diff --git a/swh/journal/client.py b/swh/journal/client.py
--- a/swh/journal/client.py
+++ b/swh/journal/client.py
@@ -139,31 +139,33 @@
 
                 timeout = self.process_timeout - elapsed
 
-            message = self.consumer.poll(timeout=timeout)
-            if not message:
+            messages = self.consumer.consume(timeout=timeout, num_messages=20)
+            if not messages:
                 continue
 
-            error = message.error()
-            if error is not None:
-                if error.fatal():
-                    raise KafkaException(error)
-                logger.info('Received non-fatal kafka error: %s', error)
-                continue
+            for message in messages:
+                error = message.error()
+                if error is not None:
+                    if error.fatal():
+                        raise KafkaException(error)
+                    logger.info('Received non-fatal kafka error: %s', error)
+                    continue
 
-            nb_messages += 1
+                nb_messages += 1
 
-            object_type = message.topic().split('.')[-1]
-            # Got a message from a topic we did not subscribe to.
-            assert object_type in self._object_types, object_type
+                object_type = message.topic().split('.')[-1]
+                # Got a message from a topic we did not subscribe to.
+                assert object_type in self._object_types, object_type
 
-            objects[object_type].append(
-                self.value_deserializer(message.value())
-            )
+                objects[object_type].append(
+                    self.value_deserializer(message.value())
+                )
 
             if nb_messages >= self.max_messages:
                 break
 
-        worker_fn(dict(objects))
+        if nb_messages:
+            worker_fn(dict(objects))
 
-        self.consumer.commit()
+            self.consumer.commit()
         return nb_messages