diff --git a/Sources/Kafka/KafkaConsumer.swift b/Sources/Kafka/KafkaConsumer.swift
index bb88ffd2..c5ec5226 100644
--- a/Sources/Kafka/KafkaConsumer.swift
+++ b/Sources/Kafka/KafkaConsumer.swift
@@ -319,6 +319,8 @@ public final class KafkaConsumer: Sendable, Service {
                 )
             }
             try client.subscribe(topicPartitionList: subscription)
+        case .consumerClosed:
+            throw KafkaError.connectionClosed(reason: "Consumer deinitialized before setup")
         }
     }
 
@@ -339,6 +341,8 @@ public final class KafkaConsumer: Sendable, Service {
             let assignment = RDKafkaTopicPartitionList()
             assignment.setOffset(topic: topic, partition: partition, offset: Int64(offset.rawValue))
             try client.assign(topicPartitionList: assignment)
+        case .consumerClosed:
+            throw KafkaError.connectionClosed(reason: "Consumer deinitialized before setup")
         }
     }
 
@@ -723,6 +727,8 @@ extension KafkaConsumer {
             /// Set up the connection through ``subscribe()`` or ``assign()``.
             /// - Parameter client: Client used for handling the connection to the Kafka cluster.
             case setUpConnection(client: RDKafkaClient)
+            /// The ``KafkaConsumer`` is closed.
+            case consumerClosed
         }
 
         /// Get action to be taken when wanting to set up the connection through ``subscribe()`` or ``assign()``.
@@ -737,8 +743,10 @@ extension KafkaConsumer {
                 return .setUpConnection(client: client)
             case .running:
                 fatalError("\(#function) should not be invoked more than once")
-            case .finishing, .finished:
+            case .finishing:
                 fatalError("\(#function) should only be invoked when KafkaConsumer is running")
+            case .finished:
+                return .consumerClosed
             }
         }
 
@@ -890,7 +898,7 @@ extension KafkaConsumer {
             case .uninitialized:
                 fatalError("\(#function) invoked while still in state \(self.state)")
             case .initializing:
-                fatalError("Subscribe to consumer group / assign to topic partition pair before reading messages")
+                self.state = .finished
             case .running(let client, _):
                 self.state = .running(client: client, messagePollLoopState: .finished)
             case .finishing, .finished:
diff --git a/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaConsumerTests.swift b/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaConsumerTests.swift
index fc3da31a..1137b0d3 100644
--- a/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaConsumerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaConsumerTests.swift
@@ -127,4 +127,52 @@ final class KafkaConsumerTests: XCTestCase {
         let value = try metrics.expectGauge("operations").lastValue
         XCTAssertNotNil(value)
     }
+
+    func testConsumerConstructDeinit() async throws {
+        let uniqueGroupID = UUID().uuidString
+        let config = KafkaConsumerConfiguration(
+            consumptionStrategy: .group(id: uniqueGroupID, topics: ["this-topic-does-not-exist"]),
+            bootstrapBrokerAddresses: []
+        )
+
+        _ = try KafkaConsumer(configuration: config, logger: .kafkaTest) // deinit called before run
+        _ = try KafkaConsumer.makeConsumerWithEvents(configuration: config, logger: .kafkaTest)
+    }
+
+    func testConsumerMessagesReadCancelledBeforeRun() async throws {
+        let uniqueGroupID = UUID().uuidString
+        let config = KafkaConsumerConfiguration(
+            consumptionStrategy: .group(id: uniqueGroupID, topics: ["this-topic-does-not-exist"]),
+            bootstrapBrokerAddresses: []
+        )
+
+        let consumer = try KafkaConsumer(configuration: config, logger: .kafkaTest)
+
+        let svcGroupConfig = ServiceGroupConfiguration(services: [consumer], logger: .kafkaTest)
+        let serviceGroup = ServiceGroup(configuration: svcGroupConfig)
+
+        // explicitly run and cancel message consuming task before serviceGroup.run()
+        let consumingTask = Task {
+            for try await record in consumer.messages {
+                XCTFail("Unexpected record \(record))")
+            }
+        }
+
+        try await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(1))
+
+        // explicitly cancel message consuming task before serviceGroup.run()
+        consumingTask.cancel()
+
+        try await withThrowingTaskGroup(of: Void.self) { group in
+            // Run Task
+            group.addTask {
+                try await serviceGroup.run()
+            }
+
+            try await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(1))
+
+            // Shutdown the serviceGroup
+            await serviceGroup.triggerGracefulShutdown()
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaProducerTests.swift b/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaProducerTests.swift
index de083b97..14b83303 100644
--- a/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaProducerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/KafkaTests/KafkaProducerTests.swift
@@ -377,4 +377,44 @@ final class KafkaProducerTests: XCTestCase {
         let value = try metrics.expectGauge("operations").lastValue
         XCTAssertNotNil(value)
     }
+
+    func testProducerConstructDeinit() async throws {
+        let config = KafkaProducerConfiguration(bootstrapBrokerAddresses: [])
+
+        _ = try KafkaProducer(configuration: config, logger: .kafkaTest) // deinit called before run
+        _ = try KafkaProducer.makeProducerWithEvents(configuration: config, logger: .kafkaTest) // deinit called before run
+    }
+
+    func testProducerEventsReadCancelledBeforeRun() async throws {
+        let config = KafkaProducerConfiguration(bootstrapBrokerAddresses: [])
+
+        let (producer, events) = try KafkaProducer.makeProducerWithEvents(configuration: config, logger: .kafkaTest)
+
+        let svcGroupConfig = ServiceGroupConfiguration(services: [producer], logger: .kafkaTest)
+        let serviceGroup = ServiceGroup(configuration: svcGroupConfig)
+
+        // explicitly run and cancel message consuming task before serviceGroup.run()
+        let producerEventsTask = Task {
+            for try await event in events {
+                XCTFail("Unexpected record \(event))")
+            }
+        }
+
+        try await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(1))
+
+        // explicitly cancel message consuming task before serviceGroup.run()
+        producerEventsTask.cancel()
+
+        try await withThrowingTaskGroup(of: Void.self) { group in
+            // Run Task
+            group.addTask {
+                try await serviceGroup.run()
+            }
+
+            try await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(1))
+
+            // Shutdown the serviceGroup
+            await serviceGroup.triggerGracefulShutdown()
+        }
+    }
 }