diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub/rebar.config b/apps/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub/rebar.config
index 269239620..c820cee06 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub/rebar.config
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub/rebar.config
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 {erl_opts, [debug_info]}.
 {deps, [
-    {wolff, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/wolff.git", {tag, "1.10.2"}}},
+    {wolff, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/wolff.git", {tag, "1.10.3"}}},
     {kafka_protocol, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/kafka_protocol.git", {tag, "4.1.5"}}},
     {brod_gssapi, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/brod_gssapi.git", {tag, "v0.1.1"}}},
     {brod, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/brod.git", {tag, "3.16.8"}}},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge_confluent/rebar.config b/apps/emqx_bridge_confluent/rebar.config
index 0519e39c9..2c109298c 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge_confluent/rebar.config
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge_confluent/rebar.config
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 {erl_opts, [debug_info]}.
 {deps, [
-    {wolff, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/wolff.git", {tag, "1.10.2"}}},
+    {wolff, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/wolff.git", {tag, "1.10.3"}}},
     {kafka_protocol, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/kafka_protocol.git", {tag, "4.1.5"}}},
     {brod_gssapi, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/brod_gssapi.git", {tag, "v0.1.1"}}},
     {brod, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/brod.git", {tag, "3.16.8"}}},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/rebar.config b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/rebar.config
index 7c98bf571..69ace9289 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/rebar.config
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/rebar.config
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 {erl_opts, [debug_info]}.
 {deps, [
-    {wolff, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/wolff.git", {tag, "1.10.2"}}},
+    {wolff, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/wolff.git", {tag, "1.10.3"}}},
     {kafka_protocol, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/kafka_protocol.git", {tag, "4.1.5"}}},
     {brod_gssapi, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/brod_gssapi.git", {tag, "v0.1.1"}}},
     {brod, {git, "https://github.com/kafka4beam/brod.git", {tag, "3.16.8"}}},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka.erl
index 83bc33266..9d15a26ee 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka.erl
@@ -656,6 +656,11 @@ kafka_connector_config_fields() ->
                 default => none, desc => ?DESC("authentication")
             })},
         {socket_opts, mk(ref(socket_opts), #{required => false, desc => ?DESC(socket_opts)})},
+        {health_check_topic,
+            mk(binary(), #{
+                required => false,
+                desc => ?DESC(producer_health_check_topic)
+            })},
         {ssl, mk(ref(ssl_client_opts), #{})}
     ] ++ emqx_connector_schema:resource_opts_ref(?MODULE, connector_resource_opts).
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka_impl_producer.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka_impl_producer.erl
index 16bca153a..88cd06a3b 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka_impl_producer.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/src/emqx_bridge_kafka_impl_producer.erl
@@ -89,10 +89,13 @@ on_start(InstId, Config) ->
     %% only when its producers start.
     case check_client_connectivity(ClientId) of
         ok ->
-            {ok, #{
+            HealthCheckTopic = maps:get(health_check_topic, Config, undefined),
+            ConnectorState = #{
                 client_id => ClientId,
+                health_check_topic => HealthCheckTopic,
                 installed_bridge_v2s => #{}
-            }};
+            },
+            {ok, ConnectorState};
         {error, {find_client, Reason}} ->
             %% Race condition?  Crash?  We just checked it with `ensure_client'...
             {error, Reason};
@@ -508,7 +511,7 @@ on_get_status(
     %% held in wolff producer's replayq.
     case check_client_connectivity(ClientId) of
         ok ->
-            ?status_connected;
+            maybe_check_health_check_topic(State);
         {error, {find_client, _Error}} ->
             ?status_connecting;
         {error, {connectivity, Error}} ->
@@ -572,6 +575,24 @@ check_client_connectivity(ClientId) ->
             {error, {find_client, Reason}}
     end.
 
+maybe_check_health_check_topic(#{health_check_topic := Topic} = ConnectorState) when
+    is_binary(Topic)
+->
+    #{client_id := ClientId} = ConnectorState,
+    MaxPartitions = all_partitions,
+    try check_topic_and_leader_connections(ClientId, Topic, MaxPartitions) of
+        ok ->
+            ?status_connected
+    catch
+        throw:#{reason := {connection_down, _} = Reason} ->
+            {?status_disconnected, ConnectorState, Reason};
+        throw:#{reason := Reason} ->
+            {?status_connecting, ConnectorState, Reason}
+    end;
+maybe_check_health_check_topic(_) ->
+    %% Cannot infer further information.  Maybe upgraded from older version.
+    ?status_connected.
+
 check_if_healthy_leaders(ClientId, ClientPid, KafkaTopic, MaxPartitions) when is_pid(ClientPid) ->
     Leaders =
         case wolff_client:get_leader_connections(ClientPid, KafkaTopic, MaxPartitions) of
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/test/emqx_bridge_v2_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/test/emqx_bridge_v2_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl
index b51bd196c..05f73684b 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/test/emqx_bridge_v2_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge_kafka/test/emqx_bridge_v2_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl
@@ -638,3 +638,43 @@ t_ancient_v1_config_migration_without_local_topic(Config) ->
         erpc:call(Node, fun emqx_bridge_v2:list/0)
     ),
     ok.
+
+t_connector_health_check_topic(_Config) ->
+    ?check_trace(
+        begin
+            %% We create a connector pointing to a broker that expects authentication, but
+            %% we don't provide it in the config.
+            %% Without a health check topic, we're unable to probe any topic leaders to
+            %% check the actual connection parameters, so the status is "connected".
+            Type = ?TYPE,
+            Name = ?FUNCTION_NAME,
+            PlainAuthBootstrapHost = <<"kafka-1.emqx.net:9093">>,
+            ConnectorConfig0 = connector_config(#{
+                <<"bootstrap_hosts">> => PlainAuthBootstrapHost
+            }),
+            ?assertMatch(
+                {ok, {{_, 201, _}, _, #{<<"status">> := <<"connected">>}}},
+                emqx_bridge_v2_testlib:create_connector_api([
+                    {connector_type, Type},
+                    {connector_name, Name},
+                    {connector_config, ConnectorConfig0}
+                ])
+            ),
+
+            %% By providing a health check topic, we should detect it's disconnected
+            %% without the need for an action.
+            ConnectorConfig1 = connector_config(#{
+                <<"bootstrap_hosts">> => PlainAuthBootstrapHost,
+                <<"health_check_topic">> =>
+                    emqx_bridge_kafka_impl_producer_SUITE:test_topic_one_partition()
+            }),
+            ?assertMatch(
+                {ok, {{_, 200, _}, _, #{<<"status">> := <<"disconnected">>}}},
+                emqx_bridge_v2_testlib:update_connector_api(Name, Type, ConnectorConfig1)
+            ),
+
+            ok
+        end,
+        []
+    ),
+    ok.
diff --git a/changes/ee/feat-12959.en.md b/changes/ee/feat-12959.en.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e82900a2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ee/feat-12959.en.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Added a new option to configure a topic solely for health check purposes in Kafka Producer connectors.
+
+By configuring this option, it's now possible to more accurately detect connection issues towards partition leaders, such as wrong or missing credentials that prevent establishing the connection.
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index d77bfc99c..e78016fd6 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
       {:hstreamdb_erl,
        github: "hstreamdb/hstreamdb_erl", tag: "0.5.18+v0.18.1+ezstd-v1.0.5-emqx1"},
       {:influxdb, github: "emqx/influxdb-client-erl", tag: "1.1.13", override: true},
-      {:wolff, github: "kafka4beam/wolff", tag: "1.10.2"},
+      {:wolff, github: "kafka4beam/wolff", tag: "1.10.3"},
       {:kafka_protocol, github: "kafka4beam/kafka_protocol", tag: "4.1.5", override: true},
       {:brod_gssapi, github: "kafka4beam/brod_gssapi", tag: "v0.1.1"},
       {:brod, github: "kafka4beam/brod", tag: "3.16.8"},
diff --git a/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub.hocon b/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub.hocon
index 3b96e23e6..2a3071f2c 100644
--- a/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub.hocon
+++ b/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_azure_event_hub.hocon
@@ -350,4 +350,9 @@ Setting this to a value which is greater than the total number of partitions in
 partitions_limit.label:
 """Max Partitions"""
 
+producer_health_check_topic.desc:
+"""Topic name used exclusively for more accurate connector health checks."""
+producer_health_check_topic.label:
+"""Connector health check topic"""
+
 }
diff --git a/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_confluent_producer.hocon b/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_confluent_producer.hocon
index 748373691..234da3e5f 100644
--- a/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_confluent_producer.hocon
+++ b/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_confluent_producer.hocon
@@ -350,4 +350,9 @@ server_name_indication.desc:
 server_name_indication.label:
 """SNI"""
 
+producer_health_check_topic.desc:
+"""Topic name used exclusively for more accurate connector health checks."""
+producer_health_check_topic.label:
+"""Connector health check topic"""
+
 }
diff --git a/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_kafka.hocon b/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_kafka.hocon
index 6e0074ddd..f63e6f3eb 100644
--- a/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_kafka.hocon
+++ b/rel/i18n/emqx_bridge_kafka.hocon
@@ -446,5 +446,9 @@ server_name_indication.desc:
 server_name_indication.label:
 """SNI"""
 
+producer_health_check_topic.desc:
+"""Topic name used exclusively for more accurate connector health checks."""
+producer_health_check_topic.label:
+"""Connector health check topic"""
 
 }