diff --git a/pkg/controller/servingcert/starter/starter.go b/pkg/controller/servingcert/starter/starter.go
index f83e9b22f..529ada43e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/servingcert/starter/starter.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/servingcert/starter/starter.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ func StartServiceServingCertSigner(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *contr
 
 	configInformers := configexternalinformers.NewSharedInformerFactory(configClient, 10*time.Minute)
 
+	stopChan := ctx.Done()
 	klog.Infof("ShortCertRotation: fetching FeatureGates")
 	desiredVersion := status.VersionForOperatorFromEnv()
 	missingVersion := "0.0.1-snapshot"
@@ -61,6 +62,9 @@ func StartServiceServingCertSigner(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *contr
 		configInformers.Config().V1().ClusterVersions(), configInformers.Config().V1().FeatureGates(),
 		controllerContext.EventRecorder,
 	)
+	configInformers.Start(stopChan)
+	go featureGateAccessor.Run(ctx)
+
 	var featureGates featuregates.FeatureGate
 	select {
 	case <-featureGateAccessor.InitialFeatureGatesObserved():
@@ -104,7 +108,6 @@ func StartServiceServingCertSigner(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *contr
 		certificateLifetime,
 	)
 
-	stopChan := ctx.Done()
 	kubeInformers.Start(stopChan)
 
 	go servingCertController.Run(ctx, 5)
diff --git a/pkg/operator/starter.go b/pkg/operator/starter.go
index 2508169b0..07b78d99a 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/starter.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/starter.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ func RunOperator(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *controllercmd.Controlle
 		controllerContext.EventRecorder,
 	)
 
+	stopChan := ctx.Done()
 	klog.Infof("ShortCertRotation: fetching FeatureGates")
 	desiredVersion := status.VersionForOperatorFromEnv()
 	missingVersion := "0.0.1-snapshot"
@@ -113,6 +114,9 @@ func RunOperator(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *controllercmd.Controlle
 		configInformers.Config().V1().ClusterVersions(), configInformers.Config().V1().FeatureGates(),
 		controllerContext.EventRecorder,
 	)
+	configInformers.Start(stopChan)
+	go featureGateAccessor.Run(ctx)
+
 	var featureGates featuregates.FeatureGate
 	select {
 	case <-featureGateAccessor.InitialFeatureGatesObserved():
@@ -144,11 +148,8 @@ func RunOperator(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *controllercmd.Controlle
 		signingCertificateLifetime,
 	)
 
-	stopChan := ctx.Done()
-
 	for _, informerStarter := range []func(<-chan struct{}){
 		operatorConfigInformers.Start,
-		configInformers.Start,
 		kubeInformersNamespaced.Start,
 		kubeInformersForNamespaces.Start,
 	} {
@@ -163,7 +164,6 @@ func RunOperator(ctx context.Context, controllerContext *controllercmd.Controlle
 	} {
 		go controllerRunner(ctx, 1)
 	}
-
 	<-stopChan
 	return nil
 }