diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/ForwardingManager.scala b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/ForwardingManager.scala
index 1ae98f1e03805..bc91961b34666 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/ForwardingManager.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/ForwardingManager.scala
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import org.apache.kafka.common.utils.{LogContext, Time}
 import scala.compat.java8.OptionConverters._
 import scala.concurrent.TimeoutException
 
-class ForwardingManager(channelManager: BrokerToControllerChannelManager,
+class ForwardingManager(val channelManager: BrokerToControllerChannelManager,
                         time: Time,
                         retryTimeoutMs: Long,
                         logContext: LogContext) extends Logging {
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala
index b679e0fe3bf64..c4a8d7ddb3584 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import java.lang.{Long => JLong}
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import java.util
 import java.util.{Collections, Optional, Properties}
-import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap
+import java.util.concurrent.{CompletableFuture, ConcurrentHashMap}
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
 
 import kafka.admin.{AdminUtils, RackAwareMode}
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ import org.apache.kafka.common.config.{AbstractConfig, ConfigDef, ConfigResource
 import org.apache.kafka.common.errors._
 import org.apache.kafka.common.internals.{FatalExitError, Topic}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.internals.Topic.{GROUP_METADATA_TOPIC_NAME, TRANSACTION_STATE_TOPIC_NAME, isInternal}
-import org.apache.kafka.common.message.CreateTopicsRequestData.CreatableTopic
+import org.apache.kafka.common.message.CreateTopicsRequestData.{CreatableTopic, CreatableTopicCollection, CreateableTopicConfig, CreateableTopicConfigCollection}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.CreatePartitionsResponseData.CreatePartitionsTopicResult
-import org.apache.kafka.common.message.{AddOffsetsToTxnResponseData, AlterClientQuotasResponseData, AlterConfigsResponseData, AlterPartitionReassignmentsResponseData, AlterReplicaLogDirsResponseData, CreateAclsResponseData, CreatePartitionsResponseData, CreateTopicsResponseData, DeleteAclsResponseData, DeleteGroupsResponseData, DeleteRecordsResponseData, DeleteTopicsResponseData, DescribeAclsResponseData, DescribeClientQuotasResponseData, DescribeConfigsResponseData, DescribeGroupsResponseData, DescribeLogDirsResponseData, EndTxnResponseData, ExpireDelegationTokenResponseData, FindCoordinatorResponseData, HeartbeatResponseData, InitProducerIdResponseData, JoinGroupResponseData, LeaveGroupResponseData, ListGroupsResponseData, ListOffsetResponseData, ListPartitionReassignmentsResponseData, MetadataResponseData, OffsetCommitRequestData, OffsetCommitResponseData, OffsetDeleteResponseData, RenewDelegationTokenResponseData, SaslAuthenticateResponseData, SaslHandshakeResponseData, StopReplicaResponseData, SyncGroupResponseData, UpdateMetadataResponseData}
+import org.apache.kafka.common.message.{AddOffsetsToTxnResponseData, AlterClientQuotasResponseData, AlterConfigsResponseData, AlterPartitionReassignmentsResponseData, AlterReplicaLogDirsResponseData, CreateAclsResponseData, CreatePartitionsResponseData, CreateTopicsRequestData, CreateTopicsResponseData, DeleteAclsResponseData, DeleteGroupsResponseData, DeleteRecordsResponseData, DeleteTopicsResponseData, DescribeAclsResponseData, DescribeClientQuotasResponseData, DescribeConfigsResponseData, DescribeGroupsResponseData, DescribeLogDirsResponseData, EndTxnResponseData, ExpireDelegationTokenResponseData, FindCoordinatorResponseData, HeartbeatResponseData, InitProducerIdResponseData, JoinGroupResponseData, LeaveGroupResponseData, ListGroupsResponseData, ListOffsetResponseData, ListPartitionReassignmentsResponseData, MetadataResponseData, OffsetCommitRequestData, OffsetCommitResponseData, OffsetDeleteResponseData, OffsetForLeaderEpochResponseData, RenewDelegationTokenResponseData, SaslAuthenticateResponseData, SaslHandshakeResponseData, StopReplicaResponseData, SyncGroupResponseData, UpdateMetadataResponseData}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.CreateTopicsResponseData.{CreatableTopicResult, CreatableTopicResultCollection}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.DeleteGroupsResponseData.{DeletableGroupResult, DeletableGroupResultCollection}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.AlterPartitionReassignmentsResponseData.{ReassignablePartitionResponse, ReassignableTopicResponse}
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ import org.apache.kafka.common.message.LeaveGroupResponseData.MemberResponse
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.ListOffsetRequestData.ListOffsetPartition
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.ListOffsetResponseData.{ListOffsetPartitionResponse, ListOffsetTopicResponse}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.OffsetForLeaderEpochRequestData.OffsetForLeaderTopic
-import org.apache.kafka.common.message.OffsetForLeaderEpochResponseData
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.OffsetForLeaderEpochResponseData.{EpochEndOffset, OffsetForLeaderTopicResult, OffsetForLeaderTopicResultCollection}
 import org.apache.kafka.common.metrics.Metrics
 import org.apache.kafka.common.network.{ListenerName, Send}
@@ -91,6 +90,7 @@ import scala.collection.{Map, Seq, Set, immutable, mutable}
 import scala.util.{Failure, Success, Try}
 import kafka.coordinator.group.GroupOverview
 import kafka.server.metadata.ConfigRepository
+import org.apache.kafka.clients.ClientResponse
 import org.apache.kafka.common.message.DescribeConfigsRequestData.DescribeConfigsResource
 import org.apache.kafka.common.requests.DescribeConfigsResponse.ConfigSource
 
@@ -1189,12 +1189,34 @@ class KafkaApis(val requestChannel: RequestChannel,
                           properties: util.Properties = new util.Properties()): MetadataResponseTopic = {
     try {
       if (adminZkClient == null) {
-        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Auto topic creation is not yet supported in KIP-500 mode")
+        if (replicationFactor < 1 || replicationFactor > Short.MaxValue) {
+          throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Illegal replication factor: $replicationFactor")
+        }
+        val topics = new CreatableTopicCollection()
+        val configs = new CreateableTopicConfigCollection()
+        properties.forEach { (k, v) => configs.add(new CreateableTopicConfig().setName(k.toString).setValue(v.toString)) }
+        topics.add(new CreatableTopic().setName(topic).setNumPartitions(numPartitions).setReplicationFactor(replicationFactor.toShort).setConfigs(configs))
+        // send the request and block waiting for it to complete
+        val topicCreateFuture = new CompletableFuture[ClientResponse]()
+        forwardingManager.channelManager.sendRequest(
+          new CreateTopicsRequest.Builder(new CreateTopicsRequestData().setTopics(topics)),
+          (clientResponse: ClientResponse) => {topicCreateFuture.complete(clientResponse)})
+        val clientResponse = topicCreateFuture.get()
+        val createTopicResponse = clientResponse.responseBody().asInstanceOf[CreateTopicsResponse]
+        val topicResult = createTopicResponse.data().topics().find(topic)
+        val errorCode = topicResult.errorCode()
+        val errorToReturn = if (errorCode == Errors.NONE.code() || errorCode == Errors.TOPIC_ALREADY_EXISTS.code()) {
+          Errors.LEADER_NOT_AVAILABLE // this is what we return upon either our or somebody else's success
+        } else {
+          Errors.forCode(errorCode) // failure for some reason; return that back
+        }
+        metadataResponseTopic(errorToReturn, topic, isInternal(topic), util.Collections.emptyList())
+      } else {
+        adminZkClient.createTopic(topic, numPartitions, replicationFactor, properties, RackAwareMode.Safe)
+        info("Auto creation of topic %s with %d partitions and replication factor %d is successful"
+          .format(topic, numPartitions, replicationFactor))
+        metadataResponseTopic(Errors.LEADER_NOT_AVAILABLE, topic, isInternal(topic), util.Collections.emptyList())
       }
-      adminZkClient.createTopic(topic, numPartitions, replicationFactor, properties, RackAwareMode.Safe)
-      info("Auto creation of topic %s with %d partitions and replication factor %d is successful"
-        .format(topic, numPartitions, replicationFactor))
-      metadataResponseTopic(Errors.LEADER_NOT_AVAILABLE, topic, isInternal(topic), util.Collections.emptyList())
     } catch {
       case _: TopicExistsException => // let it go, possibly another broker created this topic
         metadataResponseTopic(Errors.LEADER_NOT_AVAILABLE, topic, isInternal(topic), util.Collections.emptyList())