diff --git a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go
index 65bc4d4f4bb7e..e26cfabd542d1 100644
--- a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go
+++ b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package destination
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -13,8 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/linkerd/linkerd2/pkg/k8s"
 	logging "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
+	coreinformers "k8s.io/client-go/informers/core/v1"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -39,13 +37,12 @@ type endpointTranslator struct {
 }
 
 func newEndpointTranslator(
-	ctx context.Context,
 	controllerNS string,
 	identityTrustDomain string,
 	enableH2Upgrade bool,
 	service string,
 	srcNodeName string,
-	k8sClient kubernetes.Interface,
+	nodes coreinformers.NodeInformer,
 	stream pb.Destination_GetServer,
 	log *logging.Entry,
 ) *endpointTranslator {
@@ -54,7 +51,7 @@ func newEndpointTranslator(
 		"service":   service,
 	})
 
-	nodeTopologyLabels, err := getK8sNodeTopology(ctx, k8sClient, srcNodeName)
+	nodeTopologyLabels, err := getK8sNodeTopology(nodes, srcNodeName)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Failed to get node topology for node %s: %s", srcNodeName, err)
 	}
@@ -371,9 +368,9 @@ func toWeightedAddr(address watcher.Address, opaquePorts map[uint32]struct{}, en
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func getK8sNodeTopology(ctx context.Context, k8sClient kubernetes.Interface, srcNode string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func getK8sNodeTopology(nodes coreinformers.NodeInformer, srcNode string) (map[string]string, error) {
 	nodeTopology := make(map[string]string)
-	node, err := k8sClient.CoreV1().Nodes().Get(ctx, srcNode, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	node, err := nodes.Lister().Get(srcNode)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nodeTopology, err
 	}
diff --git a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go
index 35c5679a4ca4e..77be5e817ea88 100644
--- a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go
+++ b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package destination
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
@@ -142,13 +141,12 @@ metadata:
 
 	mockGetServer := &mockDestinationGetServer{updatesReceived: []*pb.Update{}}
 	translator := newEndpointTranslator(
-		context.Background(),
 		"linkerd",
 		"trust.domain",
 		true,
 		"service-name.service-ns",
 		"test-123",
-		k8sAPI.Client,
+		k8sAPI.Node(),
 		mockGetServer,
 		logging.WithField("test", t.Name()),
 	)
diff --git a/controller/api/destination/server.go b/controller/api/destination/server.go
index 408d073d4262a..1f7ef3e4dc163 100644
--- a/controller/api/destination/server.go
+++ b/controller/api/destination/server.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/peer"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
+	coreinformers "k8s.io/client-go/informers/core/v1"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ type (
 		profiles      *watcher.ProfileWatcher
 		trafficSplits *watcher.TrafficSplitWatcher
 		ips           *watcher.IPWatcher
+		nodes         coreinformers.NodeInformer
 
 		enableH2Upgrade     bool
 		controllerNS        string
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@ func NewServer(
 		profiles,
 		trafficSplits,
 		ips,
+		k8sAPI.Node(),
 		enableH2Upgrade,
 		controllerNS,
 		identityTrustDomain,
@@ -103,13 +106,12 @@ func (s *server) Get(dest *pb.GetDestination, stream pb.Destination_GetServer) e
 	}
 
 	translator := newEndpointTranslator(
-		stream.Context(),
 		s.controllerNS,
 		s.identityTrustDomain,
 		s.enableH2Upgrade,
 		dest.GetPath(),
 		token.NodeName,
-		s.k8sAPI.Client,
+		s.nodes,
 		stream,
 		log,
 	)
diff --git a/controller/api/destination/server_test.go b/controller/api/destination/server_test.go
index 367f675fc0bcb..8a11f214e49f5 100644
--- a/controller/api/destination/server_test.go
+++ b/controller/api/destination/server_test.go
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ spec:
 		profiles,
 		trafficSplits,
 		ips,
+		k8sAPI.Node(),
 		true,
 		"linkerd",
 		"trust.domain",
diff --git a/controller/cmd/destination/main.go b/controller/cmd/destination/main.go
index b34c22f01d98e..02ff3ae9f8bf3 100644
--- a/controller/cmd/destination/main.go
+++ b/controller/cmd/destination/main.go
@@ -84,14 +84,14 @@ func Main(args []string) {
 			ctx,
 			*kubeConfigPath,
 			true,
-			k8s.Endpoint, k8s.ES, k8s.Pod, k8s.RS, k8s.Svc, k8s.SP, k8s.TS, k8s.Job, k8s.NS,
+			k8s.Endpoint, k8s.ES, k8s.Pod, k8s.RS, k8s.Svc, k8s.SP, k8s.TS, k8s.Job, k8s.NS, k8s.Node,
 		)
 	} else {
 		k8sAPI, err = k8s.InitializeAPI(
 			ctx,
 			*kubeConfigPath,
 			true,
-			k8s.Endpoint, k8s.Pod, k8s.RS, k8s.Svc, k8s.SP, k8s.TS, k8s.Job, k8s.NS,
+			k8s.Endpoint, k8s.Pod, k8s.RS, k8s.Svc, k8s.SP, k8s.TS, k8s.Job, k8s.NS, k8s.Node,
 		)
 	}
 	if err != nil {