diff --git a/write_buffer/src/kafka/mod.rs b/write_buffer/src/kafka/mod.rs
index ddff84a746..ff98e473d4 100644
--- a/write_buffer/src/kafka/mod.rs
+++ b/write_buffer/src/kafka/mod.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use parking_lot::Mutex;
 use rskafka::{
     client::{
         consumer::{StartOffset, StreamConsumerBuilder},
-        error::{Error as RSKafkaError, ProtocolError, RequestContext, ServerErrorResponse},
+        error::{Error as RSKafkaError, ProtocolError},
         partition::{OffsetAt, PartitionClient, UnknownTopicHandling},
         producer::{BatchProducer, BatchProducerBuilder},
         ClientBuilder,
@@ -280,34 +280,11 @@ impl WriteBufferStreamHandler for RSKafkaStreamHandler {
                     let kind = match e {
                         RSKafkaError::ServerError {
                             protocol_error: ProtocolError::OffsetOutOfRange,
-                            response:
-                                Some(ServerErrorResponse::PartitionFetchState {
-                                    high_watermark, ..
-                                }),
+                            // NOTE: the high watermark included in this
+                            // response is always -1 when reading before/after
+                            // valid offsets.
                             ..
-                        } if high_watermark < 0 => WriteBufferErrorKind::Unknown,
-                        RSKafkaError::ServerError {
-                            protocol_error: ProtocolError::OffsetOutOfRange,
-                            request: RequestContext::Fetch { offset, .. },
-                            response:
-                                Some(ServerErrorResponse::PartitionFetchState {
-                                    high_watermark, ..
-                                }),
-                            ..
-                        } if high_watermark < offset => {
-                            WriteBufferErrorKind::SequenceNumberAfterWatermark
-                        }
-                        RSKafkaError::ServerError {
-                            protocol_error: ProtocolError::OffsetOutOfRange,
-                            request: RequestContext::Fetch { offset, .. },
-                            response:
-                                Some(ServerErrorResponse::PartitionFetchState {
-                                    high_watermark, ..
-                                }),
-                            ..
-                        } if high_watermark >= offset => {
-                            WriteBufferErrorKind::SequenceNumberNoLongerExists
-                        }
+                        } => WriteBufferErrorKind::SequenceNumberNoLongerExists,
                         _ => WriteBufferErrorKind::Unknown,
                     };
                     return Err(WriteBufferError::new(kind, e));
@@ -349,7 +326,7 @@ impl WriteBufferStreamHandler for RSKafkaStreamHandler {
     async fn seek(&mut self, sequence_number: SequenceNumber) -> Result<(), WriteBufferError> {
         let offset = sequence_number.get();
         let current = self.partition_client.get_offset(OffsetAt::Latest).await?;
-        if offset > current {
+        if dbg!(offset) > dbg!(current) {
             return Err(WriteBufferError::sequence_number_after_watermark(format!(
                 "attempted to seek to offset {offset}, but current high \
                 watermark for partition {p} is {current}",