diff --git a/pkg/runtime/controller.go b/pkg/runtime/controller.go
index 6132f16..08bb9a2 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/controller.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	utilruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	clientgocache "k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/workqueue"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
@@ -148,20 +147,12 @@ func (c *controller) run(ctx context.Context, workers int) {
 	c.startLock.Unlock()
 
 	defer utilruntime.HandleCrash()
-	defer func() {
-		c.workqueue.ShutDown()
-	}()
 
 	// Start the informer factories to begin populating the informer caches
 	log.Infof("Starting %s controller", c.name)
 
-	for i := 0; i < workers; i++ {
-		go wait.Until(func() {
-			c.runWorker(ctx)
-		}, time.Second, ctx.Done())
-	}
+	c.runWorkers(ctx, workers)
 
-	<-ctx.Done()
 	c.startLock.Lock()
 	defer c.startLock.Unlock()
 	c.started = false
@@ -217,26 +208,44 @@ func (c *controller) Start(ctx context.Context, workers int) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *controller) runWorker(ctx context.Context) {
-	for c.processNextWorkItem(ctx) {
-	}
-}
+func (c *controller) runWorkers(ctx context.Context, workers int) {
+	wait := sync.WaitGroup{}
+	running := make(chan struct{}, workers)
 
-func (c *controller) processNextWorkItem(ctx context.Context) bool {
-	obj, shutdown := c.workqueue.Get()
+	defer func() {
+		defer wait.Wait()
+	}()
 
-	if shutdown {
-		return false
-	}
+	defer close(running)
 
-	if err := c.processSingleItem(ctx, obj); err != nil {
-		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "please apply your changes to the latest version and try again") {
-			log.Errorf("%v", err)
+	go func() {
+		<-ctx.Done()
+		c.workqueue.ShutDown()
+	}()
+
+	for {
+		obj, shutdown := c.workqueue.Get()
+
+		if shutdown {
+			return
 		}
-		return true
-	}
 
-	return true
+		running <- struct{}{}
+		wait.Add(1)
+
+		go func() {
+			defer func() {
+				<-running
+				wait.Done()
+			}()
+
+			if err := c.processSingleItem(ctx, obj); err != nil {
+				if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "please apply your changes to the latest version and try again") {
+					log.Errorf("%v", err)
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *controller) processSingleItem(ctx context.Context, obj interface{}) error {