diff --git a/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder.go b/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder.go
index 29ca0895c3c..ca2b079d5dc 100644
--- a/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder.go
+++ b/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -27,14 +28,15 @@ import (
 const (
 	blockBuilderServiceName = "block-builder"
 	ConsumerGroup           = "block-builder"
+	pollTimeout             = 2 * time.Second
 )
 
 var (
 	metricPartitionLag = promauto.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
 		Namespace: "tempo",
 		Subsystem: "block_builder",
-		Name:      "partition_lag",
-		Help:      "Lag of a partition.",
+		Name:      "partition_lag_s",
+		Help:      "Lag of a partition in seconds.",
 	}, []string{"partition"})
 	metricConsumeCycleDuration = promauto.NewHistogram(prometheus.HistogramOpts{
 		Namespace:                   "tempo",
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ type BlockBuilder struct {
 	fallbackOffsetMillis int64
 
 	kafkaClient   *kgo.Client
+	kadm          *kadm.Client
 	decoder       *ingest.Decoder
 	partitionRing ring.PartitionRingReader
 
@@ -142,10 +145,12 @@ func (b *BlockBuilder) starting(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to ping kafka: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	b.kadm = kadm.NewClient(b.kafkaClient)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (b *BlockBuilder) running(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (b *BlockBuilder) runningOld(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// Initial polling and delay
 	cycleEndTime := cycleEndAtStartup(time.Now(), b.cfg.ConsumeCycleDuration)
 	waitTime := 2 * time.Second
@@ -167,6 +172,165 @@ func (b *BlockBuilder) running(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 }
 
+func (b *BlockBuilder) running(ctx context.Context) error {
+	// Initial delay
+	waitTime := 0 * time.Second
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-time.After(waitTime):
+			err := b.consume(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				b.logger.Log("msg", "consumeCycle failed", "err", err)
+			}
+
+			// Real delay on subsequent
+			waitTime = b.cfg.ConsumeCycleDuration
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *BlockBuilder) consume(ctx context.Context) error {
+	var (
+		end        = time.Now()
+		partitions = b.getAssignedActivePartitions()
+	)
+
+	level.Info(b.logger).Log("msg", "starting consume cycle", "cycle_end", end, "active_partitions", partitions)
+	defer func(t time.Time) { metricConsumeCycleDuration.Observe(time.Since(t).Seconds()) }(time.Now())
+
+	for _, partition := range partitions {
+		// Consume partition while data remains.
+		// TODO - round-robin one consumption per partition instead to equalize catch-up time.
+		for {
+			more, err := b.consumePartition2(ctx, partition, end)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			if !more {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (b *BlockBuilder) consumePartition2(ctx context.Context, partition int32, end time.Time) (more bool, err error) {
+	defer func(t time.Time) {
+		metricProcessPartitionSectionDuration.WithLabelValues(strconv.Itoa(int(partition))).Observe(time.Since(t).Seconds())
+	}(time.Now())
+
+	var (
+		dur         = b.cfg.ConsumeCycleDuration
+		topic       = b.cfg.IngestStorageConfig.Kafka.Topic
+		group       = b.cfg.IngestStorageConfig.Kafka.ConsumerGroup
+		startOffset kgo.Offset
+		writer      *writer
+		lastRec     *kgo.Record
+		begin       time.Time
+	)
+
+	commits, err := b.kadm.FetchOffsetsForTopics(ctx, group, topic)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	lastCommit, ok := commits.Lookup(topic, partition)
+	if ok && lastCommit.At >= 0 {
+		startOffset = startOffset.At(lastCommit.At)
+	} else {
+		startOffset = kgo.NewOffset().AtStart()
+	}
+
+	// We always rewind the partition's offset to the commit offset by reassigning the partition to the client (this triggers partition assignment).
+	// This is so the cycle started exactly at the commit offset, and not at what was (potentially over-) consumed previously.
+	// In the end, we remove the partition from the client (refer to the defer below) to guarantee the client always consumes
+	// from one partition at a time. I.e. when this partition is consumed, we start consuming the next one.
+	b.kafkaClient.AddConsumePartitions(map[string]map[int32]kgo.Offset{
+		topic: {
+			partition: startOffset,
+		},
+	})
+	defer b.kafkaClient.RemoveConsumePartitions(map[string][]int32{topic: {partition}})
+
+outer:
+	for {
+		fetches := func() kgo.Fetches {
+			ctx2, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, pollTimeout)
+			defer cancel()
+			return b.kafkaClient.PollFetches(ctx2)
+		}()
+		err = fetches.Err()
+		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+				// No more data
+				more = false
+				break
+			}
+			metricFetchErrors.WithLabelValues(strconv.Itoa(int(partition))).Inc()
+			return false, err
+		}
+
+		if fetches.Empty() {
+			more = false
+			break
+		}
+
+		for iter := fetches.RecordIter(); !iter.Done(); {
+			rec := iter.Next()
+
+			// Initialize if needed
+			if writer == nil {
+
+				// Determine begin and end time range, which is -/+ cycle duration.
+				// But don't exceed the given overall end time.
+				begin = rec.Timestamp.Add(-dur)
+				if rec.Timestamp.Add(dur).Before(end) {
+					end = rec.Timestamp.Add(dur)
+				}
+
+				metricPartitionLag.WithLabelValues(strconv.Itoa(int(partition))).Set(time.Since(rec.Timestamp).Seconds())
+
+				writer = newPartitionSectionWriter(b.logger, int64(partition), rec.Offset, b.cfg.BlockConfig, b.overrides, b.wal, b.enc)
+			}
+
+			if rec.Timestamp.Before(begin) || rec.Timestamp.After(end) {
+				break outer
+			}
+
+			err := b.pushTraces(rec.Key, rec.Value, writer)
+			if err != nil {
+				return false, err
+			}
+
+			lastRec = rec
+		}
+	}
+
+	if lastRec == nil {
+		// Received no data
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	err = writer.flush(ctx, b.writer)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	resp, err := b.kadm.CommitOffsets(ctx, group, kadm.OffsetsFromRecords(*lastRec))
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if err := resp.Error(); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	return more, nil
+}
+
 func (b *BlockBuilder) stopping(err error) error {
 	if b.kafkaClient != nil {
 		b.kafkaClient.Close()
diff --git a/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder_test.go b/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder_test.go
index bef82771aaf..0076f2c97be 100644
--- a/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder_test.go
+++ b/modules/blockbuilder/blockbuilder_test.go
@@ -38,14 +38,10 @@ func TestBlockbuilder_lookbackOnNoCommit(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancelCause(context.Background())
 	t.Cleanup(func() { cancel(errors.New("test done")) })
 
-	k, address := testkafka.CreateClusterWithoutCustomConsumerGroupsSupport(t, 1, "test-topic")
+	k, _ := testkafka.CreateCluster(t, 1, "test-topic")
 	t.Cleanup(k.Close)
 
-	kafkaCommits := atomic.NewInt32(0)
-	k.ControlKey(kmsg.OffsetCommit.Int16(), func(kmsg.Request) (kmsg.Response, error, bool) {
-		kafkaCommits.Add(1)
-		return nil, nil, false
-	})
+	address := k.ListenAddrs()[0]
 
 	store := newStore(ctx, t)
 	cfg := blockbuilderConfig(t, address)
@@ -59,14 +55,9 @@ func TestBlockbuilder_lookbackOnNoCommit(t *testing.T) {
 	client := newKafkaClient(t, cfg.IngestStorageConfig.Kafka)
 	sendReq(t, ctx, client)
 
-	// Wait for record to be consumed and committed.
-	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
-		return kafkaCommits.Load() > 0
-	}, time.Minute, time.Second)
-
 	// Wait for the block to be flushed.
 	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
-		return len(store.BlockMetas(util.FakeTenantID)) == 1
+		return len(store.BlockMetas(util.FakeTenantID)) == 1 && store.BlockMetas(util.FakeTenantID)[0].TotalObjects == 1
 	}, time.Minute, time.Second)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/ingest/testkafka/cluster.go b/pkg/ingest/testkafka/cluster.go
index 08002d87bee..ef01d684b84 100644
--- a/pkg/ingest/testkafka/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/ingest/testkafka/cluster.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func addSupportForConsumerGroups(t testing.TB, cluster *kfake.Cluster, topicName
 		// This mimics the real Kafka behaviour.
 		var partitionsResp []kmsg.OffsetFetchResponseGroupTopicPartition
 		if partitionID == allPartitions {
-			for i := int32(1); i < numPartitions+1; i++ {
+			for i := int32(0); i < numPartitions; i++ {
 				if committedOffsets[consumerGroup][i] >= 0 {
 					partitionsResp = append(partitionsResp, kmsg.OffsetFetchResponseGroupTopicPartition{
 						Partition: i,