diff --git a/tester/queueconsumer.go b/tester/queueconsumer.go
index 76428189..dc7c080f 100644
--- a/tester/queueconsumer.go
+++ b/tester/queueconsumer.go
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ const (
 	killed
 )
 
+const (
+	eventBufferQueueSize = 100000
+)
+
 type queueConsumer struct {
 	queue           *queue
 	nextOffset      int64
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ type queueConsumer struct {
 func newQueueConsumer(topic string, queue *queue) *queueConsumer {
 	qc := &queueConsumer{
 		queue:       queue,
-		eventBuffer: make(chan kafka.Event, 100000),
+		eventBuffer: make(chan kafka.Event, eventBufferQueueSize),
 		state:       NewSignal(unbound, bound, stopped, stopping, running, killed).SetState(unbound),
 	}
 	return qc
@@ -165,6 +169,11 @@ func (qc *queueConsumer) addToBuffer(event kafka.Event) {
 	qc.waitEventBuffer.Add(1)
 
 	qc.eventBuffer <- event
+
+	if len(qc.eventBuffer) > eventBufferQueueSize*0.9 {
+		logger.Printf("buffer nearly full: %d, %s. Will drop events.", len(qc.eventBuffer), qc.queue.topic)
+		<-qc.eventBuffer
+	}
 }
 
 func (qc *queueConsumer) startSimpleConsumer(offset int64, firstStart bool) {