diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6ccd4149..7458a22d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ jobs:
           KAFKA_CFG_BROKER_RACK: zone1
           KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
           ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
-          KAFKA_CFG_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
-          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka1:9092
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_HOST_NAME: kafka1
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_PORT: 9092
 
       kafka2:
         image: bitnami/kafka:0.10.2.1
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ jobs:
           KAFKA_CFG_BROKER_RACK: zone1
           KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
           ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
-          KAFKA_CFG_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
-          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka2:9092
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_HOST_NAME: kafka2
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_PORT: 9092
 
       kafka3:
         image: bitnami/kafka:0.10.2.1
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ jobs:
           KAFKA_CFG_BROKER_RACK: zone2
           KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
           ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
-          KAFKA_CFG_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
-          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka3:9092
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_HOST_NAME: kafka3
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_PORT: 9092
 
       kafka4:
         image: bitnami/kafka:0.10.2.1
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ jobs:
           KAFKA_CFG_BROKER_RACK: zone2
           KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
           ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
-          KAFKA_CFG_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
-          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka4:9092
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_HOST_NAME: kafka4
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_PORT: 9092
 
       kafka5:
         image: bitnami/kafka:0.10.2.1
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ jobs:
           KAFKA_CFG_BROKER_RACK: zone3
           KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
           ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
-          KAFKA_CFG_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
-          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka5:9092
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_HOST_NAME: kafka5
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_PORT: 9092
 
       kafka6:
         image: bitnami/kafka:0.10.2.1
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ jobs:
           KAFKA_CFG_BROKER_RACK: zone3
           KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
           ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
-          KAFKA_CFG_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092
-          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka6:9092
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_HOST_NAME: kafka6
+          KAFKA_CFG_ADVERTISED_PORT: 9092
 
 
   test270:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d681f26d..bccbcbd6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -552,7 +552,8 @@ Then, run:
 make test
 ```
 
-You can change the Kafka version in docker-compose.yml and docker-compose-auth.yml files before running `docker-compose up -d`. See the
+You can change the Kafka version of the local cluster by setting the
+`KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG` environment variable when running `docker-compose up -d`. See the
 [`bitnami/kafka` dockerhub page](https://hub.docker.com/r/bitnami/kafka/tags) for more
 details on the available versions.
 
diff --git a/docker-compose-auth.yml b/docker-compose-auth.yml
index cbb1bd65..553e9a0e 100644
--- a/docker-compose-auth.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-auth.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# By default, this docker-compose setup uses Kafka 2.7.0. This version can
+# be overwritten by setting the KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG environment variable.
+#
+# See https://hub.docker.com/r/bitnami/kafka/tags for the complete list.
+#
 # This config sets up a simple, single-node cluster that's equipped to use SSL/TLS and/or SASL.
 # It exposes access on four separate ports:
 #
@@ -22,7 +27,7 @@ services:
   kafka:
     container_name: kafka
     hostname: kafka
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     depends_on:
       - zookeeper
     restart: on-failure:3
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 13bc7508..d142a765 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# By default, this docker-compose setup uses Kafka 2.7.0
+# By default, this docker-compose setup uses Kafka 2.7.0. This version can
+# be overwritten by setting the KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG environment variable.
 #
 # See https://hub.docker.com/r/bitnami/kafka/tags for the complete list.
 version: '3'
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ services:
   kafka1:
     container_name: kafka1
     hostname: 169.254.123.123
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     ports:
       - "9092:9092"
     environment:
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ services:
   kafka2:
     container_name: kafka2
     hostname: 169.254.123.123
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     ports:
       - "9093:9092"
     environment:
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ services:
   kafka3:
     container_name: kafka3
     hostname: 169.254.123.123
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     ports:
       - "9094:9092"
     environment:
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ services:
   kafka4:
     container_name: kafka4
     hostname: 169.254.123.123
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     ports:
       - "9095:9092"
     environment:
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ services:
   kafka5:
     container_name: kafka5
     hostname: 169.254.123.123
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     ports:
       - "9096:9092"
     environment:
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ services:
   kafka6:
     container_name: kafka6
     hostname: 169.254.123.123
-    image: bitnami/kafka:2.7.0
+    image: bitnami/kafka:${KAFKA_IMAGE_TAG:-2.7.0}
     ports:
       - "9097:9092"
     environment: