()
 
-            self.assertEqual(ksi_save.call_count, 1)
+            self.assertEqual(ksi_save.call_count, 2)
             saved_ksi = ksi_save.call_args[0][0]
 
             self.assertEqual(saved_ksi.name, "my-pod")
@@ -261,7 +271,7 @@
             self.assertEqual(saved_ksi.xos_managed, False)
 
     def test_pull_records_missing_pod(self):
-        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance sohuld be created
+        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance should be created
         """
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client), \
                 patch.object(KubernetesService.objects, "get_items") as service_objects, \
@@ -281,7 +291,7 @@
             deleted_ksi = ksi_delete.call_args[0][0]
 
     def test_pull_records_new_pod_kafka_event(self):
-        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance sohuld be created
+        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance should be created
         """
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client), \
              patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "get_trustdomain_from_pod") as get_trustdomain, \
@@ -306,7 +316,7 @@
             pod.status.pod_ip = "1.2.3.4"
 
             pull_step = self.pull_step_class()
-            pull_step.kafka_producer = "foo"
+
             pull_step.v1core.list_pod_for_all_namespaces.return_value = MagicMock(items=[pod])
 
             pull_step.pull_records()
@@ -330,7 +340,7 @@
             self.assertEqual(send_notification.call_args[0][3], "created")
 
     def test_pull_records_existing_pod_kafka_event(self):
-        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance sohuld be created
+        """ A pod is found in k8s that does not exist in XOS. A new KubernetesServiceInstance should be created
         """
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client), \
              patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "get_trustdomain_from_pod") as get_trustdomain, \
@@ -365,7 +375,7 @@
             si_objects.return_value = [xos_pod]
 
             pull_step = self.pull_step_class()
-            pull_step.kafka_producer = "foo"
+
             pull_step.v1core.list_pod_for_all_namespaces.return_value = MagicMock(items=[pod])
 
             pull_step.pull_records()
@@ -390,8 +400,10 @@
 
     def test_send_notification_created(self):
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client):
+
             pull_step = self.pull_step_class()
-            pull_step.kafka_producer = MagicMock()
+
+            from xoskafka import XOSKafkaProducer
 
             pod = self.make_pod("my-pod", self.trust_domain, self.principal, self.image)
             pod.status.pod_ip = "1.2.3.4"
@@ -404,13 +416,16 @@
                                                 xos_managed=False,
                                                 need_event=False,
                                                 last_event_sent="created")
+
             pull_step.send_notification(xos_pod, pod, "created")
 
-            self.assertEqual(pull_step.kafka_producer.send.call_count, 1)
-            topic = pull_step.kafka_producer.send.call_args[0][0]
-            event = json.loads(pull_step.kafka_producer.send.call_args[0][1])
+            self.assertEqual(XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_count, 1)
+            topic = XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_args[0][0]
+            key = XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_args[0][1]
+            event = json.loads(XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_args[0][2])
 
             self.assertEqual(topic, "xos.kubernetes.pod-details")
+            self.assertEqual(key, "my-pod")
 
             self.assertEqual(event["name"], "my-pod")
             self.assertEqual(event["status"], "created")
@@ -421,7 +436,8 @@
     def test_send_notification_deleted(self):
         with patch.object(self.pull_step_class, "init_kubernetes_client", new=fake_init_kubernetes_client):
             pull_step = self.pull_step_class()
-            pull_step.kafka_producer = MagicMock()
+
+            from xoskafka import XOSKafkaProducer
 
             xos_pod = KubernetesServiceInstance(name="my-pod",
                                                 pod_ip="",
@@ -433,11 +449,13 @@
                                                 last_event_sent="created")
             pull_step.send_notification(xos_pod, None, "deleted")
 
-            self.assertEqual(pull_step.kafka_producer.send.call_count, 1)
-            topic = pull_step.kafka_producer.send.call_args[0][0]
-            event = json.loads(pull_step.kafka_producer.send.call_args[0][1])
+            self.assertEqual(XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_count, 1)
+            topic = XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_args[0][0]
+            key = XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_args[0][1]
+            event = json.loads(XOSKafkaProducer.produce.call_args[0][2])
 
             self.assertEqual(topic, "xos.kubernetes.pod-details")
+            self.assertEqual(key, "my-pod")
 
             self.assertEqual(event["name"], "my-pod")
             self.assertEqual(event["status"], "deleted")