diff --git a/pkg/cluster/managed.go b/pkg/cluster/managed.go
index 3d4c5faf8bf4..4d13bb75349b 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/managed.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/managed.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(resetFile); err == nil {
 		// Before removing reset file we need to delete the node passwd secret in case the node
 		// password from the previously restored snapshot differs from the current password on disk.
-		go c.deleteNodePasswdSecret(ctx)
+		c.config.Runtime.ClusterControllerStarts["node-password-secret-cleanup"] = c.deleteNodePasswdSecret
 		os.Remove(resetFile)
 	}
 
@@ -176,30 +176,13 @@ func (c *Cluster) setupEtcdProxy(ctx context.Context, etcdProxy etcd.Proxy) {
 
 // deleteNodePasswdSecret wipes out the node password secret after restoration
 func (c *Cluster) deleteNodePasswdSecret(ctx context.Context) {
-	t := time.NewTicker(5 * time.Second)
-	defer t.Stop()
-	for range t.C {
-		nodeName := os.Getenv("NODE_NAME")
-		if nodeName == "" {
-			logrus.Infof("waiting for node name to be set")
-			continue
+	nodeName := os.Getenv("NODE_NAME")
+	secretsClient := c.config.Runtime.Core.Core().V1().Secret()
+	if err := nodepassword.Delete(secretsClient, nodeName); err != nil {
+		if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			logrus.Debugf("node password secret is not found for node %s", nodeName)
+			return
 		}
-		// the core factory may not yet be initialized so we
-		// want to wait until it is so not to evoke a panic.
-		if c.config.Runtime.Core == nil {
-			logrus.Infof("runtime is not yet initialized")
-			continue
-		}
-		secretsClient := c.config.Runtime.Core.Core().V1().Secret()
-		if err := nodepassword.Delete(secretsClient, nodeName); err != nil {
-			if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-				logrus.Debugf("node password secret is not found for node %s", nodeName)
-				return
-			}
-			logrus.Warnf("failed to delete old node password secret: %v", err)
-			continue
-		}
-		return
+		logrus.Warnf("failed to delete old node password secret: %v", err)
 	}
-
 }
diff --git a/pkg/daemons/control/tunnel.go b/pkg/daemons/control/tunnel.go
index d9065babdcb7..2e69a1a2d792 100644
--- a/pkg/daemons/control/tunnel.go
+++ b/pkg/daemons/control/tunnel.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/config"
 	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/control/proxy"
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ func setupTunnel(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Control) (http.Handler, error)
 		server: remotedialer.New(authorizer, loggingErrorWriter),
 		egress: map[string]bool{},
 	}
-	go tunnel.watch(ctx)
+	cfg.Runtime.ClusterControllerStarts["tunnel-server"] = tunnel.watch
 	return tunnel, nil
 }
 
@@ -112,17 +111,10 @@ func (t *TunnelServer) watch(ctx context.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	for {
-		if t.config.Runtime.Core != nil {
-			t.config.Runtime.Core.Core().V1().Node().OnChange(ctx, version.Program+"-tunnel-server", t.onChangeNode)
-			switch t.config.EgressSelectorMode {
-			case config.EgressSelectorModeCluster, config.EgressSelectorModePod:
-				t.config.Runtime.Core.Core().V1().Pod().OnChange(ctx, version.Program+"-tunnel-server", t.onChangePod)
-			}
-			return
-		}
-		logrus.Infof("Tunnel server egress proxy waiting for runtime core to become available")
-		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+	t.config.Runtime.Core.Core().V1().Node().OnChange(ctx, version.Program+"-tunnel-server", t.onChangeNode)
+	switch t.config.EgressSelectorMode {
+	case config.EgressSelectorModeCluster, config.EgressSelectorModePod:
+		t.config.Runtime.Core.Core().V1().Pod().OnChange(ctx, version.Program+"-tunnel-server", t.onChangePod)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -173,7 +165,6 @@ func (t *TunnelServer) onChangePod(podName string, pod *v1.Pod) (*v1.Pod, error)
 		}
 	}
 	return pod, nil
-
 }
 
 // serveConnect attempts to handle the HTTP CONNECT request by dialing
diff --git a/pkg/server/server.go b/pkg/server/server.go
index 8d9012f3cb64..7ad33280124a 100644
--- a/pkg/server/server.go
+++ b/pkg/server/server.go
@@ -168,8 +168,11 @@ func apiserverControllers(ctx context.Context, sc *Context, config *Config) {
 			panic(errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to start %s leader controller", util.GetFunctionName(controller)))
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Re-run context startup after core and leader-elected controllers have started. Additional
+	// informer caches may need to start for the newly added OnChange callbacks.
 	if err := sc.Start(ctx); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		panic(errors.Wrap(err, "failed to start wranger controllers"))
 	}
 }