diff --git a/controller/execute.go b/controller/execute.go
index 47940c8766..38b88f0426 100644
--- a/controller/execute.go
+++ b/controller/execute.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"runtime"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -72,6 +73,24 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/external-dns/source/wrappers"
 )
 
+// sigtermSignals is a package-level signal channel that is registered in init().
+// This way, SIGTERM is captured as soon as the package is loaded, preventing
+// default process termination, even if application startup is delayed.
+var sigtermSignals chan os.Signal
+
+func init() {
+	sigtermSignals = make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(sigtermSignals, terminationSignals()...)
+}
+
+func terminationSignals() []os.Signal {
+	signals := []os.Signal{os.Interrupt}
+	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
+		signals = append(signals, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	}
+	return signals
+}
+
 func Execute() {
 	cfg := externaldns.NewConfig()
 	if err := cfg.ParseFlags(os.Args[1:]); err != nil {
@@ -99,8 +118,14 @@ func Execute() {
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
-	go serveMetrics(cfg.MetricsAddress)
-	go handleSigterm(cancel)
+	// Connect global SIGTERM capture to this run's context cancellation.
+	go func() {
+		<-sigtermSignals
+		log.Info("Received termination signal. Terminating...")
+		cancel()
+	}()
+
+	go serveMetrics(ctx, cfg.MetricsAddress)
 
 	endpointsSource, err := buildSource(ctx, cfg)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -468,22 +493,25 @@ func createDomainFilter(cfg *externaldns.Config) *endpoint.DomainFilter {
 	}
 }
 
-// handleSigterm listens for a SIGTERM signal and triggers the provided cancel function
+// handleSigterm listens for termination signals and triggers the provided cancel function
 // to gracefully terminate the application. It logs a message when the signal is received.
 func handleSigterm(cancel func()) {
 	signals := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
-	signal.Notify(signals, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	signal.Notify(signals, terminationSignals()...)
 	<-signals
-	log.Info("Received SIGTERM. Terminating...")
+	log.Info("Received termination signal. Terminating...")
 	cancel()
+	signal.Stop(signals)
 }
 
 // serveMetrics starts an HTTP server that serves health and metrics endpoints.
 // The /healthz endpoint returns a 200 OK status to indicate the service is healthy.
 // The /metrics endpoint serves Prometheus metrics.
 // The server listens on the specified address and logs debug information about the endpoints.
-func serveMetrics(address string) {
-	http.HandleFunc("/healthz", func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+func serveMetrics(ctx context.Context, address string) {
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+
+	mux.HandleFunc("/healthz", func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
 		_, _ = w.Write([]byte("OK"))
 	})
@@ -492,7 +520,19 @@ func serveMetrics(address string) {
 	log.Debugf("serving 'metrics' on '%s/metrics'", address)
 	log.Debugf("registered '%d' metrics", len(metrics.RegisterMetric.Metrics))
 
-	http.Handle("/metrics", promhttp.Handler())
+	mux.Handle("/metrics", promhttp.Handler())
+
+	srv := &http.Server{Addr: address, Handler: mux}
 
-	log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(address, nil))
+	// Shutdown server on context cancellation
+	go func() {
+		<-ctx.Done()
+		shutdownCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
+		_ = srv.Shutdown(shutdownCtx)
+		cancel()
+	}()
+
+	if err := srv.ListenAndServe(); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/controller/execute_test.go b/controller/execute_test.go
index d0198e7f36..5d02bdfbb6 100644
--- a/controller/execute_test.go
+++ b/controller/execute_test.go
@@ -20,12 +20,17 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"os/signal"
 	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
+	"runtime"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -375,6 +380,95 @@ func TestCreateDomainFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func getRandomPort() (int, error) {
+	addr, err := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", "localhost:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	l, err := net.ListenTCP("tcp", addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	defer l.Close()
+	return l.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port, nil
+}
+
+func sendTerminationSignal() error {
+	proc, err := os.FindProcess(os.Getpid())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		return proc.Signal(os.Interrupt)
+	}
+	return proc.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM)
+}
+
+func TestServeMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	// Use a fresh DefaultServeMux for this test (do not restore to avoid data race with server goroutine)
+	http.DefaultServeMux = http.NewServeMux()
+
+	port, err := getRandomPort()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	address := fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", port)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	go serveMetrics(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port))
+
+	// Wait for the TCP socket to be ready
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", address)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		_ = conn.Close()
+		return true
+	}, 2*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "server not ready with port open in time")
+
+	resp, err := http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/healthz", address))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
+	_ = resp.Body.Close()
+
+	resp, err = http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/metrics", address))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
+	_ = resp.Body.Close()
+
+	// Stop the server to avoid leaking goroutines across tests
+	cancel()
+}
+
+func TestHandleSigterm(t *testing.T) {
+	cancelCalled := make(chan bool, 1)
+	cancel := func() { cancelCalled <- true }
+
+	var logOutput bytes.Buffer
+	log.SetOutput(&logOutput)
+	defer log.SetOutput(os.Stderr)
+
+	go handleSigterm(cancel)
+
+	// Simulate sending a termination signal
+	sigChan := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(sigChan, terminationSignals()...)
+	defer signal.Stop(sigChan)
+	err := sendTerminationSignal()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Wait for cancel to be called
+	select {
+	case <-cancelCalled:
+		assert.Contains(t, logOutput.String(), "Received termination signal. Terminating...")
+	case sig := <-sigChan:
+		assert.Contains(t, terminationSignals(), sig)
+	case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("cancel function was not called")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildSource(t *testing.T) {
 	svr := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotImplemented)
@@ -629,6 +723,129 @@ func TestExecuteBuildControllerErrorExitsNonZero(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotEqual(t, 0, code)
 }
 
+// ValidateConfig triggers log.Fatalf (in-process).
+func TestExecuteConfigValidationFatalInProcess(t *testing.T) {
+	// Prepare args to trigger validation error before any goroutines start
+	prevArgs := os.Args
+	os.Args = []string{
+		"external-dns",
+		"--source", "fake",
+		"--provider", "inmemory",
+		"--ignore-hostname-annotation", // triggers validation: FQDN template required when ignoring annotations
+		"--metrics-address", ":0",
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { os.Args = prevArgs })
+
+	// Capture logs and replace Fatalf with Goexit to stop only the Execute goroutine
+	logger := log.StandardLogger()
+	prevExit := logger.ExitFunc
+	prevOut := logger.Out
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	logger.SetOutput(buf)
+	logger.ExitFunc = func(int) { runtime.Goexit() }
+	t.Cleanup(func() { logger.ExitFunc = prevExit; logger.SetOutput(prevOut) })
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		Execute()
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+		// ok
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Execute did not exit after validation fatal")
+	}
+
+	// Do not assert on logger text to avoid flakiness with global logger
+}
+
+// Run path with --events; shut down via SIGTERM.
+func TestExecuteDefaultRunWithEventsStopsOnSigterm(t *testing.T) {
+	// Use a fresh DefaultServeMux for this test (do not restore to avoid data race with server goroutine)
+	http.DefaultServeMux = http.NewServeMux()
+
+	// Prepare args to run Execute without --once and with --events
+	prevArgs := os.Args
+	os.Args = []string{
+		"external-dns",
+		"--source", "fake",
+		"--provider", "inmemory",
+		"--events",
+		"--dry-run",
+		"--metrics-address", ":0",
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { os.Args = prevArgs })
+
+	// Prevent log.Fatal from terminating the test process
+	logger := log.StandardLogger()
+	prevExit := logger.ExitFunc
+	logger.ExitFunc = func(int) { runtime.Goexit() }
+	t.Cleanup(func() { logger.ExitFunc = prevExit })
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		Execute()
+	}()
+
+	// Give goroutines time to start
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Send termination signal to trigger handleSigterm(cancel)
+	require.NoError(t, sendTerminationSignal())
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+		// ok
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Execute did not stop after termination signal")
+	}
+}
+
+// Webhook server path; pre-bind 127.0.0.1:8888 to force a bind failure.
+func TestExecuteWebhookServerFailsPortInUseInProcess(t *testing.T) {
+	// Use a fresh DefaultServeMux for this test (do not restore to avoid data race with server goroutine)
+	http.DefaultServeMux = http.NewServeMux()
+
+	// Pre-bind the webhook server port so it is unavailable
+	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:8888")
+	if err != nil {
+		// If we cannot bind, assume something else is bound already, which is fine for this test
+	} else {
+		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = l.Close() })
+	}
+
+	prevArgs := os.Args
+	os.Args = []string{
+		"external-dns",
+		"--source", "fake",
+		"--provider", "inmemory",
+		"--webhook-server",
+		"--metrics-address", ":0",
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { os.Args = prevArgs })
+
+	logger := log.StandardLogger()
+	prevExit := logger.ExitFunc
+	logger.ExitFunc = func(int) { runtime.Goexit() }
+	t.Cleanup(func() { logger.ExitFunc = prevExit })
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		Execute()
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+		// ok
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Execute did not exit after webhook server fatal")
+	}
+}
+
 // Controller run loop stops on context cancel.
 func TestControllerRunCancelContextStopsLoop(t *testing.T) {
 	// Minimal controller using fake source and inmemory provider.