diff --git a/controllers/sink_group_controller.go b/controllers/sink_group_controller.go
index 7ed7ada8d..f455f8b1a 100644
--- a/controllers/sink_group_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/sink_group_controller.go
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) topicRealtime(
 	topic string,
 	cache *sync.Map,
 ) (
-	bool, error,
+	bool, *int64, error,
 ) {
 	// use cache to prevent calls to kafka
 	var realtimeCache kafkaRealtimeCache
@@ -597,16 +597,20 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) topicRealtime(
 		if cacheValid(time.Second*time.Duration(30), realtimeCache.lastCacheRefresh) {
 			klog.V(2).Infof("rsk/%s (realtime cache hit) topic: %s", s.rsk.Name, topic)
 			if realtimeCache.realtime {
-				return true, nil
+				return true, realtimeCache.lastCacheRefresh, nil
 			}
-			return false, nil
+			return false, realtimeCache.lastCacheRefresh, nil
 		}
 	}
 
+	// new cache refresh time so that topics are only checked after an interval
+	// reduces the request to Kafka by big factor
+	now := time.Now().UnixNano()
+
 	klog.V(2).Infof("rsk/%s (fetching realtime stats) topic: %s", s.rsk.Name, topic)
 	group, ok := s.topicGroups[topic]
 	if !ok {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("groupID not found for %s", topic)
+		return false, &now, fmt.Errorf("groupID not found for %s", topic)
 	}
 	batcherCGID := consumerGroupID(s.rsk.Name, s.rsk.Namespace, group.ID, "-batcher")
 	batcherLag, err := watcher.ConsumerGroupLag(
@@ -615,11 +619,11 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) topicRealtime(
 		0,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+		return false, &now, err
 	}
 	if batcherLag == -1 {
 		klog.V(4).Infof("%v: lag=-1, condition unmet", batcherCGID)
-		return false, nil
+		return false, &now, nil
 	}
 
 	loaderCGID := consumerGroupID(s.rsk.Name, s.rsk.Namespace, group.ID, "-loader")
@@ -629,21 +633,21 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) topicRealtime(
 		0,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+		return false, &now, err
 	}
 	if loaderLag == -1 {
 		klog.V(4).Infof("%v: lag=-1, condition unmet", loaderCGID)
-		return false, nil
+		return false, &now, nil
 	}
 
 	klog.V(4).Infof("lag=%v for %v", batcherLag, batcherCGID)
 	klog.V(4).Infof("lag=%v for %v", loaderLag, loaderCGID)
 
 	if s.lagBelowThreshold(topic, batcherLag, loaderLag) {
-		return true, nil
+		return true, &now, nil
 	} else {
 		klog.V(2).Infof("%v: waiting to reach realtime", topic)
-		return false, nil
+		return false, &now, nil
 	}
 }
 
@@ -658,8 +662,7 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) realtimeTopics(
 	realtimeTopics := []string{}
 
 	for _, topic := range s.topics {
-		now := time.Now().UnixNano()
-		realtime, err := s.topicRealtime(watcher, topic, cache)
+		realtime, lastRefresh, err := s.topicRealtime(watcher, topic, cache)
 		if err != nil {
 			klog.Errorf(
 				"rsk/%s Error getting realtime for topic: %s, err: %v",
@@ -671,7 +674,7 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) realtimeTopics(
 			// if there is an error in finding lag
 			// and the topic was already in realtime consider it realtime
 			if ok {
-				cache.Store(topic, kafkaRealtimeCache{lastCacheRefresh: &now, realtime: true})
+				cache.Store(topic, kafkaRealtimeCache{lastCacheRefresh: lastRefresh, realtime: true})
 				realtimeTopics = append(realtimeTopics, topic)
 				continue
 			}
@@ -679,7 +682,7 @@ func (s *sinkGroup) realtimeTopics(
 		if realtime {
 			realtimeTopics = append(realtimeTopics, topic)
 		}
-		cache.Store(topic, kafkaRealtimeCache{lastCacheRefresh: &now, realtime: realtime})
+		cache.Store(topic, kafkaRealtimeCache{lastCacheRefresh: lastRefresh, realtime: realtime})
 	}
 
 	return realtimeTopics