diff --git a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
index 9b81a6476241..83cd1c2c31cb 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ type endpointInfo struct {
 	Topology  map[string]string
 }
 
+// spToEndpointMap stores groups Endpoint objects by ServicePortName and
+// EndpointSlice name.
+type spToEndpointMap map[ServicePortName]map[string]Endpoint
+
 // NewEndpointSliceCache initializes an EndpointSliceCache.
 func NewEndpointSliceCache(hostname string, isIPv6Mode *bool, recorder record.EventRecorder, makeEndpointInfo makeEndpointFunc) *EndpointSliceCache {
 	if makeEndpointInfo == nil {
@@ -121,10 +125,15 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) EndpointsMap(serviceNN types.NamespacedName) En
 }
 
 // endpointInfoByServicePort groups endpoint info by service port name and address.
-func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) endpointInfoByServicePort(serviceNN types.NamespacedName) map[ServicePortName]map[string]Endpoint {
-	endpointInfoBySP := map[ServicePortName]map[string]Endpoint{}
+func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) endpointInfoByServicePort(serviceNN types.NamespacedName) spToEndpointMap {
+	endpointInfoBySP := spToEndpointMap{}
+	sliceInfoByName, ok := cache.sliceByServiceMap[serviceNN]
+
+	if !ok {
+		return endpointInfoBySP
+	}
 
-	for _, sliceInfo := range cache.sliceByServiceMap[serviceNN] {
+	for _, sliceInfo := range sliceInfoByName {
 		for _, port := range sliceInfo.Ports {
 			if port.Name == nil {
 				klog.Warningf("ignoring port with nil name %v", port)
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
index 73dcc683692b..d4d4af395292 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func TestEndpointInfoByServicePort(t *testing.T) {
 		namespacedName types.NamespacedName
 		endpointSlices []*discovery.EndpointSlice
 		hostname       string
-		expectedMap    map[ServicePortName]map[string]Endpoint
+		expectedMap    spToEndpointMap
 	}{
 		"simple use case with 3 endpoints": {
 			namespacedName: types.NamespacedName{Name: "svc1", Namespace: "ns1"},
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func TestEndpointInfoByServicePort(t *testing.T) {
 			endpointSlices: []*discovery.EndpointSlice{
 				generateEndpointSlice("svc1", "ns1", 1, 3, 999, []string{"host1", "host2"}, []*int32{utilpointer.Int32Ptr(80)}),
 			},
-			expectedMap: map[ServicePortName]map[string]Endpoint{
+			expectedMap: spToEndpointMap{
 				{NamespacedName: types.NamespacedName{Name: "svc1", Namespace: "ns1"}, Port: "port-0"}: {
 					"10.0.1.1": &BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.1:80", IsLocal: false},
 					"10.0.1.2": &BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.2:80", IsLocal: true},
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func TestEndpointInfoByServicePort(t *testing.T) {
 
 		got := esCache.endpointInfoByServicePort(tc.namespacedName)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tc.expectedMap) {
-			t.Errorf("[%s] endpointInfoByServicePort does not match. Want: %v, Got: %v", name, tc.expectedMap, got)
+			t.Errorf("[%s] endpointInfoByServicePort does not match. Want: %+v, Got: %+v", name, tc.expectedMap, got)
 		}
 
 	}