diff --git a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc
index 1c1d09a2bf..e8eea749a8 100644
--- a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc
@@ -352,6 +352,16 @@ bool Wasm::initialize(const std::string& code, bool allow_precompiled) {
   return true;
 }
 
+Context* Wasm::getOrCreateRootContext(const PluginSharedPtr& plugin) {
+  auto root_context = getRootContext(plugin->root_id_);
+  if (!root_context) {
+    auto context = std::make_unique<Context>(this, plugin);
+    root_context = context.get();
+    root_contexts_[plugin->root_id_] = std::move(context);
+  }
+  return root_context;
+}
+
 void Wasm::startVm(Context* root_context) {
   /* Call "_start" function, and fallback to "__wasm_call_ctors" if the former is not available. */
   if (_start_) {
@@ -611,7 +621,7 @@ WasmHandleSharedPtr getOrCreateThreadLocalWasm(WasmHandleSharedPtr base_wasm,
                                                Event::Dispatcher& dispatcher) {
   auto wasm_handle = getThreadLocalWasmPtr(base_wasm->wasm()->vm_key());
   if (wasm_handle) {
-    auto root_context = wasm_handle->wasm()->start(plugin);
+    auto root_context = wasm_handle->wasm()->getOrCreateRootContext(plugin);
     if (!wasm_handle->wasm()->configure(root_context, plugin, configuration)) {
       throw WasmException("Failed to configure WASM code");
     }
diff --git a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h
index 40455144d6..020408b20e 100644
--- a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h
+++ b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ class Wasm : public Logger::Loggable<Logger::Id::wasm>, public std::enable_share
   Context* vm_context() const { return vm_context_.get(); }
   Stats::StatNameSetSharedPtr stat_name_set() const { return stat_name_set_; }
   Context* getRootContext(absl::string_view root_id) { return root_contexts_[root_id].get(); }
+  Context* getOrCreateRootContext(const PluginSharedPtr& plugin);
   Context* getContext(uint32_t id) {
     auto it = contexts_.find(id);
     if (it != contexts_.end())