diff --git a/include/cppkafka/configuration.h b/include/cppkafka/configuration.h
index bddc0d2..910cebb 100644
--- a/include/cppkafka/configuration.h
+++ b/include/cppkafka/configuration.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include "clonable_ptr.h"
 #include "configuration_base.h"
 #include "macros.h"
+#include "event.h"
 
 namespace cppkafka {
 
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ public:
                                            const std::string& message)>;
     using StatsCallback = std::function<void(KafkaHandleBase& handle, const std::string& json)>;
     using SocketCallback = std::function<int(int domain, int type, int protocol)>;
+    using BackgroundEventCallback = std::function<void(KafkaHandleBase& handle, Event)>;
 
     using ConfigurationBase<Configuration>::set;
     using ConfigurationBase<Configuration>::get;
@@ -142,6 +144,13 @@ public:
      */
     Configuration& set_socket_callback(SocketCallback callback);
 
+#if RD_KAFKA_VERSION >= RD_KAFKA_ADMIN_API_SUPPORT_VERSION
+    /**
+     * Sets the background event callback (invokes rd_kafka_conf_set_background_event_cb)
+     */
+    Configuration& set_background_event_callback(BackgroundEventCallback callback);
+#endif
+
     /** 
      * Sets the default topic configuration
      */
@@ -204,6 +213,11 @@ public:
      */
     const SocketCallback& get_socket_callback() const;
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the background event callback
+     */
+    const BackgroundEventCallback& get_background_event_callback() const;
+
     /**
      * Gets the default topic configuration
      */
@@ -229,6 +243,7 @@ private:
     LogCallback log_callback_;
     StatsCallback stats_callback_;
     SocketCallback socket_callback_;
+    BackgroundEventCallback background_event_callback_;
 };
 
 } // cppkafka
diff --git a/src/configuration.cpp b/src/configuration.cpp
index 061adc7..fbb3d3a 100644
--- a/src/configuration.cpp
+++ b/src/configuration.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void error_callback_proxy(rd_kafka_t*, int err, const char *reason, void *opaque
 void throttle_callback_proxy(rd_kafka_t*, const char* broker_name,
                               int32_t broker_id, int throttle_time_ms, void *opaque) {
     KafkaHandleBase* handle = static_cast<KafkaHandleBase*>(opaque);
-     CallbackInvoker<Configuration::ThrottleCallback>
+    CallbackInvoker<Configuration::ThrottleCallback>
          ("throttle", handle->get_configuration().get_throttle_callback(), handle)
          (*handle, broker_name, broker_id, milliseconds(throttle_time_ms));
 }
@@ -102,6 +102,13 @@ int socket_callback_proxy(int domain, int type, int protocol, void* opaque) {
         (domain, type, protocol);
 }
 
+void background_event_callback_proxy(rd_kafka_t*, rd_kafka_event_t* event_ptr, void *opaque) {
+    KafkaHandleBase* handle = static_cast<KafkaHandleBase*>(opaque);
+    CallbackInvoker<Configuration::BackgroundEventCallback>
+        ("background_event", handle->get_configuration().get_background_event_callback(), handle)
+        (*handle, Event{event_ptr});
+}
+
 // Configuration
 
 Configuration::Configuration() 
@@ -177,6 +184,14 @@ Configuration& Configuration::set_socket_callback(SocketCallback callback) {
     return *this;
 }
 
+#if RD_KAFKA_VERSION >= RD_KAFKA_ADMIN_API_SUPPORT_VERSION
+Configuration& Configuration::set_background_event_callback(BackgroundEventCallback callback) {
+    background_event_callback_ = move(callback);
+    rd_kafka_conf_set_background_event_cb(handle_.get(), &background_event_callback_proxy);
+    return *this;
+}
+#endif
+
 Configuration&
 Configuration::set_default_topic_configuration(TopicConfiguration config) {
     default_topic_config_ = std::move(config);
@@ -239,6 +254,11 @@ const Configuration::SocketCallback& Configuration::get_socket_callback() const
     return socket_callback_;
 }
 
+const Configuration::BackgroundEventCallback&
+Configuration::get_background_event_callback() const {
+    return background_event_callback_;
+}
+
 const optional<TopicConfiguration>& Configuration::get_default_topic_configuration() const {
     return default_topic_config_;
 }