diff --git a/errors.go b/errors.go
index 6fa1dc75..39ad7455 100644
--- a/errors.go
+++ b/errors.go
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ var (
 	errTopicNotFound = errors.New("requested topic was not found")
 )
 
+type topicNoCreateError string
+
+func (e topicNoCreateError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("topic '%s' does not exist but the manager is configured with NoCreate, so it will not attempt to create it", string(e))
+}
+
 // this regex matches the package name + some hash info, if we're in gomod but not subpackages
 // examples which match
 // * github.com/lovoo/goka/processor.go
diff --git a/topic_manager.go b/topic_manager.go
index a104d38f..202c989c 100644
--- a/topic_manager.go
+++ b/topic_manager.go
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ func NewTopicManager(brokers []string, saramaConfig *sarama.Config, topicManager
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error creating the kafka client: %v", err)
 	}
-	return newTopicManager(brokers, saramaConfig, topicManagerConfig, client, checkBroker)
+	return newTopicManager(saramaConfig, topicManagerConfig, client, checkBroker)
 }
 
-func newTopicManager(brokers []string, saramaConfig *sarama.Config, topicManagerConfig *TopicManagerConfig, client sarama.Client, check checkFunc) (*topicManager, error) {
+func newTopicManager(saramaConfig *sarama.Config, topicManagerConfig *TopicManagerConfig, client sarama.Client, check checkFunc) (*topicManager, error) {
 	if client == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("cannot create topic manager with nil client")
 	}
@@ -172,17 +172,15 @@ func (m *topicManager) ensureExists(topic string, npar, rfactor int, config map[
 
 	partitions, err := m.Partitions(topic)
 
-	if err != nil {
-		if err != errTopicNotFound {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error checking topic: %v", err)
-		}
+	if err != nil && err != errTopicNotFound {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error checking topic: %v", err)
 	}
 	// no topic yet, let's create it
 	if len(partitions) == 0 {
 
 		// (or not)
 		if m.topicManagerConfig.NoCreate {
-			return fmt.Errorf("topic %s does not exist but the manager is configured with NoCreate, so it will not attempt to create it", topic)
+			return topicNoCreateError(topic)
 		}
 
 		return m.createTopic(topic,
@@ -195,7 +193,7 @@ func (m *topicManager) ensureExists(topic string, npar, rfactor int, config map[
 
 	// partitions do not match
 	if len(partitions) != npar {
-		return m.handleConfigMismatch(fmt.Sprintf("partition count mismatch for topic %s. Need %d, but existing topic has %d", topic, npar, len(partitions)))
+		return m.handleConfigMismatch(fmt.Sprintf("partition count mismatch for topic '%s'. Need %d, but existing topic has %d", topic, npar, len(partitions)))
 	}
 
 	// check additional config values via the cluster admin if our current version supports it
diff --git a/topic_manager_test.go b/topic_manager_test.go
index 468307d8..488f0c0b 100644
--- a/topic_manager_test.go
+++ b/topic_manager_test.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func TestTM_newTopicManager(t *testing.T) {
 		bm.client.EXPECT().Brokers().Return([]*sarama.Broker{
 			new(sarama.Broker),
 		})
-		tm, err := newTopicManager(tmTestBrokers, DefaultConfig(), NewTopicManagerConfig(), bm.client, trueCheckFunc)
+		tm, err := newTopicManager(DefaultConfig(), NewTopicManagerConfig(), bm.client, trueCheckFunc)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.Equal(t, tm.client, bm.client)
 		require.NotNil(t, tm.admin)
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ func TestTM_newTopicManager(t *testing.T) {
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		bm := newBuilderMock(ctrl)
 
-		_, err := newTopicManager(tmTestBrokers, nil, nil, bm.client, trueCheckFunc)
+		_, err := newTopicManager(nil, nil, bm.client, trueCheckFunc)
 		require.Error(t, err)
 
-		_, err = newTopicManager(tmTestBrokers, nil, NewTopicManagerConfig(), nil, trueCheckFunc)
+		_, err = newTopicManager(nil, NewTopicManagerConfig(), nil, trueCheckFunc)
 		require.Error(t, err)
 	})
 	t.Run("fail_check", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func TestTM_newTopicManager(t *testing.T) {
 			new(sarama.Broker),
 		})
 
-		_, err := newTopicManager(tmTestBrokers, DefaultConfig(), NewTopicManagerConfig(), bm.client, falseCheckFunc)
+		_, err := newTopicManager(DefaultConfig(), NewTopicManagerConfig(), bm.client, falseCheckFunc)
 		require.Equal(t, err.Error(), "broker check error")
 	})
 }
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func TestTM_EnsureStreamExists(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 
 		err := tm.EnsureStreamExists(topic, npar)
-		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "will not attempt to create it")
+		require.ErrorIs(t, err, topicNoCreateError(topic))
 	})
 	t.Run("fail", func(t *testing.T) {
 		tm, bm, ctrl := createTopicManager(t)