diff --git a/pkg/controller/endpointslice/endpointslice_controller.go b/pkg/controller/endpointslice/endpointslice_controller.go
index 2c22989ec98..2f424437b83 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/endpointslice/endpointslice_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/endpointslice/endpointslice_controller.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package endpointslice
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
@@ -278,13 +279,17 @@ func (c *Controller) Run(ctx context.Context, workers int) {
 	c.eventBroadcaster.StartRecordingToSink(&v1core.EventSinkImpl{Interface: c.client.CoreV1().Events("")})
 	defer c.eventBroadcaster.Shutdown()
 
-	defer c.serviceQueue.ShutDown()
-	defer c.podQueue.ShutDown()
-	defer c.topologyQueue.ShutDown()
-
 	logger := klog.FromContext(ctx)
 	logger.Info("Starting endpoint slice controller")
-	defer logger.Info("Shutting down endpoint slice controller")
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	defer func() {
+		logger.Info("Shutting down endpoint slice controller")
+		c.serviceQueue.ShutDown()
+		c.podQueue.ShutDown()
+		c.topologyQueue.ShutDown()
+		wg.Wait()
+	}()
 
 	if !cache.WaitForNamedCacheSyncWithContext(ctx, c.podsSynced, c.servicesSynced, c.endpointSlicesSynced, c.nodesSynced) {
 		return
@@ -292,12 +297,18 @@ func (c *Controller) Run(ctx context.Context, workers int) {
 
 	logger.V(2).Info("Starting service queue worker threads", "total", workers)
 	for i := 0; i < workers; i++ {
-		go wait.Until(func() { c.serviceQueueWorker(logger) }, c.workerLoopPeriod, ctx.Done())
-		go wait.Until(func() { c.podQueueWorker(logger) }, c.workerLoopPeriod, ctx.Done())
+		wg.Go(func() {
+			wait.Until(func() { c.serviceQueueWorker(logger) }, c.workerLoopPeriod, ctx.Done())
+		})
+		wg.Go(func() {
+			wait.Until(func() { c.podQueueWorker(logger) }, c.workerLoopPeriod, ctx.Done())
+		})
 	}
-	logger.V(2).Info("Starting topology queue worker threads", "total", 1)
-	go wait.Until(func() { c.topologyQueueWorker(logger) }, c.workerLoopPeriod, ctx.Done())
 
+	logger.V(2).Info("Starting topology queue worker threads", "total", 1)
+	wg.Go(func() {
+		wait.Until(func() { c.topologyQueueWorker(logger) }, c.workerLoopPeriod, ctx.Done())
+	})
 	<-ctx.Done()
 }