diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 1a1b260..11e710c 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -212,6 +212,16 @@
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@sindresorhus/is/-/is-0.7.0.tgz",
             "integrity": "sha512-ONhaKPIufzzrlNbqtWFFd+jlnemX6lJAgq9ZeiZtS7I1PIf/la7CW4m83rTXRnVnsMbW2k56pGYu7AUFJD9Pow=="
         },
+        "@types/bluebird": {
+            "version": "3.5.0",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/bluebird/-/bluebird-3.5.0.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-JjNHCk6r6aR82aRf2yDtX5NAe8o="
+        },
+        "@types/lodash": {
+            "version": "4.14.110",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/lodash/-/lodash-4.14.110.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha512-iXYLa6olt4tnsCA+ZXeP6eEW3tk1SulWeYyP/yooWfAtXjozqXgtX4+XUtMuOCfYjKGz3F34++qUc3Q+TJuIIw=="
+        },
         "@types/node": {
             "version": "6.0.111",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-6.0.111.tgz",
@@ -1709,13 +1719,14 @@
             "integrity": "sha1-TK2iGTZS6zyp7I5VyQFWacmAaXg=",
             "dev": true
         },
-        "binary": {
-            "version": "0.3.0",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/binary/-/binary-0.3.0.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-n2BVO8XOjDOG87VTz/R0Yq3sqnk=",
+        "bin-protocol": {
+            "version": "3.0.4",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/bin-protocol/-/bin-protocol-3.0.4.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-RlqdNQb+sOEmtStbIWDZNuFbJ/Q=",
             "requires": {
-                "buffers": "~0.1.1",
-                "chainsaw": "~0.1.0"
+                "lodash": "^4.1.0",
+                "long": "^3.0.3",
+                "protocol-buffers-schema": "^3.0.0"
             }
         },
         "binary-extensions": {
@@ -1730,12 +1741,6 @@
             "integrity": "sha1-HmN0iLNbWL2l9HdL+WpSEqjJB1U=",
             "dev": true
         },
-        "bindings": {
-            "version": "1.3.0",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/bindings/-/bindings-1.3.0.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha512-DpLh5EzMR2kzvX1KIlVC0VkC3iZtHKTgdtZ0a3pglBZdaQFjt5S9g9xd1lE+YvXyfd6mtCeRnrUfOLYiTMlNSw==",
-            "optional": true
-        },
         "bl": {
             "version": "0.9.5",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/bl/-/bl-0.9.5.tgz",
@@ -2833,19 +2838,6 @@
             "integrity": "sha1-JuYe0UIvtw3ULm42cp7VHYVf6Nk=",
             "dev": true
         },
-        "buffermaker": {
-            "version": "1.2.0",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/buffermaker/-/buffermaker-1.2.0.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-u3MlLsCIK3Y56bVWuCnav8LK4bo=",
-            "requires": {
-                "long": "1.1.2"
-            }
-        },
-        "buffers": {
-            "version": "0.1.1",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/buffers/-/buffers-0.1.1.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-skV5w77U1tOWru5tmorn9Ugqt7s="
-        },
         "bufferstreams": {
             "version": "0.0.2",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/bufferstreams/-/bufferstreams-0.0.2.tgz",
@@ -3013,14 +3005,6 @@
                 "type-detect": "^4.0.0"
             }
         },
-        "chainsaw": {
-            "version": "0.1.0",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chainsaw/-/chainsaw-0.1.0.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-XqtQsor+WAdNDVgpE4iCi15fvJg=",
-            "requires": {
-                "traverse": ">=0.3.0 <0.4"
-            }
-        },
         "chalk": {
             "version": "0.5.1",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chalk/-/chalk-0.5.1.tgz",
@@ -3604,6 +3588,11 @@
             "integrity": "sha1-5R0X+PDvDbkKZP20feMFFVbp8Wk=",
             "dev": true
         },
+        "connection-parse": {
+            "version": "0.0.7",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/connection-parse/-/connection-parse-0.0.7.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-GOcxiqsGppkmc3KxDFIm0locmmk="
+        },
         "console-browserify": {
             "version": "1.1.0",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/console-browserify/-/console-browserify-1.1.0.tgz",
@@ -9682,6 +9671,15 @@
                 "minimalistic-assert": "^1.0.0"
             }
         },
+        "hashring": {
+            "version": "3.2.0",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/hashring/-/hashring-3.2.0.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-/aTv3oqiLNuX+x0qZeiEAeHBRM4=",
+            "requires": {
+                "connection-parse": "0.0.x",
+                "simple-lru-cache": "0.0.x"
+            }
+        },
         "hawk": {
             "version": "3.1.3",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/hawk/-/hawk-3.1.3.tgz",
@@ -10960,80 +10958,6 @@
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/jwt-decode/-/jwt-decode-2.2.0.tgz",
             "integrity": "sha1-fYa9VmefWM5qhHBKZX3TkruoGnk="
         },
-        "kafka-node": {
-            "version": "2.6.1",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/kafka-node/-/kafka-node-2.6.1.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha512-tpivkSLjiGHRLwx0YN87fMUATOK4NYWESJneHlpikEBNNA5od7fW/ikovS3tWooMqG4Nri55vPFRUNiNvNBWZA==",
-            "requires": {
-                "async": "^2.5.0",
-                "binary": "~0.3.0",
-                "bl": "^1.2.0",
-                "buffer-crc32": "~0.2.5",
-                "buffermaker": "~1.2.0",
-                "debug": "^2.1.3",
-                "lodash": "^4.17.4",
-                "minimatch": "^3.0.2",
-                "nested-error-stacks": "^2.0.0",
-                "node-zookeeper-client": "~0.2.2",
-                "optional": "^0.1.3",
-                "retry": "^0.10.1",
-                "snappy": "^6.0.1",
-                "uuid": "^3.0.0"
-            },
-            "dependencies": {
-                "async": {
-                    "version": "2.6.1",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/async/-/async-2.6.1.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha512-fNEiL2+AZt6AlAw/29Cr0UDe4sRAHCpEHh54WMz+Bb7QfNcFw4h3loofyJpLeQs4Yx7yuqu/2dLgM5hKOs6HlQ==",
-                    "requires": {
-                        "lodash": "^4.17.10"
-                    },
-                    "dependencies": {
-                        "lodash": {
-                            "version": "4.17.10",
-                            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.10.tgz",
-                            "integrity": "sha512-UejweD1pDoXu+AD825lWwp4ZGtSwgnpZxb3JDViD7StjQz+Nb/6l093lx4OQ0foGWNRoc19mWy7BzL+UAK2iVg=="
-                        }
-                    }
-                },
-                "bl": {
-                    "version": "1.2.2",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/bl/-/bl-1.2.2.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha512-e8tQYnZodmebYDWGH7KMRvtzKXaJHx3BbilrgZCfvyLUYdKpK1t5PSPmpkny/SgiTSCnjfLW7v5rlONXVFkQEA==",
-                    "requires": {
-                        "readable-stream": "^2.3.5",
-                        "safe-buffer": "^5.1.1"
-                    }
-                },
-                "process-nextick-args": {
-                    "version": "2.0.0",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/process-nextick-args/-/process-nextick-args-2.0.0.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha512-MtEC1TqN0EU5nephaJ4rAtThHtC86dNN9qCuEhtshvpVBkAW5ZO7BASN9REnF9eoXGcRub+pFuKEpOHE+HbEMw=="
-                },
-                "readable-stream": {
-                    "version": "2.3.6",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/readable-stream/-/readable-stream-2.3.6.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha512-tQtKA9WIAhBF3+VLAseyMqZeBjW0AHJoxOtYqSUZNJxauErmLbVm2FW1y+J/YA9dUrAC39ITejlZWhVIwawkKw==",
-                    "requires": {
-                        "core-util-is": "~1.0.0",
-                        "inherits": "~2.0.3",
-                        "isarray": "~1.0.0",
-                        "process-nextick-args": "~2.0.0",
-                        "safe-buffer": "~5.1.1",
-                        "string_decoder": "~1.1.1",
-                        "util-deprecate": "~1.0.1"
-                    }
-                },
-                "string_decoder": {
-                    "version": "1.1.1",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/string_decoder/-/string_decoder-1.1.1.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha512-n/ShnvDi6FHbbVfviro+WojiFzv+s8MPMHBczVePfUpDJLwoLT0ht1l4YwBCbi8pJAveEEdnkHyPyTP/mzRfwg==",
-                    "requires": {
-                        "safe-buffer": "~5.1.0"
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        },
         "kareem": {
             "version": "1.5.0",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/kareem/-/kareem-1.5.0.tgz",
@@ -11933,9 +11857,9 @@
             }
         },
         "long": {
-            "version": "1.1.2",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/long/-/long-1.1.2.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-6u9ZUcp1UdlpJrgtokLbnWso+1M="
+            "version": "3.2.0",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/long/-/long-3.2.0.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-2CG3E4yhy1gcFymQ7xTbIAtcR0s="
         },
         "loose-envify": {
             "version": "1.3.1",
@@ -12674,18 +12598,17 @@
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/muri/-/muri-1.2.2.tgz",
             "integrity": "sha1-YxmBMmUNsIoEzHnM0A3Tia/SYxw="
         },
+        "murmur-hash-js": {
+            "version": "1.0.0",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/murmur-hash-js/-/murmur-hash-js-1.0.0.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-UEEEkmnJZjPIZjhpYLL0KJ515bA="
+        },
         "mute-stream": {
             "version": "0.0.7",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/mute-stream/-/mute-stream-0.0.7.tgz",
             "integrity": "sha1-MHXOk7whuPq0PhvE2n6BFe0ee6s=",
             "dev": true
         },
-        "nan": {
-            "version": "2.10.0",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/nan/-/nan-2.10.0.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha512-bAdJv7fBLhWC+/Bls0Oza+mvTaNQtP+1RyhhhvD95pgUJz6XM5IzgmxOkItJ9tkoCiplvAnXI1tNmmUD/eScyA==",
-            "optional": true
-        },
         "nanomatch": {
             "version": "1.2.9",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/nanomatch/-/nanomatch-1.2.9.tgz",
@@ -12749,14 +12672,6 @@
             "resolved": "http://registry.npm.taobao.org/negotiator/download/negotiator-0.6.1.tgz",
             "integrity": "sha1-KzJxhOiZIQEXeyhWP7XnECrNDKk="
         },
-        "nested-error-stacks": {
-            "version": "2.0.0",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/nested-error-stacks/-/nested-error-stacks-2.0.0.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-mLL/rvtGEPo5NvHnFDXTBwDeKEA=",
-            "requires": {
-                "inherits": "~2.0.1"
-            }
-        },
         "next-tick": {
             "version": "0.2.2",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/next-tick/-/next-tick-0.2.2.tgz",
@@ -12838,6 +12753,14 @@
                 }
             }
         },
+        "nice-simple-logger": {
+            "version": "1.0.1",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/nice-simple-logger/-/nice-simple-logger-1.0.1.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-D55khSe+e+PkmrdvqMjAmK+VG/Y=",
+            "requires": {
+                "lodash": "^4.3.0"
+            }
+        },
         "no-case": {
             "version": "2.3.2",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/no-case/-/no-case-2.3.2.tgz",
@@ -12847,33 +12770,36 @@
                 "lower-case": "^1.1.1"
             }
         },
+        "no-kafka": {
+            "version": "3.2.10",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/no-kafka/-/no-kafka-3.2.10.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-0sq8QwZbSS24wVyiOK6V8WgIGvU=",
+            "requires": {
+                "@types/bluebird": "3.5.0",
+                "@types/lodash": "^4.14.55",
+                "bin-protocol": "^3.0.4",
+                "bluebird": "^3.3.3",
+                "buffer-crc32": "^0.2.5",
+                "hashring": "^3.2.0",
+                "lodash": "=4.17.5",
+                "murmur-hash-js": "^1.0.0",
+                "nice-simple-logger": "^1.0.1",
+                "wrr-pool": "^1.0.3"
+            },
+            "dependencies": {
+                "lodash": {
+                    "version": "4.17.5",
+                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.5.tgz",
+                    "integrity": "sha512-svL3uiZf1RwhH+cWrfZn3A4+U58wbP0tGVTLQPbjplZxZ8ROD9VLuNgsRniTlLe7OlSqR79RUehXgpBW/s0IQw=="
+                }
+            }
+        },
         "node-useref": {
             "version": "0.3.15",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-useref/-/node-useref-0.3.15.tgz",
             "integrity": "sha1-qMXcE3RY8Vd17nE3sqbth8fwgeU=",
             "dev": true
         },
-        "node-zookeeper-client": {
-            "version": "0.2.2",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-zookeeper-client/-/node-zookeeper-client-0.2.2.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-CXvaAZme749gLOBotjJgAGnb9oU=",
-            "requires": {
-                "async": "~0.2.7",
-                "underscore": "~1.4.4"
-            },
-            "dependencies": {
-                "async": {
-                    "version": "0.2.10",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/async/-/async-0.2.10.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha1-trvgsGdLnXGXCMo43owjfLUmw9E="
-                },
-                "underscore": {
-                    "version": "1.4.4",
-                    "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/underscore/-/underscore-1.4.4.tgz",
-                    "integrity": "sha1-YaajIBBiKvoHljvzJSA88SI51gQ="
-                }
-            }
-        },
         "normalize-package-data": {
             "version": "2.4.0",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/normalize-package-data/-/normalize-package-data-2.4.0.tgz",
@@ -13098,11 +13024,6 @@
                 "wordwrap": "~0.0.2"
             }
         },
-        "optional": {
-            "version": "0.1.4",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/optional/-/optional-0.1.4.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha512-gtvrrCfkE08wKcgXaVwQVgwEQ8vel2dc5DDBn9RLQZ3YtmtkBss6A2HY6BnJH4N/4Ku97Ri/SF8sNWE2225WJw=="
-        },
         "optionator": {
             "version": "0.8.2",
             "resolved": "http://registry.npm.taobao.org/optionator/download/optionator-0.8.2.tgz",
@@ -13799,6 +13720,11 @@
             "integrity": "sha1-oEmjVouJZEAGfRXY7J8zc15XAXg=",
             "dev": true
         },
+        "protocol-buffers-schema": {
+            "version": "3.3.2",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/protocol-buffers-schema/-/protocol-buffers-schema-3.3.2.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha512-Xdayp8sB/mU+sUV4G7ws8xtYMGdQnxbeIfLjyO9TZZRJdztBGhlmbI5x1qcY4TG5hBkIKGnc28i7nXxaugu88w=="
+        },
         "protractor": {
             "version": "5.1.2",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/protractor/-/protractor-5.1.2.tgz",
@@ -14666,11 +14592,6 @@
             "integrity": "sha512-TTlYpa+OL+vMMNG24xSlQGEJ3B/RzEfUlLct7b5G/ytav+wPrplCpVMFuwzXbkecJrb6IYo1iFb0S9v37754mg==",
             "dev": true
         },
-        "retry": {
-            "version": "0.10.1",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/retry/-/retry-0.10.1.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-52OI0heZLCUnUCQdPTlW/tmNj/Q="
-        },
         "rimraf": {
             "version": "2.6.1",
             "resolved": "http://registry.npm.taobao.org/rimraf/download/rimraf-2.6.1.tgz",
@@ -14972,6 +14893,11 @@
             "integrity": "sha1-Krt1qt453rXMgVzhDmGRFkhQuvA=",
             "dev": true
         },
+        "simple-lru-cache": {
+            "version": "0.0.2",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/simple-lru-cache/-/simple-lru-cache-0.0.2.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-1ZzDoZPBpdAyD4Tucy9uRxPlEd0="
+        },
         "sizzle": {
             "version": "2.3.3",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/sizzle/-/sizzle-2.3.3.tgz",
@@ -15107,16 +15033,6 @@
                 "kind-of": "^3.2.0"
             }
         },
-        "snappy": {
-            "version": "6.0.4",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/snappy/-/snappy-6.0.4.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha512-+MjETxi/G7fLtiLFWW9n9VLzpJvOVqRRohJ7kTgaU4bUJ37rsoWwxhZzO91BOB7sCgOILtKsGtCUviUo3REIfQ==",
-            "optional": true,
-            "requires": {
-                "bindings": "^1.3.0",
-                "nan": "^2.10.0"
-            }
-        },
         "sntp": {
             "version": "1.0.9",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/sntp/-/sntp-1.0.9.tgz",
@@ -16191,11 +16107,6 @@
                 }
             }
         },
-        "traverse": {
-            "version": "0.3.9",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/traverse/-/traverse-0.3.9.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha1-cXuPIgzAu3tE5AUUwisui7xw2Lk="
-        },
         "tree-kill": {
             "version": "1.2.0",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tree-kill/-/tree-kill-1.2.0.tgz",
@@ -17079,6 +16990,14 @@
                 "mkdirp": "^0.5.1"
             }
         },
+        "wrr-pool": {
+            "version": "1.1.3",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/wrr-pool/-/wrr-pool-1.1.3.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha1-/a0i8uofMDY//l14HPeUl6d/8H4=",
+            "requires": {
+                "lodash": "^4.0.1"
+            }
+        },
         "ws": {
             "version": "1.1.1",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ws/-/ws-1.1.1.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 22b53e6..ebd09fb 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@
         "jquery": "~2.1.1",
         "jsonwebtoken": "^7.4.3",
         "jwt-decode": "^2.2.0",
-        "kafka-node": "^2.2.3",
         "lodash": "^4.17.4",
         "metismenu": "~2.0.2",
         "mongoose": "^4.11.9",
+        "no-kafka": "^3.2.10",
         "octonode": "^0.9.2",
         "pace-js": "~1.0.2",
         "parse-domain": "^2.1.2",
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index 6cf8b93..8ce51d9 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ module.exports = {
   // kafka configuration
   TOPIC: process.env.TOPIC || 'tc-x-events',
   KAFKA_OPTIONS: {
-    kafkaHost: process.env.KAFKA_HOST || 'localhost:9092',
-    sslOptions: {
+    connectionString: process.env.KAFKA_HOST || 'localhost:9092',
+    ssl: {
       cert: process.env.KAFKA_CLIENT_CERT || fs.readFileSync('./kafka_client.cer'), // eslint-disable-line no-sync
       key: process.env.KAFKA_CLIENT_CERT_KEY || fs.readFileSync('./kafka_client.key'), // eslint-disable-line no-sync
     },
   },
-  HOOK_BASE_URL: process.env.HOOK_BASE_URL || 'http://x.topcoder-dev.com/',
+  HOOK_BASE_URL: process.env.HOOK_BASE_URL || 'http://x.topcoder-dev.com',
   TOPCODER_ENV: process.env.TOPCODER_ENV || 'dev',
   LABELS: process.env.LABELS || [{ name: 'Open for pickup', color: '112233' }, { name: 'Assigned', color: '445566' }, { name: 'Ready for review', color: '123123' }, { name: 'Paid', color: '456456' }, { name: 'Feedback', color: 'ff0011' }, { name: 'Fix accepted', color: 'aabb11' }],
   ALLOWED_TOPCODER_ROLES: process.env.ALLOWED_TOPCODER_ROLES || ['administrator', 'admin', 'connect manager', 'connect admin'],
diff --git a/src/utils/kafka.js b/src/utils/kafka.js
index effedf1..76750b4 100644
--- a/src/utils/kafka.js
+++ b/src/utils/kafka.js
@@ -9,33 +9,22 @@
  */
 
 
-const {promisify} = require('util');
-const kafka = require('kafka-node');
+const kafka = require('no-kafka');
 const config = require('../config');
 const logger = require('../common/logger');
 
 class Kafka {
   constructor() {
-    this.client = new kafka.KafkaClient(config.KAFKA_OPTIONS);
-    this.producer = new kafka.Producer(this.client);
-    this.producer.on('ready', () => {
+    this.producer = new kafka.Producer(config.KAFKA_OPTIONS);
+    this.producer.init().then(() => {
       logger.info('kafka producer is ready.');
-
-      this.producer.createTopics([config.TOPIC], true, (err) => {
-        if (err) {
-          logger.error(`error in creating topic: ${config.TOPIC}, error: ${err.stack}`);
-        } else {
-          logger.info(`kafka topic: ${config.TOPIC} is ready`);
-        }
-      });
-    });
-    this.producer.on('error', (err) => {
+    }).catch((err) => {
       logger.error(`kafka is not connected. ${err.stack}`);
     });
-    this.sendAsync = promisify(this.producer.send).bind(this.producer);
   }
+
   send(message) {
-    return this.sendAsync([{topic: config.TOPIC, messages: message}]);
+    return this.producer.send({ topic: config.TOPIC, message: { value: message } });
   }
 }