diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index a51c9871e..649ec5b87 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -1031,16 +1031,21 @@ func (c *Cluster) processPodEvent(obj interface{}) error {
 	if !ok {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not cast to PodEvent")
 	}
+	podName := spec.NamespacedName(event.PodName)
 
 	// can only take lock when (un)registerPodSubscriber is finshed
 	c.podSubscribersMu.RLock()
-	subscriber, ok := c.podSubscribers[spec.NamespacedName(event.PodName)]
+	subscriber, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]
 	if ok {
-		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
+		if event.EventType == PodEventEnd {
+			c.unregisterPodSubscriber(podName)
+		} else {
+			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
@@ -1510,8 +1515,13 @@ func (c *Cluster) Switchover(curMaster *v1.Pod, candidate spec.NamespacedName) e
 	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)
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
-	ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(candidate)
-	defer c.unregisterPodSubscriber(candidate)
+	// create buffered channel so that go routine with processPodEvent does not block when
+	// consumer waitForPodLabel is already finished. Channel size should be big enough to
+	// receive an event for all pod label wait timeout + patroni API timeout seconds
+	chanSize := int(c.OpConfig.PodLabelWaitTimeout.Seconds() + c.OpConfig.PatroniAPICheckTimeout.Seconds())
+	ch := c.registerBufferedPodSubscriber(candidate, chanSize)
+	// send special end event to trigger removal of PodEvent channel by processPodEvent
+	defer c.ReceivePodEvent(PodEvent{PodName: types.NamespacedName(candidate), EventType: PodEventEnd})
 	defer close(stopCh)
 
 	if err = c.patroni.Switchover(curMaster, candidate.Name); err == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 1e24565d8..e69a080e4 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -136,8 +136,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) deletePods() error {
 
 func (c *Cluster) deletePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) error {
 	c.setProcessName("deleting pod %q", podName)
-	ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
-	defer c.unregisterPodSubscriber(podName)
+	ch := c.registerUnbufferedPodSubscriber(podName)
+	// send special end event to trigger removal of PodEvent channel by processPodEvent
+	defer c.ReceivePodEvent(PodEvent{PodName: types.NamespacedName(podName), EventType: PodEventEnd})
 
 	if err := c.KubeClient.Pods(podName.Namespace).Delete(context.TODO(), podName.Name, c.deleteOptions); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -155,17 +156,31 @@ func (c *Cluster) unregisterPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) {
 	if !ok {
 		panic("subscriber for pod '" + podName.String() + "' is not found")
 	}
-
 	delete(c.podSubscribers, podName)
 	close(ch)
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) registerPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) chan PodEvent {
+func (c *Cluster) registerUnbufferedPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) chan PodEvent {
+	return c.registerPodSubscriber(podName, 0)
+}
+
+func (c *Cluster) registerBufferedPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName, chanSize int) chan PodEvent {
+	return c.registerPodSubscriber(podName, chanSize)
+}
+
+func (c *Cluster) registerPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName, chanSize int) chan PodEvent {
 	c.logger.Debugf("subscribing to pod %q", podName)
+	var ch chan PodEvent
 	c.podSubscribersMu.Lock()
 	defer c.podSubscribersMu.Unlock()
 
-	ch := make(chan PodEvent)
+	// buffered or unbuffered PodEvent channel
+	if chanSize > 0 {
+		ch = make(chan PodEvent, chanSize)
+	} else {
+		ch = make(chan PodEvent)
+	}
+
 	if _, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]; ok {
 		panic("pod '" + podName.String() + "' is already subscribed")
 	}
@@ -401,8 +416,9 @@ 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)
+	ch := c.registerUnbufferedPodSubscriber(podName)
+	// send special end event to trigger removal of PodEvent channel by processPodEvent
+	defer c.ReceivePodEvent(PodEvent{PodName: types.NamespacedName(podName), EventType: PodEventEnd})
 	defer close(stopCh)
 
 	err := retryutil.Retry(1*time.Second, 5*time.Second,
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/types.go b/pkg/cluster/types.go
index 67b4ee395..c53638bd7 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/types.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/types.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const (
 	PodEventAdd    PodEventType = "ADD"
 	PodEventUpdate PodEventType = "UPDATE"
 	PodEventDelete PodEventType = "DELETE"
+	PodEventEnd    PodEventType = "END"
 )
 
 // PodEvent describes the event for a single Pod