diff --git a/lib/baseProducer.js b/lib/baseProducer.js
index 55854c70..12cb9f7d 100644
--- a/lib/baseProducer.js
+++ b/lib/baseProducer.js
@@ -82,7 +82,13 @@ BaseProducer.prototype.connect = function () {
   // emiter...
   var self = this;
   this.ready = this.client.ready;
-  if (this.ready) self.emit('ready');
+  if (this.ready) {
+    // Emit the ready event in next tick to give consumers a chance to set up
+    // a `ready` listener
+    setImmediate(function () {
+      self.emit('ready');
+    });
+  }
   this.client.on('ready', function () {
     if (!self.ready) {
       self.ready = true;
diff --git a/test/test.baseProducer.js b/test/test.baseProducer.js
index 5c53d9d4..7b8e7d98 100644
--- a/test/test.baseProducer.js
+++ b/test/test.baseProducer.js
@@ -10,6 +10,33 @@ const async = require('async');
 const should = require('should');
 
 describe('BaseProducer', function () {
+  describe('ready event', function () {
+    const KAFKA_HOST = 'localhost:9092';
+    let client;
+    before(function () {
+      client = new KafkaClient({
+        kafkaHost: KAFKA_HOST
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('can listen on the ready event before the client is connected', function (done) {
+      const producer = new BaseProducer(client, {}, BaseProducer.PARTITIONER_TYPES.default);
+      producer.once('ready', function () {
+        should(producer.ready).be.true;
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('can listen on the ready event after the client is connected', function (done) {
+      should(client.ready).be.true;
+      const producer = new BaseProducer(client, {}, BaseProducer.PARTITIONER_TYPES.default);
+      producer.once('ready', function () {
+        should(producer.ready).be.true;
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('encoding and decoding key attribute', function () {
     const KAFKA_HOST = 'localhost:9092';
     let consumerGroup, topic, producer;