diff --git a/clowder/clowder_test.go b/clowder/clowder_test.go
index 89be403..799e21c 100644
--- a/clowder/clowder_test.go
+++ b/clowder/clowder_test.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func TestUseBrokerConfigMultipleKafkaBrokers(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	clowder.UseBrokerConfig(&brokerCfg, &loadedConfig)
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr1, port), addr2}, brokerCfg.Addresses)
+	assert.Equal(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d,%s", addr1, port, addr2), brokerCfg.Addresses)
 }
 
 func TestUseBrokerConfigNoAuthNoPort(t *testing.T) {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func TestUseBrokerConfigNoAuthNoPort(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	clowder.UseBrokerConfig(&brokerCfg, &loadedConfig)
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{addr}, brokerCfg.Addresses)
+	assert.Equal(t, addr, brokerCfg.Addresses)
 }
 
 func TestUseBrokerConfigNoAuth(t *testing.T) {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func TestUseBrokerConfigNoAuth(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	clowder.UseBrokerConfig(&brokerCfg, &loadedConfig)
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port)}, brokerCfg.Addresses)
+	assert.Equal(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port), brokerCfg.Addresses)
 }
 
 func TestUseBrokerConfigAuthEnabledNoSasl(t *testing.T) {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func TestUseBrokerConfigAuthEnabledNoSasl(t *testing.T) {
 		clowder.UseBrokerConfig(&brokerCfg, &loadedConfig)
 	})
 
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port)}, brokerCfg.Addresses)
+	assert.Equal(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port), brokerCfg.Addresses)
 	assert.Contains(t, output, clowder.NoSaslCfg)
 }
 
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ func TestUseBrokerConfigAuthEnabledWithSaslConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		clowder.UseBrokerConfig(&brokerCfg, &loadedConfig)
 	})
 
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port), fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr2, port)}, brokerCfg.Addresses)
+	assert.Equal(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d,%s:%d", addr, port, addr2, port), brokerCfg.Addresses)
 	assert.Contains(t, output, "kafka is configured to use authentication")
 	assert.Equal(t, saslUsr, brokerCfg.SaslUsername)
 	assert.Equal(t, saslPwd, brokerCfg.SaslPassword)
diff --git a/clowder/kafka.go b/clowder/kafka.go
index 19a963a..5ad1b7f 100644
--- a/clowder/kafka.go
+++ b/clowder/kafka.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package clowder
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/RedHatInsights/insights-operator-utils/kafka"
 	api "github.com/redhatinsights/app-common-go/pkg/api/v1"
 )
@@ -32,14 +31,16 @@ const (
 // loaded by Clowder
 func UseBrokerConfig(brokerCfg *kafka.BrokerConfiguration, loadedConfig *api.AppConfig) {
 	if loadedConfig.Kafka != nil && len(loadedConfig.Kafka.Brokers) > 0 {
-		brokerCfg.Addresses = make([]string, len(loadedConfig.Kafka.Brokers))
-		for i, broker := range loadedConfig.Kafka.Brokers {
+		brokerCfg.Addresses = ""
+		for _, broker := range loadedConfig.Kafka.Brokers {
 			if broker.Port != nil {
-				brokerCfg.Addresses[i] = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", broker.Hostname, *broker.Port)
+				brokerCfg.Addresses += fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", broker.Hostname, *broker.Port) + ","
 			} else {
-				brokerCfg.Addresses[i] = broker.Hostname
+				brokerCfg.Addresses += broker.Hostname + ","
 			}
 		}
+		// remove the extra comma
+		brokerCfg.Addresses = brokerCfg.Addresses[:len(brokerCfg.Addresses)-1]
 		// SSL config
 		clowderCfg := loadedConfig.Kafka.Brokers[0]
 		if clowderCfg.Authtype != nil {
diff --git a/kafka/configuration.go b/kafka/configuration.go
index d17df57..3bdccc9 100644
--- a/kafka/configuration.go
+++ b/kafka/configuration.go
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ import (
 
 // BrokerConfiguration represents configuration of a single-instance Kafka broker
 type BrokerConfiguration struct {
-	Addresses        []string      `mapstructure:"addresses" toml:"addresses"`
+	// Viper does not unmarshall automagically to a slice.
+	// Handling a string is easier and nicer than all the code required to do so
+	Addresses        string        `mapstructure:"addresses" toml:"addresses"`
 	SecurityProtocol string        `mapstructure:"security_protocol" toml:"security_protocol"`
 	CertPath         string        `mapstructure:"cert_path" toml:"cert_path"`
 	SaslMechanism    string        `mapstructure:"sasl_mechanism" toml:"sasl_mechanism"`