diff --git a/reader.go b/reader.go
index 04d90f35..a22da582 100644
--- a/reader.go
+++ b/reader.go
@@ -1487,25 +1487,48 @@ func (r *reader) initialize(ctx context.Context, offset int64) (conn *Conn, star
 	return
 }
 
-func (r *reader) read(ctx context.Context, offset int64, conn *Conn) (int64, error) {
-	r.stats.fetches.observe(1)
-	r.stats.offset.observe(offset)
+// readBatch wraps the call to conn.ReadBatchWith to make it interruptible.
+// Conn methods are written in a non-interruptible style, so the only way to
+// interrupt them is to close the connection in another goroutine.
+func (r *reader) readBatch(ctx context.Context, conn *Conn) (*Batch, error) {
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(done)
 
-	t0 := time.Now()
-	conn.SetReadDeadline(t0.Add(r.maxWait))
+	go func() {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			conn.Close()
+		case <-done:
+			return
+		}
+	}()
 
 	batch := conn.ReadBatchWith(ReadBatchConfig{
 		MinBytes:       r.minBytes,
 		MaxBytes:       r.maxBytes,
 		IsolationLevel: r.isolationLevel,
 	})
+	return batch, ctx.Err()
+}
+
+func (r *reader) read(ctx context.Context, offset int64, conn *Conn) (int64, error) {
+	r.stats.fetches.observe(1)
+	r.stats.offset.observe(offset)
+
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	conn.SetReadDeadline(t0.Add(r.maxWait))
+
+	batch, err := r.readBatch(ctx, conn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return offset, err
+	}
+
 	highWaterMark := batch.HighWaterMark()
 
 	t1 := time.Now()
 	r.stats.waitTime.observeDuration(t1.Sub(t0))
 
 	var msg Message
-	var err error
 	var size int64
 	var bytes int64
 
diff --git a/reader_test.go b/reader_test.go
index f413d742..3a8bb607 100644
--- a/reader_test.go
+++ b/reader_test.go
@@ -1846,6 +1846,49 @@ func TestReaderReadCompactedMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReaderClose(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := NewReader(ReaderConfig{
+		Brokers: []string{"localhost:9092"},
+		Topic:   makeTopic(),
+		MaxWait: 2 * time.Second,
+	})
+	defer r.Close()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	_, err := r.FetchMessage(ctx)
+	if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Errorf("bad err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	r.Close()
+	if time.Since(t0) > 100*time.Millisecond {
+		t.Errorf("r.Close took too long")
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkReaderClose(b *testing.B) {
+	r := NewReader(ReaderConfig{
+		Brokers: []string{"localhost:9092"},
+		Topic:   makeTopic(),
+		MaxWait: 2 * time.Second,
+	})
+	defer r.Close()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second)
+		defer cancel()
+
+		_, err := r.FetchMessage(ctx)
+		if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			b.Errorf("bad err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // writeMessagesForCompactionCheck writes messages with specific writer configuration.
 func writeMessagesForCompactionCheck(t *testing.T, topic string, msgs []Message) {
 	t.Helper()