diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index e62e13d95..87a20514a 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package sarama
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -238,6 +239,11 @@ type PartitionConsumer interface {
 	// errors are logged and not returned over this channel. If you want to implement any custom errpr
 	// handling, set your config's Consumer.ReturnErrors setting to true, and read from this channel.
 	Errors() <-chan *ConsumerError
+
+	// HighWaterMarkOffset returns the high water mark offset of the partition, i.e. the offset that will
+	// be used for the next message that will be produced. You can use this to determine high far behind
+	// the processing is.
+	HighWaterMarkOffset() int64
 }
 
 type partitionConsumer struct {
@@ -251,8 +257,9 @@ type partitionConsumer struct {
 	errors         chan *ConsumerError
 	trigger, dying chan none
 
-	fetchSize int32
-	offset    int64
+	fetchSize           int32
+	offset              int64
+	highWaterMarkOffset int64
 }
 
 func (child *partitionConsumer) sendError(err error) {
@@ -369,6 +376,10 @@ func (child *partitionConsumer) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (child *partitionConsumer) HighWaterMarkOffset() int64 {
+	return atomic.LoadInt64(&child.highWaterMarkOffset)
+}
+
 // brokerConsumer
 
 type brokerConsumer struct {
@@ -538,6 +549,7 @@ func (w *brokerConsumer) handleResponse(child *partitionConsumer, block *FetchRe
 
 	// we got messages, reset our fetch size in case it was increased for a previous request
 	child.fetchSize = child.conf.Consumer.Fetch.Default
+	atomic.StoreInt64(&child.highWaterMarkOffset, block.HighWaterMarkOffset)
 
 	incomplete := false
 	atLeastOne := false
diff --git a/consumer_test.go b/consumer_test.go
index 4887f495d..3d5dbe6e5 100644
--- a/consumer_test.go
+++ b/consumer_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ func TestConsumerLatestOffset(t *testing.T) {
 
 	fetchResponse := new(FetchResponse)
 	fetchResponse.AddMessage("my_topic", 0, nil, ByteEncoder([]byte{0x00, 0x0E}), 0x010101)
+	block := fetchResponse.GetBlock("my_topic", 0)
+	block.HighWaterMarkOffset = 1234
 	leader.Returns(fetchResponse)
 
 	master, err := NewConsumer([]string{seedBroker.Addr()}, nil)
@@ -78,13 +80,25 @@ func TestConsumerLatestOffset(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	leader.Close()
-	safeClose(t, consumer)
+	msg := <-consumer.Messages()
+
+	// we deliver one message, so it should be one higher than we return in the OffsetResponse
+	if msg.Offset != 0x010101 {
+		t.Error("Latest message offset not fetched correctly:", msg.Offset)
+	}
 
 	// we deliver one message, so it should be one higher than we return in the OffsetResponse
+	// this way it is set correctly for the next FetchRequest.
 	if consumer.(*partitionConsumer).offset != 0x010102 {
 		t.Error("Latest offset not fetched correctly:", consumer.(*partitionConsumer).offset)
 	}
+
+	if hwmo := consumer.HighWaterMarkOffset(); hwmo != 1234 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected high water mark offset 1234, found %d", hwmo)
+	}
+
+	leader.Close()
+	safeClose(t, consumer)
 }
 
 func TestConsumerFunnyOffsets(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/functional_test.go b/functional_test.go
index 37b6fa285..e622e3f16 100644
--- a/functional_test.go
+++ b/functional_test.go
@@ -184,3 +184,37 @@ func testProducingMessages(t *testing.T, config *Config) {
 	safeClose(t, consumer)
 	safeClose(t, client)
 }
+
+func TestConsumerHighWaterMarkOffset(t *testing.T) {
+	checkKafkaAvailability(t)
+
+	p, err := NewSyncProducer([]string{kafkaAddr}, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer safeClose(t, p)
+
+	_, offset, err := p.SendMessage("single_partition", nil, StringEncoder("Test"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	c, err := NewConsumer([]string{kafkaAddr}, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer safeClose(t, c)
+
+	pc, err := c.ConsumePartition("single_partition", 0, OffsetOldest)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	<-pc.Messages()
+
+	if hwmo := pc.HighWaterMarkOffset(); hwmo != offset+1 {
+		t.Logf("Last produced offset %d; high water mark should be one higher but found %d.", offset, hwmo)
+	}
+
+	safeClose(t, pc)
+}
diff --git a/mocks/consumer.go b/mocks/consumer.go
index 0aa8389c6..6234be1d3 100644
--- a/mocks/consumer.go
+++ b/mocks/consumer.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package mocks
 
 import (
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/Shopify/sarama"
 )
@@ -132,13 +133,13 @@ type PartitionConsumer struct {
 	consumed                bool
 	errorsShouldBeDrained   bool
 	messagesShouldBeDrained bool
+	highWaterMarkOffset     int64
 }
 
 func (pc *PartitionConsumer) handleExpectations() {
 	pc.l.Lock()
 	defer pc.l.Unlock()
 
-	var offset int64
 	for ex := range pc.expectations {
 		if ex.Err != nil {
 			pc.errors <- &sarama.ConsumerError{
@@ -147,11 +148,11 @@ func (pc *PartitionConsumer) handleExpectations() {
 				Err:       ex.Err,
 			}
 		} else {
-			offset++
+			atomic.AddInt64(&pc.highWaterMarkOffset, 1)
 
 			ex.Msg.Topic = pc.topic
 			ex.Msg.Partition = pc.partition
-			ex.Msg.Offset = offset
+			ex.Msg.Offset = atomic.LoadInt64(&pc.highWaterMarkOffset)
 
 			pc.messages <- ex.Msg
 		}
@@ -231,6 +232,10 @@ func (pc *PartitionConsumer) Messages() <-chan *sarama.ConsumerMessage {
 	return pc.messages
 }
 
+func (pc *PartitionConsumer) HighWaterMarkOffset() int64 {
+	return atomic.LoadInt64(&pc.highWaterMarkOffset) + 1
+}
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Expectation API
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////