diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 62699a4ba..0c8ba1f46 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -1517,13 +1517,16 @@ func (c *Cluster) Switchover(curMaster *v1.Pod, candidate spec.NamespacedName) e
 	c.logger.Debugf("switching over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
 	c.eventRecorder.Eventf(c.GetReference(), v1.EventTypeNormal, "Switchover", "Switching over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
-	ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(candidate)
+	subscriber := c.registerPodSubscriber(candidate)
+	defer func() {
+		subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 	defer close(stopCh)
 
 	if err = c.patroni.Switchover(curMaster, candidate.Name); err == nil {
 		c.logger.Debugf("successfully switched over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
 		c.eventRecorder.Eventf(c.GetReference(), v1.EventTypeNormal, "Switchover", "Successfully switched over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
-		_, err = c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopCh, nil)
+		_, err = c.waitForPodLabel(subscriber.podEvents, stopCh, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("could not get master pod label: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 142e0e7df..f8fdb8e6c 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) deletePods() error {
 func (c *Cluster) deletePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) error {
 	c.setProcessName("deleting pod %q", podName)
 	subscriber := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
+	defer func() {
+		subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 
 	if err := c.KubeClient.Pods(podName.Namespace).Delete(context.TODO(), podName.Name, c.deleteOptions); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -405,6 +408,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) getPatroniMemberData(pod *v1.Pod) (patroni.MemberData, error)
 func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
 	subscriber := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
+	defer func() {
+		subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 	defer close(stopCh)
 
 	err := retryutil.Retry(1*time.Second, 5*time.Second,
@@ -425,7 +431,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 	if err := c.waitForPodDeletion(subscriber.podEvents); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	pod, err := c.waitForPodLabel(subscriber, stopCh, nil)
+	pod, err := c.waitForPodLabel(subscriber.podEvents, stopCh, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index d609d5163..0bfda78bf 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -316,20 +316,18 @@ func (c *Cluster) annotationsSet(annotations map[string]string) map[string]strin
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(subscriber PodSubscriber, stopCh chan struct{}, role *PostgresRole) (*v1.Pod, error) {
+func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(podEvents chan PodEvent, stopCh chan struct{}, role *PostgresRole) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 	timeout := time.After(c.OpConfig.PodLabelWaitTimeout)
 	for {
 		select {
-		case podEvent := <-subscriber.podEvents:
+		case podEvent := <-podEvents:
 			podRole := PostgresRole(podEvent.CurPod.Labels[c.OpConfig.PodRoleLabel])
 
 			if role == nil {
 				if podRole == Master || podRole == Replica {
-					subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
 					return podEvent.CurPod, nil
 				}
 			} else if *role == podRole {
-				subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
 				return podEvent.CurPod, nil
 			}
 		case <-timeout: