diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/logs/json/json.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/logs/json/json.go
index 732057b36883..32e66007a489 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/logs/json/json.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/logs/json/json.go
@@ -40,20 +40,8 @@ func NewJSONLogger(infoStream, errorStream zapcore.WriteSyncer) (logr.Logger, fu
 	encoder := zapcore.NewJSONEncoder(encoderConfig)
 	var core zapcore.Core
 	if errorStream == nil {
-		core = zapcore.NewCore(encoder, zapcore.AddSync(infoStream), zapcore.Level(-127))
+		core = zapcore.NewCore(encoder, infoStream, zapcore.Level(-127))
 	} else {
-		// Set up writing of error messages to stderr and info messages
-		// to stdout. Info messages get optionally buffered and flushed
-		// - through klog.FlushLogs -> zapr Flush -> zap Sync
-		// - when an error gets logged
-		//
-		// The later is important when both streams get merged into a single
-		// stream by the consumer (same console for a command line tool, pod
-		// log for a container) because without it, messages get reordered.
-		flushError := writeWithFlushing{
-			WriteSyncer: errorStream,
-			other:       infoStream,
-		}
 		highPriority := zap.LevelEnablerFunc(func(lvl zapcore.Level) bool {
 			return lvl >= zapcore.ErrorLevel
 		})
@@ -61,7 +49,7 @@ func NewJSONLogger(infoStream, errorStream zapcore.WriteSyncer) (logr.Logger, fu
 			return lvl < zapcore.ErrorLevel
 		})
 		core = zapcore.NewTee(
-			zapcore.NewCore(encoder, flushError, highPriority),
+			zapcore.NewCore(encoder, errorStream, highPriority),
 			zapcore.NewCore(encoder, infoStream, lowPriority),
 		)
 	}
@@ -92,36 +80,23 @@ type Factory struct{}
 var _ registry.LogFormatFactory = Factory{}
 
 func (f Factory) Create(options config.FormatOptions) (logr.Logger, func()) {
+	stderr := zapcore.Lock(os.Stderr)
 	if options.JSON.SplitStream {
-		// stdout for info messages, stderr for errors.
-		infoStream := zapcore.Lock(os.Stdout)
+		stdout := zapcore.Lock(os.Stdout)
 		size := options.JSON.InfoBufferSize.Value()
 		if size > 0 {
 			// Prevent integer overflow.
 			if size > 2*1024*1024*1024 {
 				size = 2 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024
 			}
-			infoStream = &zapcore.BufferedWriteSyncer{
-				WS:   infoStream,
+			stdout = &zapcore.BufferedWriteSyncer{
+				WS:   stdout,
 				Size: int(size),
 			}
 		}
-		return NewJSONLogger(infoStream, zapcore.Lock(os.Stderr))
+		// stdout for info messages, stderr for errors.
+		return NewJSONLogger(stdout, stderr)
 	}
-	// The default is to write to stderr (same as in klog's text output,
-	// doesn't get mixed with normal program output).
-	out := zapcore.Lock(os.Stderr)
-	return NewJSONLogger(out, out)
-}
-
-// writeWithFlushing is a wrapper around an output stream which flushes another
-// output stream before each write.
-type writeWithFlushing struct {
-	zapcore.WriteSyncer
-	other zapcore.WriteSyncer
-}
-
-func (f writeWithFlushing) Write(bs []byte) (int, error) {
-	f.other.Sync()
-	return f.WriteSyncer.Write(bs)
+	// Write info messages and errors to stderr to prevent mixing with normal program output.
+	return NewJSONLogger(stderr, nil)
 }