diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 85f60b601..a51c9871e 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -1032,12 +1032,20 @@ func (c *Cluster) processPodEvent(obj interface{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not cast to PodEvent")
 	}
 
+	// can only take lock when (un)registerPodSubscriber is finshed
 	c.podSubscribersMu.RLock()
 	subscriber, ok := c.podSubscribers[spec.NamespacedName(event.PodName)]
-	c.podSubscribersMu.RUnlock()
 	if ok {
-		subscriber <- event
+		select {
+		case subscriber <- event:
+		default:
+			// ending up here when there is no receiver on the channel (i.e. waitForPodLabel finished)
+			// avoids blocking channel: https://gobyexample.com/non-blocking-channel-operations
+		}
 	}
+	// hold lock for the time of processing the event to avoid race condition
+	// with unregisterPodSubscriber closing the channel (see #1876)
+	c.podSubscribersMu.RUnlock()
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -1501,34 +1509,16 @@ func (c *Cluster) Switchover(curMaster *v1.Pod, candidate spec.NamespacedName) e
 	var err error
 	c.logger.Debugf("switching over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
 	c.eventRecorder.Eventf(c.GetReference(), v1.EventTypeNormal, "Switchover", "Switching over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
-
-	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-
-	podLabelErr := make(chan error)
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
-
-	wg.Add(1)
-
-	go func() {
-		defer wg.Done()
-		ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(candidate)
-		defer c.unregisterPodSubscriber(candidate)
-
-		role := Master
-
-		select {
-		case <-stopCh:
-		case podLabelErr <- func() (err2 error) {
-			_, err2 = c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopCh, &role)
-			return
-		}():
-		}
-	}()
+	ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(candidate)
+	defer c.unregisterPodSubscriber(candidate)
+	defer close(stopCh)
 
 	if err = c.patroni.Switchover(curMaster, candidate.Name); err == nil {
 		c.logger.Debugf("successfully switched over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
 		c.eventRecorder.Eventf(c.GetReference(), v1.EventTypeNormal, "Switchover", "Successfully switched over from %q to %q", curMaster.Name, candidate)
-		if err = <-podLabelErr; err != nil {
+		_, err = c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopCh, nil)
+		if err != nil {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("could not get master pod label: %v", err)
 		}
 	} else {
@@ -1536,14 +1526,6 @@ func (c *Cluster) Switchover(curMaster *v1.Pod, candidate spec.NamespacedName) e
 		c.eventRecorder.Eventf(c.GetReference(), v1.EventTypeNormal, "Switchover", "Switchover from %q to %q FAILED: %v", curMaster.Name, candidate, err)
 	}
 
-	// signal the role label waiting goroutine to close the shop and go home
-	close(stopCh)
-	// wait until the goroutine terminates, since unregisterPodSubscriber
-	// must be called before the outer return; otherwise we risk subscribing to the same pod twice.
-	wg.Wait()
-	// close the label waiting channel no sooner than the waiting goroutine terminates.
-	close(podLabelErr)
-
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 26c4c332d..1e24565d8 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) markRollingUpdateFlagForPod(pod *v1.Pod, msg string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not form patch for pod's rolling update flag: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	err = retryutil.Retry(c.OpConfig.PatroniAPICheckInterval, c.OpConfig.PatroniAPICheckTimeout,
+	err = retryutil.Retry(1*time.Second, 5*time.Second,
 		func() (bool, error) {
 			_, err2 := c.KubeClient.Pods(pod.Namespace).Patch(
 				context.TODO(),
@@ -151,12 +151,13 @@ func (c *Cluster) unregisterPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) {
 	c.podSubscribersMu.Lock()
 	defer c.podSubscribersMu.Unlock()
 
-	if _, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]; !ok {
+	ch, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]
+	if !ok {
 		panic("subscriber for pod '" + podName.String() + "' is not found")
 	}
 
-	close(c.podSubscribers[podName])
 	delete(c.podSubscribers, podName)
+	close(ch)
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) registerPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) chan PodEvent {
@@ -399,11 +400,12 @@ func (c *Cluster) getPatroniMemberData(pod *v1.Pod) (patroni.MemberData, error)
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) (*v1.Pod, error) {
+	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
 	ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
 	defer c.unregisterPodSubscriber(podName)
-	stopChan := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(stopCh)
 
-	err := retryutil.Retry(c.OpConfig.PatroniAPICheckInterval, c.OpConfig.PatroniAPICheckTimeout,
+	err := retryutil.Retry(1*time.Second, 5*time.Second,
 		func() (bool, error) {
 			err2 := c.KubeClient.Pods(podName.Namespace).Delete(
 				context.TODO(),
@@ -421,7 +423,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 	if err := c.waitForPodDeletion(ch); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	pod, err := c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopChan, nil)
+	pod, err := c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopCh, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -446,7 +448,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePods(pods []v1.Pod, switchoverCandidates []spec.Namesp
 			continue
 		}
 
-		podName := util.NameFromMeta(pod.ObjectMeta)
+		podName := util.NameFromMeta(pods[i].ObjectMeta)
 		newPod, err := c.recreatePod(podName)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not recreate replica pod %q: %v", util.NameFromMeta(pod.ObjectMeta), err)
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index 0f71d2d64..0bfda78bf 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) annotationsSet(annotations map[string]string) map[string]strin
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(podEvents chan PodEvent, stopChan chan struct{}, role *PostgresRole) (*v1.Pod, error) {
+func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(podEvents chan PodEvent, stopCh chan struct{}, role *PostgresRole) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 	timeout := time.After(c.OpConfig.PodLabelWaitTimeout)
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(podEvents chan PodEvent, stopChan chan struct{
 			}
 		case <-timeout:
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("pod label wait timeout")
-		case <-stopChan:
+		case <-stopCh:
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("pod label wait cancelled")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller.go b/pkg/controller/controller.go
index de0dec69f..e46b9ee44 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller.go
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ func (c *Controller) Run(stopCh <-chan struct{}, wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 		panic("could not acquire initial list of clusters")
 	}
 
-	wg.Add(5)
+	wg.Add(5 + util.Bool2Int(c.opConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRD))
 	go c.runPodInformer(stopCh, wg)
 	go c.runPostgresqlInformer(stopCh, wg)
 	go c.clusterResync(stopCh, wg)
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 688153b89..8e27e4448 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -324,12 +324,20 @@ func testNil(values ...*int32) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// Convert int to IntOrString type
+// ToIntStr converts int to IntOrString type
 func ToIntStr(val int) *intstr.IntOrString {
 	b := intstr.FromInt(val)
 	return &b
 }
 
+// Bool2Int converts bool to int
+func Bool2Int(flag bool) int {
+	if flag {
+		return 1
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
 // Get int from IntOrString and return max int if string
 func IntFromIntStr(intOrStr intstr.IntOrString) int {
 	if intOrStr.Type == 1 {