diff --git a/alter_partition_reassignments_request.go b/alter_partition_reassignments_request.go
index 8b537d58e..776436e1b 100644
--- a/alter_partition_reassignments_request.go
+++ b/alter_partition_reassignments_request.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ type alterPartitionReassignmentsBlock struct {
 
 func (b *alterPartitionReassignmentsBlock) encode(pe packetEncoder) error {
 
-	if err := pe.putCompactInt32Array(b.replicas); err != nil {
+	if err := pe.putNullableCompactInt32Array(b.replicas); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/alter_partition_reassignments_request_test.go b/alter_partition_reassignments_request_test.go
index 04192bd98..8d282729d 100644
--- a/alter_partition_reassignments_request_test.go
+++ b/alter_partition_reassignments_request_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ var (
 		0, 0, 3, 233, // replica 1001
 		0, 0, 0, // empty tagged fields
 	}
+
+	alterPartitionReassignmentsAbortRequest = []byte{
+		0, 0, 39, 16, // timout 10000
+		2,                         // 2-1=1 block
+		6, 116, 111, 112, 105, 99, // topic name "topic" as compact string
+		2,          // 2-1=1 partitions
+		0, 0, 0, 0, // partitionId
+		0,       // replica array is null (indicates that a pending reassignment should be aborted)
+		0, 0, 0, // empty tagged fields
+	}
 )
 
 func TestAlterPartitionReassignmentRequest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -35,4 +45,12 @@ func TestAlterPartitionReassignmentRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	request.AddBlock("topic", 0, []int32{1000, 1001})
 
 	testRequest(t, "one block", request, alterPartitionReassignmentsRequestOneBlock)
+
+	request = &AlterPartitionReassignmentsRequest{
+		TimeoutMs: int32(10000),
+		Version:   int16(0),
+	}
+	request.AddBlock("topic", 0, nil)
+
+	testRequest(t, "abort assignment", request, alterPartitionReassignmentsAbortRequest)
 }
diff --git a/packet_encoder.go b/packet_encoder.go
index 6ae9d9766..50c735c04 100644
--- a/packet_encoder.go
+++ b/packet_encoder.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ type packetEncoder interface {
 	putNullableString(in *string) error
 	putStringArray(in []string) error
 	putCompactInt32Array(in []int32) error
+	putNullableCompactInt32Array(in []int32) error
 	putInt32Array(in []int32) error
 	putInt64Array(in []int64) error
 	putEmptyTaggedFieldArray()
diff --git a/prep_encoder.go b/prep_encoder.go
index af87a233b..5448c814f 100644
--- a/prep_encoder.go
+++ b/prep_encoder.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package sarama
 
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 
@@ -131,6 +132,23 @@ func (pe *prepEncoder) putStringArray(in []string) error {
 }
 
 func (pe *prepEncoder) putCompactInt32Array(in []int32) error {
+
+	if in == nil {
+		return errors.New("expected int32 array to be non null")
+	}
+
+	pe.putUVarint(uint64(len(in)) + 1)
+	pe.length += 4 * len(in)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (pe *prepEncoder) putNullableCompactInt32Array(in []int32) error {
+
+	if in == nil {
+		pe.putUVarint(0)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	pe.putUVarint(uint64(len(in)) + 1)
 	pe.length += 4 * len(in)
 	return nil
diff --git a/real_encoder.go b/real_encoder.go
index 603d8418d..ba073f7d3 100644
--- a/real_encoder.go
+++ b/real_encoder.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package sarama
 
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"errors"
 
 	"github.com/rcrowley/go-metrics"
 )
@@ -131,6 +132,22 @@ func (re *realEncoder) putStringArray(in []string) error {
 }
 
 func (re *realEncoder) putCompactInt32Array(in []int32) error {
+	if in == nil {
+		return errors.New("expected int32 array to be non null")
+	}
+	// 0 represents a null array, so +1 has to be added
+	re.putUVarint(uint64(len(in)) + 1)
+	for _, val := range in {
+		re.putInt32(val)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (re *realEncoder) putNullableCompactInt32Array(in []int32) error {
+	if in == nil {
+		re.putUVarint(0)
+		return nil
+	}
 	// 0 represents a null array, so +1 has to be added
 	re.putUVarint(uint64(len(in)) + 1)
 	for _, val := range in {