diff --git a/src/kafka/inflight_activation_batcher.rs b/src/kafka/inflight_activation_batcher.rs
index 33b9ad8..7a02b66 100644
--- a/src/kafka/inflight_activation_batcher.rs
+++ b/src/kafka/inflight_activation_batcher.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ use super::consumer::{
 };
 
 pub struct ActivationBatcherConfig {
-    pub kafka_config: ClientConfig,
+    pub producer_config: ClientConfig,
+    pub kafka_cluster: String,
     pub kafka_topic: String,
     pub kafka_long_topic: String,
     pub send_timeout_ms: u64,
@@ -30,7 +31,8 @@ impl ActivationBatcherConfig {
     /// Convert from application configuration into ActivationBatcher config.
     pub fn from_config(config: &Config) -> Self {
         Self {
-            kafka_config: config.kafka_producer_config(),
+            producer_config: config.kafka_producer_config(),
+            kafka_cluster: config.kafka_cluster.clone(),
             kafka_topic: config.kafka_topic.clone(),
             kafka_long_topic: config.kafka_long_topic.clone(),
             send_timeout_ms: config.kafka_send_timeout_ms,
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ pub struct InflightActivationBatcher {
     config: ActivationBatcherConfig,
     runtime_config_manager: Arc<RuntimeConfigManager>,
     producer: Arc<FutureProducer>,
+    producer_cluster: String,
 }
 
 impl InflightActivationBatcher {
@@ -57,10 +60,15 @@ impl InflightActivationBatcher {
     ) -> Self {
         let producer: Arc<FutureProducer> = Arc::new(
             config
-                .kafka_config
+                .producer_config
                 .create()
                 .expect("Could not create kafka producer in inflight activation batcher"),
         );
+        let producer_cluster = config
+            .producer_config
+            .get("bootstrap.servers")
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_owned();
         Self {
             batch: Vec::with_capacity(config.max_batch_len),
             batch_size: 0,
@@ -68,6 +76,7 @@ impl InflightActivationBatcher {
             config,
             runtime_config_manager,
             producer,
+            producer_cluster,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -136,6 +145,20 @@ impl Reducer for InflightActivationBatcher {
         // Send all forward batch in parallel
         if !self.forward_batch.is_empty() {
             let runtime_config = self.runtime_config_manager.read().await;
+            let forward_cluster = runtime_config
+                .demoted_topic_cluster
+                .clone()
+                .unwrap_or(self.config.kafka_cluster.clone());
+            if self.producer_cluster != forward_cluster {
+                let mut new_config = self.config.producer_config.clone();
+                new_config.set("bootstrap.servers", &forward_cluster);
+                self.producer = Arc::new(
+                    new_config
+                        .create()
+                        .expect("Could not create kafka producer in inflight activation batcher"),
+                );
+                self.producer_cluster = forward_cluster;
+            }
             let forward_topic = runtime_config
                 .demoted_topic
                 .clone()
@@ -442,7 +465,9 @@ demoted_namespaces:
 drop_task_killswitch:
   -
 demoted_namespaces:
-  - bad_namespace"#;
+  - bad_namespace
+demoted_topic_cluster: 0.0.0.0:9092
+demoted_topic: taskworker-demoted"#;
 
         let test_path = "test_forward_task_due_to_demoted_namespace.yaml";
         fs::write(test_path, test_yaml).await.unwrap();
@@ -453,8 +478,8 @@ demoted_namespaces:
             ActivationBatcherConfig::from_config(&config),
             runtime_config,
         );
-        println!("kafka_topic: {:?}", config.kafka_topic);
-        println!("kafka_long_topic: {:?}", config.kafka_long_topic);
+
+        assert_eq!(batcher.producer_cluster, config.kafka_cluster.clone());
 
         let inflight_activation_0 = InflightActivation {
             id: "0".to_string(),
@@ -534,6 +559,7 @@ demoted_namespaces:
         assert_eq!(flush_result.as_ref().unwrap()[0].taskname, "good_task");
         assert_eq!(batcher.batch.len(), 0);
         assert_eq!(batcher.forward_batch.len(), 0);
+        assert_eq!(batcher.producer_cluster, "0.0.0.0:9092");
 
         fs::remove_file(test_path).await.unwrap();
     }
diff --git a/src/runtime_config.rs b/src/runtime_config.rs
index 460d8f9..cbd40fc 100644
--- a/src/runtime_config.rs
+++ b/src/runtime_config.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ pub struct RuntimeConfig {
     /// Tasks from these namespaces will be automatically forwarded to the "long" namespace
     /// to prevent them from blocking other tasks in shared namespaces.
     pub demoted_namespaces: Vec<String>,
+    /// The cluster to forward tasks from demoted namespaces to.
+    /// If not set, the current cluster taskbroker is consuming from will be used.
+    pub demoted_topic_cluster: Option<String>,
     /// The topic to forward tasks from demoted namespaces to.
     /// If not set, the taskworker-long topic will be used
     pub demoted_topic: Option<String>,
@@ -176,6 +179,7 @@ drop_task_killswitch:
   -
 demoted_namespaces:
   - bad_namespace
+demoted_topic_cluster: kafka:9092
 demoted_topic: taskworker-demoted-topic"#;
 
         let test_path = "test_demoted_namespaces.yaml";
@@ -183,6 +187,10 @@ demoted_topic: taskworker-demoted-topic"#;
 
         let runtime_config = RuntimeConfigManager::new(Some(test_path.to_string())).await;
         let config = runtime_config.read().await;
+        assert_eq!(
+            config.demoted_topic_cluster.as_deref().unwrap(),
+            "kafka:9092"
+        );
         assert_eq!(config.demoted_namespaces.len(), 1);
         assert_eq!(config.demoted_namespaces[0], "bad_namespace");
         assert_eq!(
diff --git a/src/upkeep.rs b/src/upkeep.rs
index 4684f6c..898522f 100644
--- a/src/upkeep.rs
+++ b/src/upkeep.rs
@@ -284,12 +284,25 @@ pub async fn do_upkeep(
 
     // 12. Forward tasks from demoted namespaces to "long" namespace
     let demoted_namespaces = runtime_config.demoted_namespaces.clone();
+    let forward_cluster = runtime_config
+        .demoted_topic_cluster
+        .clone()
+        .unwrap_or(config.kafka_cluster.clone());
     let forward_topic = runtime_config
         .demoted_topic
         .clone()
         .unwrap_or(config.kafka_long_topic.clone());
-    if !demoted_namespaces.is_empty() && forward_topic != config.kafka_topic {
+    let same_cluster = forward_cluster == config.kafka_cluster;
+    let same_topic = forward_topic == config.kafka_topic;
+    if !(demoted_namespaces.is_empty() || (same_cluster && same_topic)) {
         let forward_demoted_start = Instant::now();
+        let mut forward_producer_config = config.kafka_producer_config();
+        forward_producer_config.set("bootstrap.servers", &forward_cluster);
+        let forward_producer: Arc<FutureProducer> = Arc::new(
+            forward_producer_config
+                .create()
+                .expect("Could not create kafka producer in upkeep"),
+        );
         if let Ok(tasks) = store
             .get_pending_activations_from_namespaces(Some(&demoted_namespaces), None)
             .await
@@ -298,13 +311,13 @@ pub async fn do_upkeep(
             let deliveries = tasks
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(|inflight| {
-                    let producer = producer.clone();
+                    let forward_producer = forward_producer.clone();
                     let config = config.clone();
                     let topic = forward_topic.clone();
                     async move {
                         metrics::counter!("upkeep.forward_task_demoted_namespace", "namespace" => inflight.namespace.clone(), "taskname" => inflight.taskname.clone()).increment(1);
 
-                        let delivery = producer
+                        let delivery = forward_producer
                             .send(
                                 FutureRecord::<(), Vec<u8>>::to(&topic)
                                     .payload(&inflight.activation),