diff --git a/lib/kafka/client.rb b/lib/kafka/client.rb
index 66a18afd5..999aa1115 100644
--- a/lib/kafka/client.rb
+++ b/lib/kafka/client.rb
@@ -467,8 +467,7 @@ def create_topic(name, num_partitions: 1, replication_factor: 1, timeout: 30)
     #
     # @return [Array<String>] the list of topic names.
     def topics
-      @cluster.clear_target_topics
-      @cluster.topics
+      @cluster.list_topics
     end
 
     def has_topic?(topic)
diff --git a/lib/kafka/cluster.rb b/lib/kafka/cluster.rb
index 6f7b553ec..2134aa77c 100644
--- a/lib/kafka/cluster.rb
+++ b/lib/kafka/cluster.rb
@@ -232,6 +232,12 @@ def topics
       cluster_info.topics.map(&:topic_name)
     end
 
+    # Lists all topics in the cluster.
+    def list_topics
+      response = random_broker.fetch_metadata(topics: nil)
+      response.topics.map(&:topic_name)
+    end
+
     def disconnect
       @broker_pool.close
     end
diff --git a/lib/kafka/protocol/encoder.rb b/lib/kafka/protocol/encoder.rb
index d8af797fa..2f7fcd06b 100644
--- a/lib/kafka/protocol/encoder.rb
+++ b/lib/kafka/protocol/encoder.rb
@@ -74,8 +74,13 @@ def write_int64(int)
       # @param array [Array]
       # @return [nil]
       def write_array(array, &block)
-        write_int32(array.size)
-        array.each(&block)
+        if array.nil?
+          # An array can be null, which is different from it being empty.
+          write_int32(-1)
+        else
+          write_int32(array.size)
+          array.each(&block)
+        end
       end
 
       # Writes a string to the IO object.
diff --git a/spec/functional/client_spec.rb b/spec/functional/client_spec.rb
index d685072a1..a2dceb910 100644
--- a/spec/functional/client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/functional/client_spec.rb
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
   let!(:topic) { create_random_topic(num_partitions: 3) }
 
   example "listing all topics in the cluster" do
-    expect(kafka.has_topic?(topic)).to eq true
+    # Use a clean Kafka instance to avoid hitting caches.
+    kafka = Kafka.new(seed_brokers: KAFKA_BROKERS, logger: LOGGER)
 
-    topic2 = create_random_topic
+    topics = kafka.topics
 
-    expect(kafka.has_topic?(topic2)).to eq true
+    expect(topics).to include topic
+    expect(kafka.has_topic?(topic)).to eq true
   end
 
   example "fetching the partition count for a topic" do