diff --git a/clients/clients-integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/PlaintextConsumerTest.java b/clients/clients-integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/PlaintextConsumerTest.java
index 5fd2ad2008964..c69c9c35fd462 100644
--- a/clients/clients-integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/PlaintextConsumerTest.java
+++ b/clients/clients-integration-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/PlaintextConsumerTest.java
@@ -553,14 +553,19 @@ private void testInterceptors(Map<String, Object> consumerConfig) throws Excepti
 
             // commit sync and verify onCommit is called
             var commitCountBefore = MockConsumerInterceptor.ON_COMMIT_COUNT.intValue();
-            consumer.commitSync(Map.of(TP, new OffsetAndMetadata(2L)));
-            assertEquals(2, consumer.committed(Set.of(TP)).get(TP).offset());
+            consumer.commitSync(Map.of(TP, new OffsetAndMetadata(2L, "metadata")));
+            OffsetAndMetadata metadata = consumer.committed(Set.of(TP)).get(TP);
+            assertEquals(2, metadata.offset());
+            assertEquals("metadata", metadata.metadata());
             assertEquals(commitCountBefore + 1, MockConsumerInterceptor.ON_COMMIT_COUNT.intValue());
 
             // commit async and verify onCommit is called
-            var offsetsToCommit = Map.of(TP, new OffsetAndMetadata(5L));
+            var offsetsToCommit = Map.of(TP, new OffsetAndMetadata(5L, null));
             sendAndAwaitAsyncCommit(consumer, Optional.of(offsetsToCommit));
-            assertEquals(5, consumer.committed(Set.of(TP)).get(TP).offset());
+            metadata = consumer.committed(Set.of(TP)).get(TP);
+            assertEquals(5, metadata.offset());
+            // null metadata will be converted to an empty string
+            assertEquals("", metadata.metadata());
             assertEquals(commitCountBefore + 2, MockConsumerInterceptor.ON_COMMIT_COUNT.intValue());
         }
         // cleanup
diff --git a/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadata.java b/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadata.java
index d6b3b947c209d..f459dd5ba5507 100644
--- a/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadata.java
+++ b/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadata.java
@@ -54,10 +54,7 @@ public OffsetAndMetadata(long offset, Optional<Integer> leaderEpoch, String meta
 
         // The server converts null metadata to an empty string. So we store it as an empty string as well on the client
         // to be consistent.
-        if (metadata == null)
-            this.metadata = OffsetFetchResponse.NO_METADATA;
-        else
-            this.metadata = metadata;
+        this.metadata = Objects.requireNonNullElse(metadata, OffsetFetchResponse.NO_METADATA);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -82,6 +79,11 @@ public long offset() {
         return offset;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the metadata of the previously consumed record.
+     *
+     * @return the metadata or empty string if no metadata
+     */
     public String metadata() {
         return metadata;
     }
@@ -106,21 +108,20 @@ public boolean equals(Object o) {
         OffsetAndMetadata that = (OffsetAndMetadata) o;
         return offset == that.offset &&
                 Objects.equals(metadata, that.metadata) &&
-                Objects.equals(leaderEpoch, that.leaderEpoch);
+                Objects.equals(leaderEpoch(), that.leaderEpoch());
     }
 
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
-        return Objects.hash(offset, metadata, leaderEpoch);
+        return Objects.hash(offset, metadata, leaderEpoch());
     }
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return "OffsetAndMetadata{" +
                 "offset=" + offset +
-                ", leaderEpoch=" + leaderEpoch +
+                ", leaderEpoch=" + leaderEpoch().orElse(null) +
                 ", metadata='" + metadata + '\'' +
                 '}';
     }
-
 }
diff --git a/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadataTest.java b/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadataTest.java
index 3035703ff37ab..c1a13c054eea4 100644
--- a/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadataTest.java
+++ b/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/OffsetAndMetadataTest.java
@@ -65,4 +65,19 @@ public void testDeserializationCompatibilityWithLeaderEpoch() throws IOException
         assertEquals(new OffsetAndMetadata(10, Optional.of(235), "test commit metadata"), deserializedObject);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testEqualsWithNullAndNegativeLeaderEpoch() {
+        OffsetAndMetadata metadataWithNullEpoch = new OffsetAndMetadata(100L, Optional.empty(), "metadata");
+        OffsetAndMetadata metadataWithNegativeEpoch = new OffsetAndMetadata(100L, Optional.of(-1), "metadata");
+        assertEquals(metadataWithNullEpoch, metadataWithNegativeEpoch);
+        assertEquals(metadataWithNullEpoch.hashCode(), metadataWithNegativeEpoch.hashCode());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testEqualsWithNullAndEmptyMetadata() {
+        OffsetAndMetadata metadataWithNullMetadata = new OffsetAndMetadata(100L, Optional.of(1), null);
+        OffsetAndMetadata metadataWithEmptyMetadata = new OffsetAndMetadata(100L, Optional.of(1), "");
+        assertEquals(metadataWithNullMetadata, metadataWithEmptyMetadata);
+        assertEquals(metadataWithNullMetadata.hashCode(), metadataWithEmptyMetadata.hashCode());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/CommitRequestManagerTest.java b/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/CommitRequestManagerTest.java
index d4ceeedde56b1..7032c13b28508 100644
--- a/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/CommitRequestManagerTest.java
+++ b/clients/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/CommitRequestManagerTest.java
@@ -766,6 +766,7 @@ public void testSuccessfulOffsetFetch() {
 
         // Complete request with a response
         long expectedOffset = 100;
+        String expectedMetadata = "metadata";
         NetworkClientDelegate.UnsentRequest req = result.unsentRequests.get(0);
         OffsetFetchResponseData.OffsetFetchResponseGroup groupResponse = new OffsetFetchResponseData.OffsetFetchResponseGroup()
             .setGroupId(DEFAULT_GROUP_ID)
@@ -777,6 +778,7 @@ public void testSuccessfulOffsetFetch() {
                             .setPartitionIndex(tp.partition())
                             .setCommittedOffset(expectedOffset)
                             .setCommittedLeaderEpoch(1)
+                            .setMetadata(expectedMetadata)
                     ))
             ));
         req.handler().onComplete(buildOffsetFetchClientResponse(req, groupResponse, false));
@@ -794,6 +796,7 @@ public void testSuccessfulOffsetFetch() {
         assertEquals(1, offsetsAndMetadata.size());
         assertTrue(offsetsAndMetadata.containsKey(tp));
         assertEquals(expectedOffset, offsetsAndMetadata.get(tp).offset());
+        assertEquals(expectedMetadata, offsetsAndMetadata.get(tp).metadata());
         assertEquals(0, commitManager.pendingRequests.inflightOffsetFetches.size(), "Inflight " +
             "request should be removed from the queue when a response is received.");
     }