diff --git a/kafka/kafka_inter_container_library.go b/kafka/kafka_inter_container_library.go
index 4359f7d..099d0d8 100644
--- a/kafka/kafka_inter_container_library.go
+++ b/kafka/kafka_inter_container_library.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 const (
 	DefaultMaxRetries     = 3
-	DefaultRequestTimeout = 3000 // 3000 milliseconds - to handle a wider latency range
+	DefaultRequestTimeout = 10000 // 10000 milliseconds - to handle a wider latency range
 )
 
 const (
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@
 	// subscriber on that topic will receive the request in the order it was sent.  The key used is the deviceId.
 	key := GetDeviceIdFromTopic(*toTopic)
 	log.Debugw("sending-msg", log.Fields{"rpc": rpc, "toTopic": toTopic, "replyTopic": responseTopic, "key": key})
-	go kp.kafkaClient.Send(protoRequest, toTopic, key)
+	kp.kafkaClient.Send(protoRequest, toTopic, key)
 
 	if waitForResponse {
 		// Create a child context based on the parent context, if any
@@ -756,6 +756,12 @@
 		}
 		kp.setupTopicResponseChannelMap(topic.Name, subscribedCh)
 		go kp.waitForResponseLoop(subscribedCh, &topic)
+
+		//	Wait until topic is ready - it takes on average 300 ms for a topic to be created.  This is a one time
+		//	delay everything a device is created.
+		// TODO:  Implement a mechanism to determine when a topic is ready instead of relying on a timeout
+		//kp.kafkaClient.WaitForTopicToBeReady
+		time.Sleep(400 * time.Millisecond)
 	}
 
 	// Create a specific channel for this consumers.  We cannot use the channel from the kafkaclient as it will