diff --git a/lib/nodes/kafka.cpp b/lib/nodes/kafka.cpp
index ec4191345..02b1226b2 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/kafka.cpp
+++ b/lib/nodes/kafka.cpp
@@ -376,7 +376,11 @@ int kafka_start(struct vnode *n)
 	}
 
 	if (k->produce) {
-		k->producer.client = rd_kafka_new(RD_KAFKA_PRODUCER, rdkconf, errstr, sizeof(errstr));
+		// rd_kafka_new() will take ownership and free the passed rd_kafka_conf_t object,
+		// so we will need to create a copy first
+		rd_kafka_conf_t *rdkconf_prod = rd_kafka_conf_dup(rdkconf);
+
+		k->producer.client = rd_kafka_new(RD_KAFKA_PRODUCER, rdkconf_prod, errstr, sizeof(errstr));
 		if (!k->consumer.client)
 			goto kafka_config_error;
 
@@ -395,16 +399,19 @@ int kafka_start(struct vnode *n)
 		n->logger->info("Connected producer to bootstrap server {}", k->server);
 	}
 
-	// if (k->consume) { # rd_kafka_new() method not working for two simultaneously clients (SIGSEGV)
-	else if (k->consume) {
+	if (k->consume) {
+		// rd_kafka_new() will take ownership and free the passed rd_kafka_conf_t object,
+		// so we will need to create a copy first
+		rd_kafka_conf_t *rdkconf_cons = rd_kafka_conf_dup(rdkconf);
+
 		rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_t *partitions = rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_new(0);
 		rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_add(partitions, k->consume, 0);
 
-		ret = rd_kafka_conf_set(rdkconf, "group.id", k->consumer.group_id, errstr, sizeof(errstr));
+		ret = rd_kafka_conf_set(rdkconf_cons, "group.id", k->consumer.group_id, errstr, sizeof(errstr));
 		if (ret != RD_KAFKA_CONF_OK)
 			goto kafka_config_error;
 
-		k->consumer.client = rd_kafka_new(RD_KAFKA_CONSUMER, rdkconf, errstr, sizeof(errstr));
+		k->consumer.client = rd_kafka_new(RD_KAFKA_CONSUMER, rdkconf_cons, errstr, sizeof(errstr));
 		if (!k->consumer.client)
 			goto kafka_config_error;