diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 7e7bc178f..1207f691f 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -568,6 +568,17 @@ Example of complete authorization file
         ]
     }
 
+Karapace Schema Registry access to the schemas topic
+====================================================
+
+The principal used by the Karapace Schema Registry has to have adequate access to the schemas topic (see the ``topic_name`` configuration option above).
+In addition to what is required to access the topic, as described in the Confluent Schema Registry documentation_, the unique, single-member consumer group
+used by consumers in the schema registry needs ``Describe`` and ``Read`` permissions_ on the group.
+These unique (per instance of the schema registry) consumer group names are prefixed by ``karapace-autogenerated-``, followed by a random string.
+
+.. _`documentation`: https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/schema-registry/security/index.html#authorizing-access-to-the-schemas-topic
+.. _`permissions`: https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/kafka/authorization.html#group-resource-type-operations
+
 OAuth2 authentication and authorization of Karapace REST proxy
 ===================================================================
 
diff --git a/karapace/schema_reader.py b/karapace/schema_reader.py
index f3d7dd5b9..750992686 100644
--- a/karapace/schema_reader.py
+++ b/karapace/schema_reader.py
@@ -12,12 +12,14 @@
 from enum import Enum
 from jsonschema.validators import Draft7Validator
 from kafka.errors import (
+    GroupAuthorizationFailedError,
     InvalidReplicationFactorError,
     KafkaConfigurationError,
     KafkaTimeoutError,
     NoBrokersAvailable,
     NodeNotReadyError,
     TopicAlreadyExistsError,
+    TopicAuthorizationFailedError,
     UnknownTopicOrPartitionError,
 )
 from karapace import constants
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@
 from karapace.errors import InvalidReferences, InvalidSchema
 from karapace.in_memory_database import InMemoryDatabase
 from karapace.kafka.admin import KafkaAdminClient
+from karapace.kafka.common import translate_from_kafkaerror
 from karapace.kafka.consumer import KafkaConsumer
 from karapace.key_format import is_key_in_canonical_format, KeyFormatter, KeyMode
 from karapace.master_coordinator import MasterCoordinator
@@ -316,13 +319,23 @@ def handle_messages(self) -> None:
         for msg in msgs:
             try:
                 message_key = msg.key()
-                if message_key is None:
-                    LOG.warning("Empty message key when consuming from topic %s, error: %s", msg.topic(), msg.error())
-                    continue
+                message_error = msg.error()
+                if message_error is not None:
+                    raise translate_from_kafkaerror(message_error)
+
+                assert message_key is not None
                 key = json_decode(message_key)
             except JSONDecodeError:
                 LOG.exception("Invalid JSON in msg.key() at offset %s", msg.offset())
                 continue
+            except (GroupAuthorizationFailedError, TopicAuthorizationFailedError) as exc:
+                LOG.error(
+                    "Kafka authorization error when consuming from %s: %s %s",
+                    self.config["topic_name"],
+                    exc,
+                    msg.error(),
+                )
+                continue
 
             assert isinstance(key, dict)
             msg_keymode = KeyMode.CANONICAL if is_key_in_canonical_format(key) else KeyMode.DEPRECATED_KARAPACE