diff --git a/provider/cloudflare/cloudflare_test.go b/provider/cloudflare/cloudflare_test.go
index d9b6de2eaf..7f06c7fa60 100644
--- a/provider/cloudflare/cloudflare_test.go
+++ b/provider/cloudflare/cloudflare_test.go
@@ -42,13 +42,6 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/external-dns/source/annotations"
 )
 
-// TestMain initializes annotation keys before running tests.
-// This is needed because init() was removed from annotations package.
-func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	annotations.SetAnnotationPrefix("external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/")
-	m.Run()
-}
-
 // newCloudflareError creates a cloudflare.Error suitable for testing.
 // The v5 SDK's Error type panics when .Error() is called with nil Request/Response fields,
 // so this helper initializes them properly.
diff --git a/source/annotations/annotations.go b/source/annotations/annotations.go
index ebe4ba548c..5248c69bf4 100644
--- a/source/annotations/annotations.go
+++ b/source/annotations/annotations.go
@@ -31,41 +31,41 @@ var (
 	AnnotationKeyPrefix = DefaultAnnotationPrefix
 
 	// CloudflareProxiedKey The annotation used for determining if traffic will go through Cloudflare
-	CloudflareProxiedKey        string
-	CloudflareCustomHostnameKey string
-	CloudflareRegionKey         string
-	CloudflareRecordCommentKey  string
-	CloudflareTagsKey           string
+	CloudflareProxiedKey        = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "cloudflare-proxied"
+	CloudflareCustomHostnameKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "cloudflare-custom-hostname"
+	CloudflareRegionKey         = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "cloudflare-region-key"
+	CloudflareRecordCommentKey  = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "cloudflare-record-comment"
+	CloudflareTagsKey           = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "cloudflare-tags"
 
-	AWSPrefix        string
-	CoreDNSPrefix    string
-	SCWPrefix        string
-	WebhookPrefix    string
-	CloudflarePrefix string
+	AWSPrefix        = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "aws-"
+	CoreDNSPrefix    = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "coredns-"
+	SCWPrefix        = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "scw-"
+	WebhookPrefix    = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "webhook-"
+	CloudflarePrefix = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "cloudflare-"
 
-	TtlKey           string
-	SetIdentifierKey string
-	AliasKey         string
-	TargetKey        string
+	TtlKey           = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "ttl"
+	SetIdentifierKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "set-identifier"
+	AliasKey         = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "alias"
+	TargetKey        = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "target"
 	// ControllerKey The annotation used for figuring out which controller is responsible
-	ControllerKey string
+	ControllerKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "controller"
 	// HostnameKey The annotation used for defining the desired hostname
-	HostnameKey string
+	HostnameKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "hostname"
 	// AccessKey The annotation used for specifying whether the public or private interface address is used
-	AccessKey string
+	AccessKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "access"
 	// EndpointsTypeKey The annotation used for specifying the type of endpoints to use for headless services
-	EndpointsTypeKey string
+	EndpointsTypeKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "endpoints-type"
 	// Ingress the annotation used to determine if the gateway is implemented by an Ingress object
-	Ingress string
+	Ingress = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "ingress"
 	// IngressHostnameSourceKey The annotation used to determine the source of hostnames for ingresses.  This is an optional field - all
 	// available hostname sources are used if not specified.
-	IngressHostnameSourceKey string
+	IngressHostnameSourceKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "ingress-hostname-source"
 	// ControllerValue The value of the controller annotation so that we feel responsible
 	ControllerValue = "dns-controller"
 	// InternalHostnameKey The annotation used for defining the desired hostname
-	InternalHostnameKey string
+	InternalHostnameKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "internal-hostname"
 	// The annotation used for defining the desired hostname source for gateways
-	GatewayHostnameSourceKey string
+	GatewayHostnameSourceKey = AnnotationKeyPrefix + "gateway-hostname-source"
 )
 
 // SetAnnotationPrefix sets a custom annotation prefix and rebuilds all annotation keys.
diff --git a/source/annotations/annotations_test.go b/source/annotations/annotations_test.go
index 79fde9f1d7..def2506fe7 100644
--- a/source/annotations/annotations_test.go
+++ b/source/annotations/annotations_test.go
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestSetAnnotationPrefix(t *testing.T) {
-	// Save original values
-	originalPrefix := AnnotationKeyPrefix
-	defer SetAnnotationPrefix(originalPrefix)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { SetAnnotationPrefix(DefaultAnnotationPrefix) })
 
 	// Test custom prefix
 	customPrefix := "custom.io/"
@@ -59,17 +57,17 @@ func TestSetAnnotationPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDefaultAnnotationPrefix(t *testing.T) {
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/", AnnotationKeyPrefix)
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname", HostnameKey)
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/internal-hostname", InternalHostnameKey)
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/ttl", TtlKey)
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/controller", ControllerKey)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { SetAnnotationPrefix(DefaultAnnotationPrefix) })
+	SetAnnotationPrefix(DefaultAnnotationPrefix)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix, AnnotationKeyPrefix)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix+"hostname", HostnameKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix+"internal-hostname", InternalHostnameKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix+"ttl", TtlKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix+"controller", ControllerKey)
 }
 
 func TestSetAnnotationPrefixMultipleTimes(t *testing.T) {
-	// Save original values
-	originalPrefix := AnnotationKeyPrefix
-	defer SetAnnotationPrefix(originalPrefix)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { SetAnnotationPrefix(DefaultAnnotationPrefix) })
 
 	// Set first custom prefix
 	SetAnnotationPrefix("first.io/")
@@ -82,7 +80,7 @@ func TestSetAnnotationPrefixMultipleTimes(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "second.io/hostname", HostnameKey)
 
 	// Restore to default
-	SetAnnotationPrefix("external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/")
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/", AnnotationKeyPrefix)
-	assert.Equal(t, "external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname", HostnameKey)
+	SetAnnotationPrefix(DefaultAnnotationPrefix)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix, AnnotationKeyPrefix)
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultAnnotationPrefix+"hostname", HostnameKey)
 }
diff --git a/source/annotations/processors_test.go b/source/annotations/processors_test.go
index 1333000247..89c02ec03f 100644
--- a/source/annotations/processors_test.go
+++ b/source/annotations/processors_test.go
@@ -366,8 +366,6 @@ func TestInternalHostnamesFromAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestIsControllerMismatch(t *testing.T) {
-	SetAnnotationPrefix(DefaultAnnotationPrefix)
-
 	tests := []struct {
 		name         string
 		annotations  map[string]string
diff --git a/source/service_test.go b/source/service_test.go
index 18886ebc18..e6666dd376 100644
--- a/source/service_test.go
+++ b/source/service_test.go
@@ -45,13 +45,6 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/external-dns/source/informers"
 )
 
-// TestMain initializes annotation keys before running tests.
-// This is needed because init() was removed from annotations package.
-func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	annotations.SetAnnotationPrefix("external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/")
-	m.Run()
-}
-
 type ServiceSuite struct {
 	suite.Suite
 	sc             Source