diff --git a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py
index 60cdcbb..ad4a13b 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import time
 from xosconfig import Config
 from multistructlog import create_logger
+from kafka.errors import NoBrokersAvailable
 
 log = create_logger(Config().get('logging'))
 
@@ -69,6 +70,9 @@
                         self.step(log=log).process_event(msg)
                     except:
                         log.exception("Exception in event step", msg=msg, step=self.step.__name__)
+            except NoBrokersAvailable:
+                log.warning("No brokers available on %s" % self.bootstrap_servers)
+                time.sleep(20)
             except:
                 # Maybe Kafka has not started yet. Log the exception and try again in a second.
                 log.exception("Exception in kafka loop")
diff --git a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/tests/test_event_engine.py b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/tests/test_event_engine.py
index 1424643..4e1c984 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/tests/test_event_engine.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/tests/test_event_engine.py
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@
 import functools
 import unittest
 from mock import patch, PropertyMock, ANY
-import mock
-import pdb
+from kafka.errors import NoBrokersAvailable
 
 import os, sys
 import time
@@ -43,6 +42,12 @@
         # block forever
         time.sleep(1000)
 
+class MockKafkaError:
+    NoBrokersAvailable = Exception
+
+class MockKafka:
+    error = MockKafkaError
+
 class TestEventEngine(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         global XOSKafkaThread, Config, event_engine_log
@@ -53,7 +58,7 @@
         sys.path.append(os.path.join(xos_dir, 'synchronizers', 'new_base'))
         sys.path.append(os.path.join(xos_dir, 'synchronizers', 'new_base', 'tests', 'event_steps'))
 
-        config = os.path.join(test_path, "test_config.yaml")
+        config =     os.path.join(test_path, "test_config.yaml")
         from xosconfig import Config
         Config.clear()
         Config.init(config, 'synchronizer-config-schema.yaml')
@@ -123,6 +128,16 @@
             # The fake consumer will have returned one event, and that event will have been passed to our step
             process_event.assert_called_with("sampleevent")
 
+    def _test_start_no_bus(self):
+        self.event_engine.load_event_step_modules(self.event_steps_dir)
+        with patch.object(XOSKafkaThread, "create_kafka_consumer") as create_kafka_consumer, \
+                patch.object(event_engine_log, "warning") as log_warning:
+
+                create_kafka_consumer.side_effect = NoBrokersAvailable()
+                self.event_engine.start()
+
+        log_warning.assert_called()
+
     def test_start_bad_tech(self):
         """ Set an unknown Technology in the event_step. XOSEventEngine.start() should print an error message and
             not create any threads.