diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 0a01ec54e12..5964dd54d00 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ jobs:
           HELM_FLAGS=""
           echo '/etc/frr/core-%e.%p.%h.%t' | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern
           if [ ${{ matrix.deployment }} = "helm" ]; then export SPEAKER_SELECTOR="app.kubernetes.io/component=speaker" && export CONTROLLER_SELECTOR="app.kubernetes.io/component=controller"; fi
-          SKIP="none"
+          # TODO restore to NONE when https://github.com/metallb/metallb/issues/2311 is fixed
+          SKIP="L2ServiceStatus"
           WITH_VRF="--with-vrf"
           FOCUS=""
           if [ "${{ matrix.bgp-type }}" == "native" ]; then SKIP="$SKIP|FRR|FRR-MODE|FRRK8S-MODE|BFD|VRF|DUALSTACK"; WITH_VRF=""; fi
@@ -330,7 +331,8 @@ jobs:
           spec:
             logLevel: debug
           EOF
-          sudo -E env "PATH=$PATH" inv e2etest --bgp-mode frr --skip "IPV6|DUALSTACK|metrics|L2-interface selector|FRRK8S-MODE" -e /tmp/kind_logs
+          # TOOD remove skipping L2ServiceStatus once https://github.com/metallb/metallb/issues/2311 is fixed
+          sudo -E env "PATH=$PATH" inv e2etest --bgp-mode frr --skip "IPV6|DUALSTACK|metrics|L2-interface selector|FRRK8S-MODE|L2ServiceStatus" -e /tmp/kind_logs
 
       - name: Collect Logs
         if: ${{ failure() }}
diff --git a/internal/k8s/k8s.go b/internal/k8s/k8s.go
index 5bf8513740e..6d57cb73d71 100644
--- a/internal/k8s/k8s.go
+++ b/internal/k8s/k8s.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Listener
 	Layer2StatusChan    <-chan event.GenericEvent
 	Layer2StatusFetcher controllers.StatusFetcher
+	EnableL2Status      bool
 }
 
 // New connects to masterAddr, using kubeconfig to authenticate.
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@ func New(cfg *Config) (*Client, error) {
 	}
 
 	// metallb controller doesn't need this reconciler
-	if cfg.Layer2StatusChan != nil {
+	if cfg.EnableL2Status && cfg.Layer2StatusChan != nil {
 		if err = (&controllers.Layer2StatusReconciler{
 			Client:        mgr.GetClient(),
 			Logger:        cfg.Logger,
diff --git a/speaker/main.go b/speaker/main.go
index a032aa996d7..5ee9effde86 100644
--- a/speaker/main.go
+++ b/speaker/main.go
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ func main() {
 		enablePprof       = flag.Bool("enable-pprof", false, "Enable pprof profiling")
 		loadBalancerClass = flag.String("lb-class", "", "load balancer class. When enabled, metallb will handle only services whose spec.loadBalancerClass matches the given lb class")
 		ignoreLBExclude   = flag.Bool("ignore-exclude-lb", false, "ignore the exclude-from-external-load-balancers label")
+		// TODO: we are hiding the feature behind a feature flag because of https://github.com/metallb/metallb/issues/2311
+		// This flag can be removed once the issue is fixed.
+		enableL2ServiceStatus = flag.Bool("enable-l2-service-status", false, "enables the experimental l2 service status feature")
 	)
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -162,6 +165,9 @@ func main() {
 		InterfaceExcludeRegexp: interfacesToExclude,
 		IgnoreExcludeLB:        *ignoreLBExclude,
 		Layer2StatusChange: func(namespacedName types.NamespacedName) {
+			if !enableL2ServiceStatus {
+				return
+			}
 			statusNotifyChan <- controllers.NewL2StatusEvent(namespacedName.Namespace, namespacedName.Name)
 		},
 	})
@@ -201,6 +207,7 @@ func main() {
 		LoadBalancerClass: *loadBalancerClass,
 		WithFRRK8s:        listenFRRK8s,
 
+		EnableL2Status:      enableL2ServiceStatus,
 		Layer2StatusChan:    statusNotifyChan,
 		Layer2StatusFetcher: ctrl.layer2StatusFetchFunc,
 	})