diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index a51c9871e..3c857ede8 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ type Cluster struct {
 	pgUsers          map[string]spec.PgUser
 	pgUsersCache     map[string]spec.PgUser
 	systemUsers      map[string]spec.PgUser
-	podSubscribers   map[spec.NamespacedName]chan PodEvent
+	podSubscribers   map[spec.NamespacedName]PodSubscriber
 	podSubscribersMu sync.RWMutex
 	pgDb             *sql.DB
 	mu               sync.Mutex
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ type Cluster struct {
 	currentMajorVersion int
 }
 
+type PodSubscriber struct {
+	podEvents chan PodEvent
+	stopEvent chan struct{}
+}
+
 type compareStatefulsetResult struct {
 	match         bool
 	replace       bool
@@ -127,7 +132,7 @@ func New(cfg Config, kubeClient k8sutil.KubernetesClient, pgSpec acidv1.Postgres
 		Postgresql:     pgSpec,
 		pgUsers:        make(map[string]spec.PgUser),
 		systemUsers:    make(map[string]spec.PgUser),
-		podSubscribers: make(map[spec.NamespacedName]chan PodEvent),
+		podSubscribers: make(map[spec.NamespacedName]PodSubscriber),
 		kubeResources: kubeResources{
 			Secrets:   make(map[types.UID]*v1.Secret),
 			Services:  make(map[PostgresRole]*v1.Service),
@@ -1032,15 +1037,17 @@ func (c *Cluster) processPodEvent(obj interface{}) error {
 		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:
+		case <-subscriber.stopEvent:
+			c.unregisterPodSubscriber(podName)
+		case subscriber.podEvents <- 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
@@ -1510,14 +1517,16 @@ 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)
+	subscriber := c.registerPodSubscriber(candidate)
+	defer func() {
+		subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 	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)
-		_, err = c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopCh, nil)
+		_, err = c.waitForPodLabel(subscriber.podEvents, stopCh, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("could not get master pod label: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 1e24565d8..f83169935 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -136,14 +136,20 @@ 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)
+	subscriber := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
+	defer func() {
+		subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 
 	if err := c.KubeClient.Pods(podName.Namespace).Delete(context.TODO(), podName.Name, c.deleteOptions); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return c.waitForPodDeletion(ch)
+	if err := c.waitForPodDeletion(subscriber.podEvents); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) unregisterPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) {
@@ -151,27 +157,31 @@ func (c *Cluster) unregisterPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) {
 	c.podSubscribersMu.Lock()
 	defer c.podSubscribersMu.Unlock()
 
-	ch, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]
+	subscriber, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]
 	if !ok {
 		panic("subscriber for pod '" + podName.String() + "' is not found")
 	}
 
 	delete(c.podSubscribers, podName)
-	close(ch)
+	close(subscriber.podEvents)
+	close(subscriber.stopEvent)
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) registerPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) chan PodEvent {
+func (c *Cluster) registerPodSubscriber(podName spec.NamespacedName) PodSubscriber {
 	c.logger.Debugf("subscribing to pod %q", podName)
 	c.podSubscribersMu.Lock()
 	defer c.podSubscribersMu.Unlock()
 
-	ch := make(chan PodEvent)
+	var subscriber PodSubscriber
+	subscriber.podEvents = make(chan PodEvent)
+	subscriber.stopEvent = make(chan struct{})
+
 	if _, ok := c.podSubscribers[podName]; ok {
 		panic("pod '" + podName.String() + "' is already subscribed")
 	}
-	c.podSubscribers[podName] = ch
+	c.podSubscribers[podName] = subscriber
 
-	return ch
+	return subscriber
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) movePodFromEndOfLifeNode(pod *v1.Pod) (*v1.Pod, error) {
@@ -401,8 +411,10 @@ 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)
+	subscriber := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
+	defer func() {
+		subscriber.stopEvent <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 	defer close(stopCh)
 
 	err := retryutil.Retry(1*time.Second, 5*time.Second,
@@ -420,10 +432,10 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not delete pod: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := c.waitForPodDeletion(ch); err != nil {
+	if err := c.waitForPodDeletion(subscriber.podEvents); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	pod, err := c.waitForPodLabel(ch, stopCh, nil)
+	pod, err := c.waitForPodLabel(subscriber.podEvents, stopCh, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}