diff --git a/pkg/kfake/01_fetch.go b/pkg/kfake/01_fetch.go
index 53f9a8e6..a674e7c6 100644
--- a/pkg/kfake/01_fetch.go
+++ b/pkg/kfake/01_fetch.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) handleFetch(creq *clientReq, w *watchFetch) (kmsg.Response, er
 				if !ok || pd.createdAt.After(creq.at) {
 					continue
 				}
-				if pd.leader != creq.cc.b {
+				if pd.leader != creq.cc.b && !pd.followers.has(creq.cc.b) {
 					returnEarly = true // NotLeaderForPartition
 					break out
 				}
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ full:
 				}
 				continue
 			}
-			if pd.leader != creq.cc.b {
+			if pd.leader != creq.cc.b && !pd.followers.has(creq.cc.b) {
 				p := donep(rt.Topic, rt.TopicID, rp.Partition, kerr.NotLeaderForPartition.Code)
 				p.CurrentLeader.LeaderID = pd.leader.node
 				p.CurrentLeader.LeaderEpoch = pd.epoch
diff --git a/pkg/kfake/cluster.go b/pkg/kfake/cluster.go
index 3720cf61..f9504dee 100644
--- a/pkg/kfake/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/kfake/cluster.go
@@ -980,6 +980,20 @@ func (c *Cluster) CoordinatorFor(key string) int32 {
 	return n
 }
 
+// LeaderFor returns the node ID of the topic partition. If the partition
+// does not exist, this returns -1.
+func (c *Cluster) LeaderFor(topic string, partition int32) int32 {
+	n := int32(-1)
+	c.admin(func() {
+		pd, ok := c.data.tps.getp(topic, partition)
+		if !ok {
+			return
+		}
+		n = pd.leader.node
+	})
+	return n
+}
+
 // RehashCoordinators simulates group and transacational ID coordinators moving
 // around. All group and transactional IDs are rekeyed. This forces clients to
 // reload coordinators.
@@ -1084,3 +1098,16 @@ func (c *Cluster) shufflePartitionsLocked() {
 		p.epoch++
 	})
 }
+
+// SetFollowers sets the node IDs of brokers that can also serve fetch requests
+// for a partition. Setting followers to an empty or nil slice reverts to the
+// default of only the leader being able to serve fetch requests.
+func (c *Cluster) SetFollowers(topic string, partition int32, followers []int32) {
+	c.admin(func() {
+		pd, ok := c.data.tps.getp(topic, partition)
+		if !ok {
+			return
+		}
+		pd.followers = append([]int32(nil), followers...)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kfake/data.go b/pkg/kfake/data.go
index 566d51b6..b2947b59 100644
--- a/pkg/kfake/data.go
+++ b/pkg/kfake/data.go
@@ -42,14 +42,17 @@ type (
 		nbytes           int64
 
 		// abortedTxns
-		rf     int8
-		leader *broker
+		rf        int8
+		leader    *broker
+		followers followers
 
 		watch map[*watchFetch]struct{}
 
 		createdAt time.Time
 	}
 
+	followers []int32
+
 	partBatch struct {
 		kmsg.RecordBatch
 		nbytes int
@@ -68,6 +71,15 @@ type (
 	}
 )
 
+func (fs followers) has(b *broker) bool {
+	for _, f := range fs {
+		if f == b.node {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (d *data) mkt(t string, nparts int, nreplicas int, configs map[string]*string) {
 	if d.tps != nil {
 		if _, exists := d.tps[t]; exists {
@@ -88,6 +100,9 @@ func (d *data) mkt(t string, nparts int, nreplicas int, configs map[string]*stri
 	}
 	if nreplicas < 0 {
 		nreplicas = 3 // cluster default
+		if nreplicas > len(d.c.bs) {
+			nreplicas = len(d.c.bs)
+		}
 	}
 	d.id2t[id] = t
 	d.t2id[t] = id
diff --git a/pkg/kfake/go.mod b/pkg/kfake/go.mod
index 78cea4a0..e12238a7 100644
--- a/pkg/kfake/go.mod
+++ b/pkg/kfake/go.mod
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ toolchain go1.22.0
 
 require (
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.16.1
-	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.8.0
+	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.9.0
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.23.0
 )
+
+require (
+	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.17.8 // indirect
+	github.com/pierrec/lz4/v4 v4.1.21 // indirect
+)
diff --git a/pkg/kfake/go.sum b/pkg/kfake/go.sum
index 9c3afb49..07d64e30 100644
--- a/pkg/kfake/go.sum
+++ b/pkg/kfake/go.sum
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+github.com/klauspost/compress v1.17.8 h1:YcnTYrq7MikUT7k0Yb5eceMmALQPYBW/Xltxn0NAMnU=
+github.com/klauspost/compress v1.17.8/go.mod h1:Di0epgTjJY877eYKx5yC51cX2A2Vl2ibi7bDH9ttBbw=
+github.com/pierrec/lz4/v4 v4.1.21 h1:yOVMLb6qSIDP67pl/5F7RepeKYu/VmTyEXvuMI5d9mQ=
+github.com/pierrec/lz4/v4 v4.1.21/go.mod h1:gZWDp/Ze/IJXGXf23ltt2EXimqmTUXEy0GFuRQyBid4=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.16.1 h1:rpWc7fB9jd7TgmCyfxzenBI+QbgS8ZfJOUQE+tzPtbE=
 github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.16.1/go.mod h1:/pER254UPPGp/4WfGqRi+SIRGE50RSQzVubQp6+N4FA=
-github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.8.0 h1:lAQB9Z3aMrIP9qF9288XcFf/ccaSxEitNA1CDTEIeTA=
-github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.8.0/go.mod h1:HzYEb8G3uu5XevZbtU0dVbkphaKTHk0X68N5ka4q6mU=
+github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.9.0 h1:JojYUph2TKAau6SBtErXpXGC7E3gg4vGZMv9xFU/B6M=
+github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.9.0/go.mod h1:CMbfazviCyY6HM0SXuG5t9vOwYDHRCSrJJyBAe5paqg=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.23.0 h1:dIJU/v2J8Mdglj/8rJ6UUOM3Zc9zLZxVZwwxMooUSAI=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.23.0/go.mod h1:CKFgDieR+mRhux2Lsu27y0fO304Db0wZe70UKqHu0v8=
diff --git a/pkg/kfake/issues_test.go b/pkg/kfake/issues_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1eadb9a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kfake/issues_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+package kfake
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kerr"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg"
+)
+
+func TestIssue885(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		testTopic        = "foo"
+		producedMessages = 5
+		followerLogStart = 3
+	)
+
+	c, err := NewCluster(
+		NumBrokers(2),
+		SleepOutOfOrder(),
+		SeedTopics(1, testTopic),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer c.Close()
+
+	// Flow:
+	//
+	// * We always say one broker is the leader -- every Metadata response
+	//   can be the same; we do not need to hijack Metadata
+	//
+	// * We produce 5 separate batches just to have some data
+	//
+	// * We hijack fetch: if to the leader, we say the other broker is the
+	//   follower.
+	//
+	// * We hijack fetch 2: if to follower, we say "offset out of range".
+	//
+	// END SETUP STAGE.
+	//
+	// TEST
+	//
+	// * We return one batch at a time from the leader.
+	// * We expect the leader to receive 3 requests.
+	// * On the fourth, we redirect back to the follower.
+	// * Batch four and five are served from the follower.
+	// * We are done.
+	// * Any deviation is failure.
+	//
+	// We control the flow through the stages; any bug results in not continuing
+	// forward (i.e. looping through the stages and never finishing).
+
+	// Inline anonymous function so that we can defer and cleanup within scope.
+	func() {
+		cl, err := kgo.NewClient(
+			kgo.DefaultProduceTopic(testTopic),
+			kgo.SeedBrokers(c.ListenAddrs()...),
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		defer cl.Close()
+
+		for i := 0; i < producedMessages; i++ {
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second)
+			err := cl.ProduceSync(ctx, kgo.StringRecord(strconv.Itoa(i))).FirstErr()
+			cancel()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	var followerOOOR bool
+
+	ti := c.TopicInfo(testTopic)
+	pi := c.PartitionInfo(testTopic, 0)
+	follower := (pi.Leader + 1) % 2
+	c.SetFollowers(testTopic, 0, []int32{follower})
+
+	c.ControlKey(1, func(kreq kmsg.Request) (kmsg.Response, error, bool) {
+		c.KeepControl()
+
+		req := kreq.(*kmsg.FetchRequest)
+		if req.Version < 11 {
+			t.Fatal("unable to run test with fetch requests < v11")
+		}
+
+		if len(req.Topics) != 1 || len(req.Topics[0].Partitions) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected malformed req topics or partitions: %v", req)
+		}
+
+		// If we *do* return a batch, we want to ensure we return only
+		// one batch. We modify the incoming request to ensure at most
+		// one batch is returned.
+		req.MaxBytes = 1
+
+		resp := req.ResponseKind().(*kmsg.FetchResponse)
+		rt := kmsg.NewFetchResponseTopic()
+		rt.Topic = testTopic
+		rt.TopicID = ti.TopicID
+		rp := kmsg.NewFetchResponseTopicPartition()
+
+		resp.Topics = append(resp.Topics, rt)
+		rtp := &resp.Topics[0]
+
+		rtp.Partitions = append(rtp.Partitions, rp)
+		rpp := &rtp.Partitions[0]
+
+		rpp.Partition = 0
+		rpp.ErrorCode = 0
+		rpp.HighWatermark = pi.HighWatermark
+		rpp.LastStableOffset = pi.LastStableOffset
+		rpp.LogStartOffset = 0
+
+		if c.CurrentNode() == pi.Leader {
+			if !followerOOOR || req.Topics[0].Partitions[0].FetchOffset >= followerLogStart {
+				rpp.PreferredReadReplica = (pi.Leader + 1) % 2
+				return resp, nil, true
+			}
+			return nil, nil, false
+		}
+
+		if req.Topics[0].Partitions[0].FetchOffset < followerLogStart {
+			rpp.ErrorCode = kerr.OffsetOutOfRange.Code
+			rpp.LogStartOffset = 2
+			followerOOOR = true
+			return resp, nil, true
+		}
+
+		return nil, nil, false
+	})
+
+	cl, err := kgo.NewClient(
+		kgo.WithLogger(kgo.BasicLogger(os.Stderr, kgo.LogLevelDebug, nil)),
+		kgo.SeedBrokers(c.ListenAddrs()...),
+		kgo.ConsumeTopics(testTopic),
+		kgo.Rack("foo"),
+		kgo.DisableFetchSessions(),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer cl.Close()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	for consumed := 0; consumed != producedMessages; {
+		fs := cl.PollFetches(ctx)
+		if errs := fs.Errors(); errs != nil {
+			t.Errorf("consume error: %v", errs)
+			break
+		}
+		consumed += fs.NumRecords()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kfake/topic_partition.go b/pkg/kfake/topic_partition.go
index ac409c53..f7e90150 100644
--- a/pkg/kfake/topic_partition.go
+++ b/pkg/kfake/topic_partition.go
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package kfake
 
+import "sort"
+
 type tps[V any] map[string]map[int32]*V
 
 func (tps *tps[V]) getp(t string, p int32) (*V, bool) {
@@ -73,3 +75,100 @@ func (tps *tps[V]) delp(t string, p int32) {
 		delete(*tps, t)
 	}
 }
+
+// TopicInfo contains snapshot-in-time metadata about an existing topic.
+type TopicInfo struct {
+	TopicID     [16]byte           // TopicID is the UUID of the topic.
+	NumReplicas int                // NumReplicas is the replication factor for all partitions in this topic.
+	Configs     map[string]*string // Configs contains all configuration values specified for this topic.
+}
+
+// PartitionInfo contains snapshot-in-time metadata about an existing partition.
+type PartitionInfo struct {
+	HighWatermark    int64 // HighWatermark is the latest offset present in the partition.
+	LastStableOffset int64 // LastStableOffset is the last stable offset.
+	LogStartOffset   int64 // LogStartOffsets is the first offset present in the partition.
+	Epoch            int32 //  Epoch is the current "epoch" of the partition -- how many times the partition transferred leaders.
+	MaxTimestamp     int64 // MaxTimestamp is the current max timestamp across all batches.
+	NumBytes         int64 // NumBytes is the current amount of data stored in the partition.
+	Leader           int32 // Leader is the current leader of the partition.
+}
+
+func (pd *partData) info() *PartitionInfo {
+	return &PartitionInfo{
+		HighWatermark:    pd.highWatermark,
+		LastStableOffset: pd.lastStableOffset,
+		LogStartOffset:   pd.logStartOffset,
+		Epoch:            pd.epoch,
+		MaxTimestamp:     pd.maxTimestamp,
+		NumBytes:         pd.nbytes,
+		Leader:           pd.leader.node,
+	}
+}
+
+// TopicInfo returns information about a topic if it exists.
+func (c *Cluster) TopicInfo(topic string) *TopicInfo {
+	var i *TopicInfo
+	c.admin(func() {
+		id, exists := c.data.t2id[topic]
+		if !exists {
+			return
+		}
+		clone := func(m map[string]*string) map[string]*string { // a deeper maps.Clone
+			m2 := make(map[string]*string, len(m))
+			for k, v := range m {
+				var v2 *string
+				if v != nil {
+					vv := *v
+					v2 = &vv
+				}
+				m2[k] = v2
+			}
+			return m2
+		}
+		i = &TopicInfo{
+			TopicID:     id,
+			NumReplicas: c.data.treplicas[topic],
+			Configs:     clone(c.data.tcfgs[topic]),
+		}
+	})
+	return i
+}
+
+// PartitionInfo returns information about a partition if it exists.
+func (c *Cluster) PartitionInfo(topic string, partition int32) *PartitionInfo {
+	var i *PartitionInfo
+	c.admin(func() {
+		pd, ok := c.data.tps.getp(topic, partition)
+		if !ok {
+			return
+		}
+		i = pd.info()
+	})
+	return i
+}
+
+// PartitionInfos returns information about all partitions in a topic,
+// if it exists. The partitions are returned in sorted partition order,
+// with partition 0 at index 0, partition 1 at index 1, etc.
+func (c *Cluster) PartitionInfos(topic string) []*PartitionInfo {
+	var is []*PartitionInfo
+	c.admin(func() {
+		t, ok := c.data.tps.gett(topic)
+		if !ok {
+			return
+		}
+		partitions := make([]int32, 0, len(t))
+		for p := range t {
+			partitions = append(partitions, p)
+		}
+		sort.Slice(partitions, func(i, j int) bool {
+			return partitions[i] < partitions[j]
+		})
+		for _, p := range partitions {
+			pd, _ := c.data.tps.getp(topic, p)
+			is = append(is, pd.info())
+		}
+	})
+	return is
+}