diff --git a/internal/test/envtest/environment.go b/internal/test/envtest/environment.go
index 8441e4e8bfe5..2727ff1f7b68 100644
--- a/internal/test/envtest/environment.go
+++ b/internal/test/envtest/environment.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	goruntime "runtime"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -71,32 +70,26 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/webhooks"
 )
 
-var once sync.Once
-
 func init() {
-	once.Do(func() {
-		logger := klog.Background()
-		// Use klog as the internal logger for this envtest environment.
-		log.SetLogger(logger)
-		// Additionally force all controllers to use the Ginkgo logger.
-		ctrl.SetLogger(logger)
-		// Add logger for ginkgo.
-		klog.SetOutput(ginkgo.GinkgoWriter)
-		// Use the writer that klog sets to write.
-		klog.LogToStderr(false)
-
-		// Calculate the scheme.
-		utilruntime.Must(apiextensionsv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(admissionv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(clusterv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(bootstrapv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(expv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(addonsv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(controlplanev1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(admissionv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(runtimev1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-		utilruntime.Must(ipamv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
-	})
+	logger := klog.Background()
+	// Use klog as the internal logger for this envtest environment.
+	log.SetLogger(logger)
+	// Additionally force all controllers to use the Ginkgo logger.
+	ctrl.SetLogger(logger)
+	// Add logger for ginkgo.
+	klog.SetOutput(ginkgo.GinkgoWriter)
+
+	// Calculate the scheme.
+	utilruntime.Must(apiextensionsv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(admissionv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(clusterv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(bootstrapv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(expv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(addonsv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(controlplanev1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(admissionv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(runtimev1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
+	utilruntime.Must(ipamv1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme))
 }
 
 // RunInput is the input for Run.
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/inmemory/pkg/runtime/cache/sync.go b/test/infrastructure/inmemory/pkg/runtime/cache/sync.go
index c05ff75b5dfe..e731cff1b7e4 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/inmemory/pkg/runtime/cache/sync.go
+++ b/test/infrastructure/inmemory/pkg/runtime/cache/sync.go
@@ -50,8 +50,10 @@ func (c *cache) startSyncer(ctx context.Context) error {
 		c.syncQueue.ShutDown()
 	}()
 
+	syncLoopStarted := make(chan struct{})
 	go func() {
 		log.Info("Starting sync loop")
+		syncLoopStarted <- struct{}{}
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-time.After(c.syncPeriod / 4):
@@ -79,6 +81,8 @@ func (c *cache) startSyncer(ctx context.Context) error {
 		wg.Wait()
 	}()
 
+	<-syncLoopStarted
+
 	if err := wait.PollUntilContextTimeout(ctx, 50*time.Millisecond, 5*time.Second, false, func(context.Context) (done bool, err error) {
 		if atomic.LoadInt64(&workers) < int64(c.syncConcurrency) {
 			return false, nil