Index: core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/SyncProducer.scala
===================================================================
--- core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/SyncProducer.scala	(revision 1245727)
+++ core/src/main/scala/kafka/producer/SyncProducer.scala	(working copy)
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 import scala.math._
 import kafka.common.MessageSizeTooLargeException
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
+import java.util.Random
 
 object SyncProducer {
   val RequestKey: Short = 0
+  var randomGenerator = new Random()
 }
 
 /*
@@ -40,8 +42,10 @@
   private val MaxConnectBackoffMs = 60000
   private var channel : SocketChannel = null
   private var sentOnConnection = 0
-  private var lastConnectionTime = System.currentTimeMillis
 
+  /** Set to a random value between (now - reconnectTImeInterval) and now **/
+  private var lastConnectionTime = System.currentTimeMillis - config.reconnectInterval + SyncProducer.randomGenerator.nextDouble() * config.reconnectInterval
+
   private val lock = new Object()
   @volatile
   private var shutdown: Boolean = false