diff --git a/api-docs/docs/classes/SchemaRegistry.md b/api-docs/docs/classes/SchemaRegistry.md
index a13f255..00060a8 100644
--- a/api-docs/docs/classes/SchemaRegistry.md
+++ b/api-docs/docs/classes/SchemaRegistry.md
@@ -137,8 +137,10 @@ Deserializes the given data and schema into its original form.
 
 ▸ **getSchema**(`schema`): [`Schema`](../interfaces/Schema.md)
 
-**`method`**
-Get a schema from Schema Registry by version and subject.
+**`method`** Get a schema from Schema Registry
+* if only `schema.subject` is set: returns the latest schema for the given subject
+* if `schema.subject` and `schema.schema` is set: returns the schema for the given schema string
+* if `schema.subject` and `schema.version` is set: returns the schema for the given version
 
 #### Parameters
 
diff --git a/api-docs/index.d.ts b/api-docs/index.d.ts
index 5b69d44..7d79727 100644
--- a/api-docs/index.d.ts
+++ b/api-docs/index.d.ts
@@ -488,7 +488,8 @@ export class SchemaRegistry {
   constructor(schemaRegistryConfig: SchemaRegistryConfig);
   /**
    * @method
-   * Get a schema from Schema Registry by version and subject.
+   * Get latest schema from Schema Registry by subject.
+   * Alternatively a specific schema version can be fetched by either specifing schema.version of schema.schema
    * @param {Schema} schema - Schema configuration.
    * @returns {Schema} - Schema.
    */
diff --git a/schema_registry.go b/schema_registry.go
index 379470d..165ad0f 100644
--- a/schema_registry.go
+++ b/schema_registry.go
@@ -274,12 +274,16 @@ func (k *Kafka) schemaRegistryClient(config *SchemaRegistryConfig) *srclient.Sch
 	return srClient
 }
 
-// getSchema returns the schema for the given subject and schema ID and version.
+// getSchema returns either the latest schema for the given subject or a specific version (if given) or the schema for the given schema string (if given)
 func (k *Kafka) getSchema(client *srclient.SchemaRegistryClient, schema *Schema) *Schema {
 	// If EnableCache is set, check if the schema is in the cache.
 	if schema.EnableCaching {
-		if schema, ok := k.schemaCache[schema.Subject]; ok {
-			return schema
+		if cachedSchema, ok := k.schemaCache[schema.Subject]; ok {
+			// the cache should contain the latest version of a schema for the given subject
+			// we must not return the cached schema if it does not match the requested version or schema string
+			if (schema.Version == 0 && schema.Schema != "") || schema.Version == cachedSchema.Version || schema.Schema == cachedSchema.Schema {
+				return cachedSchema;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -287,12 +291,20 @@ func (k *Kafka) getSchema(client *srclient.SchemaRegistryClient, schema *Schema)
 	// The client always caches the schema.
 	var schemaInfo *srclient.Schema
 	var err error
-	// Default version of the schema is the latest version.
-	if schema.Version == 0 {
+	var isLatestSchema = false;
+	if schema.Schema != "" { // fetch schema for given schema string
+		var schemaType srclient.SchemaType
+		if schema.SchemaType != nil {
+			schemaType = *schema.SchemaType
+		} else {
+			schemaType = srclient.Avro
+		}
+	    schemaInfo, err = client.LookupSchema(schema.Subject, schema.Schema, schemaType, schema.References...)
+	} else if schema.Version == 0 { // fetch schema by version
 		schemaInfo, err = client.GetLatestSchema(schema.Subject)
-	} else {
-		schemaInfo, err = client.GetSchemaByVersion(
-			schema.Subject, schema.Version)
+	} else { // fetch latest schema for given subject
+		schemaInfo, err = client.GetSchemaByVersion(schema.Subject, schema.Version)
+		isLatestSchema = true;
 	}
 
 	if err == nil {
@@ -306,7 +318,7 @@ func (k *Kafka) getSchema(client *srclient.SchemaRegistryClient, schema *Schema)
 			Subject:       schema.Subject,
 		}
 		// If the Cache is set, cache the schema.
-		if wrappedSchema.EnableCaching {
+		if wrappedSchema.EnableCaching && isLatestSchema {
 			k.schemaCache[wrappedSchema.Subject] = wrappedSchema
 		}
 		return wrappedSchema