diff --git a/pkg/controller/main.go b/pkg/controller/main.go
index 549eea0eed..9a70bb29d1 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/main.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/main.go
@@ -196,9 +196,7 @@ func Main(f *Flags, version string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	sinformer := informers.NewFilteredSharedInformerFactory(clientset, 0, namespace, tweakopts)
-	ssinformer := ssinformers.NewFilteredSharedInformerFactory(ssclientset, 0, namespace, tweakopts)
-	controller, err := NewController(clientset, ssclientset, ssinformer, sinformer, keyRegistry)
+	controller, err := prepareController(clientset, namespace, tweakopts, f, ssclientset, keyRegistry)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -213,10 +211,6 @@ func Main(f *Flags, version string) error {
 	if f.AdditionalNamespaces != "" {
 		addNS := removeDuplicates(strings.Split(f.AdditionalNamespaces, ","))
 
-		var ssinf ssinformers.SharedInformerFactory
-		var sinf informers.SharedInformerFactory
-		var ctlr *Controller
-
 		for _, ns := range addNS {
 			if _, err := clientset.CoreV1().Namespaces().Get(ctx, ns, metav1.GetOptions{}); err != nil {
 				if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
@@ -226,9 +220,7 @@ func Main(f *Flags, version string) error {
 				return err
 			}
 			if ns != namespace {
-				ssinf = ssinformers.NewFilteredSharedInformerFactory(ssclientset, 0, ns, tweakopts)
-				sinf = initSecretInformerFactory(clientset, ns, tweakopts, f.SkipRecreate)
-				ctlr, err = NewController(clientset, ssclientset, ssinf, sinf, keyRegistry)
+				ctlr, err := prepareController(clientset, ns, tweakopts, f, ssclientset, keyRegistry)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -257,6 +249,13 @@ func Main(f *Flags, version string) error {
 	return server.Shutdown(context.Background())
 }
 
+func prepareController(clientset *kubernetes.Clientset, namespace string, tweakopts func( *metav1.ListOptions), f *Flags, ssclientset *sealedsecrets.Clientset, keyRegistry *KeyRegistry) (*Controller, error) {
+	sinformer := initSecretInformerFactory(clientset, namespace, tweakopts, f.SkipRecreate)
+	ssinformer := ssinformers.NewFilteredSharedInformerFactory(ssclientset, 0, namespace, tweakopts)
+	controller, err := NewController(clientset, ssclientset, ssinformer, sinformer, keyRegistry)
+	return controller, err
+}
+
 func initSecretInformerFactory(clientset kubernetes.Interface, ns string, tweakopts func(*metav1.ListOptions), skipRecreate bool) informers.SharedInformerFactory {
 	if skipRecreate {
 		return nil