diff --git a/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go b/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go
index 6560eec44f..0221f58ab9 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ func Run(s *options.CMServer) error {
 		}
 
 		ctx.InformerFactory.Start(ctx.Stop)
+		close(ctx.InformersStarted)
 
 		select {}
 	}
@@ -264,6 +265,10 @@ type ControllerContext struct {
 
 	// Stop is the stop channel
 	Stop <-chan struct{}
+
+	// InformersStarted is closed after all of the controllers have been initialized and are running.  After this point it is safe,
+	// for an individual controller to start the shared informers. Before it is closed, they should not.
+	InformersStarted chan struct{}
 }
 
 func (c ControllerContext) IsControllerEnabled(name string) bool {
@@ -443,6 +448,7 @@ func CreateControllerContext(s *options.CMServer, rootClientBuilder, clientBuild
 		AvailableResources: availableResources,
 		Cloud:              cloud,
 		Stop:               stop,
+		InformersStarted:   make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 	return ctx, nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/core.go b/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/core.go
index 46c9309f51..78925fbc67 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/core.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/core.go
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ func startGarbageCollectorController(ctx ControllerContext) (bool, error) {
 		deletableResources,
 		ignoredResources,
 		ctx.InformerFactory,
+		ctx.InformersStarted,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("Failed to start the generic garbage collector: %v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
index efffc5a91f..a430e5f964 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ func NewGarbageCollector(
 	deletableResources map[schema.GroupVersionResource]struct{},
 	ignoredResources map[schema.GroupResource]struct{},
 	sharedInformers informers.SharedInformerFactory,
+	informersStarted <-chan struct{},
 ) (*GarbageCollector, error) {
 	attemptToDelete := workqueue.NewNamedRateLimitingQueue(workqueue.DefaultControllerRateLimiter(), "garbage_collector_attempt_to_delete")
 	attemptToOrphan := workqueue.NewNamedRateLimitingQueue(workqueue.DefaultControllerRateLimiter(), "garbage_collector_attempt_to_orphan")
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ func NewGarbageCollector(
 	}
 	gb := &GraphBuilder{
 		metaOnlyClientPool:                  metaOnlyClientPool,
+		informersStarted:                    informersStarted,
 		registeredRateLimiterForControllers: NewRegisteredRateLimiter(deletableResources),
 		restMapper:                          mapper,
 		graphChanges:                        workqueue.NewNamedRateLimitingQueue(workqueue.DefaultControllerRateLimiter(), "garbage_collector_graph_changes"),
diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go
index 4ba3c90c8c..fa4d53a8d0 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ func TestGarbageCollectorConstruction(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// No monitor will be constructed for the non-core resource, but the GC
 	// construction will not fail.
-	gc, err := NewGarbageCollector(metaOnlyClientPool, clientPool, rm, twoResources, map[schema.GroupResource]struct{}{}, sharedInformers)
+	alwaysStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	close(alwaysStarted)
+	gc, err := NewGarbageCollector(metaOnlyClientPool, clientPool, rm, twoResources, map[schema.GroupResource]struct{}{}, sharedInformers, alwaysStarted)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -174,7 +176,9 @@ func setupGC(t *testing.T, config *restclient.Config) garbageCollector {
 	podResource := map[schema.GroupVersionResource]struct{}{{Version: "v1", Resource: "pods"}: {}}
 	client := fake.NewSimpleClientset()
 	sharedInformers := informers.NewSharedInformerFactory(client, 0)
-	gc, err := NewGarbageCollector(metaOnlyClientPool, clientPool, &testRESTMapper{api.Registry.RESTMapper()}, podResource, ignoredResources, sharedInformers)
+	alwaysStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	close(alwaysStarted)
+	gc, err := NewGarbageCollector(metaOnlyClientPool, clientPool, &testRESTMapper{api.Registry.RESTMapper()}, podResource, ignoredResources, sharedInformers, alwaysStarted)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -358,9 +362,12 @@ func TestProcessEvent(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	alwaysStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	close(alwaysStarted)
 	for _, scenario := range testScenarios {
 		dependencyGraphBuilder := &GraphBuilder{
-			graphChanges: workqueue.NewRateLimitingQueue(workqueue.DefaultControllerRateLimiter()),
+			informersStarted: alwaysStarted,
+			graphChanges:     workqueue.NewRateLimitingQueue(workqueue.DefaultControllerRateLimiter()),
 			uidToNode: &concurrentUIDToNode{
 				uidToNodeLock: sync.RWMutex{},
 				uidToNode:     make(map[types.UID]*node),
diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go
index babe81bf72..2cc7cb4daf 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ type GraphBuilder struct {
 	// dependencyGraphBuilder
 	monitors    monitors
 	monitorLock sync.Mutex
+	// informersStarted is closed after after all of the controllers have been initialized and are running.
+	// After that it is safe to start them here, before that it is not.
+	informersStarted <-chan struct{}
+
 	// stopCh drives shutdown. If it is nil, it indicates that Run() has not been
 	// called yet. If it is non-nil, then when closed it indicates everything
 	// should shut down.
@@ -279,6 +283,10 @@ func (gb *GraphBuilder) startMonitors() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// we're waiting until after the informer start that happens once all the controllers are initialized.  This ensures
+	// that they don't get unexpected events on their work queues.
+	<-gb.informersStarted
+
 	monitors := gb.monitors
 	started := 0
 	for _, monitor := range monitors {
diff --git a/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go b/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go
index e54b8170a9..5bd613f5e3 100644
--- a/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go
@@ -242,6 +242,8 @@ func setup(t *testing.T, workerCount int) *testContext {
 	metaOnlyClientPool := dynamic.NewClientPool(&config, restMapper, dynamic.LegacyAPIPathResolverFunc)
 	clientPool := dynamic.NewClientPool(&config, restMapper, dynamic.LegacyAPIPathResolverFunc)
 	sharedInformers := informers.NewSharedInformerFactory(clientSet, 0)
+	alwaysStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	close(alwaysStarted)
 	gc, err := garbagecollector.NewGarbageCollector(
 		metaOnlyClientPool,
 		clientPool,
@@ -249,6 +251,7 @@ func setup(t *testing.T, workerCount int) *testContext {
 		deletableResources,
 		garbagecollector.DefaultIgnoredResources(),
 		sharedInformers,
+		alwaysStarted,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to create garbage collector: %v", err)