diff --git a/internal/cmd/server.go b/internal/cmd/server.go
index a4c9d3e9713..bf42115ce47 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/server.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/server.go
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ func getConfigByPath(cfgPath string) (*config.Server, error) {
 // setupRunners starts all the runners required for the Envoy Gateway to
 // fulfill its tasks.
 func setupRunners(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Server) (err error) {
+	// The Elected channel is used to block the tasks that are waiting for the leader to be elected.
+	// It will be closed once the leader is elected in the controller manager.
+	cfg.Elected = make(chan struct{})
+
 	// Setup the Extension Manager
 	var extMgr types.Manager
 	if cfg.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Type == egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes {
diff --git a/internal/envoygateway/config/config.go b/internal/envoygateway/config/config.go
index af05dac0753..e8d1fece35c 100644
--- a/internal/envoygateway/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/envoygateway/config/config.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"sync"
 
 	egv1a1 "github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/api/v1alpha1/validation"
@@ -37,23 +36,19 @@ type Server struct {
 	DNSDomain string
 	// Logger is the logr implementation used by Envoy Gateway.
 	Logger logging.Logger
-	// Elected chan is used to signal what a leader is elected
-	Elected *sync.WaitGroup
+	// Elected chan is used to signal when an EG instance is elected as leader.
+	Elected chan struct{}
 }
 
 // New returns a Server with default parameters.
 func New() (*Server, error) {
-	server := &Server{
+	return &Server{
 		EnvoyGateway: egv1a1.DefaultEnvoyGateway(),
 		Namespace:    env.Lookup("ENVOY_GATEWAY_NAMESPACE", DefaultNamespace),
 		DNSDomain:    env.Lookup("KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_DOMAIN", DefaultDNSDomain),
-		// the default logger
-		Logger:  logging.DefaultLogger(egv1a1.LogLevelInfo),
-		Elected: &sync.WaitGroup{},
-	}
-	// Block the tasks that are waiting for the leader to be elected
-	server.Elected.Add(1)
-	return server, nil
+		Logger:       logging.DefaultLogger(egv1a1.LogLevelInfo),
+		Elected:      make(chan struct{}),
+	}, nil
 }
 
 // Validate validates a Server config.
diff --git a/internal/infrastructure/runner/runner.go b/internal/infrastructure/runner/runner.go
index 3344ca0d349..6896a6e5a16 100644
--- a/internal/infrastructure/runner/runner.go
+++ b/internal/infrastructure/runner/runner.go
@@ -72,8 +72,12 @@ func (r *Runner) Start(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	if r.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Type == egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes &&
 		!ptr.Deref(r.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Kubernetes.LeaderElection.Disable, false) {
 		go func() {
-			r.Elected.Wait()
-			initInfra()
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			case <-r.Elected:
+				initInfra()
+			}
 		}()
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go b/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go
index bcb6fa8772c..4259823c01e 100644
--- a/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go
+++ b/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go
@@ -83,11 +83,9 @@ type gatewayAPIReconciler struct {
 }
 
 // newGatewayAPIController
-func newGatewayAPIController(mgr manager.Manager, cfg *config.Server, su Updater,
+func newGatewayAPIController(ctx context.Context, mgr manager.Manager, cfg *config.Server, su Updater,
 	resources *message.ProviderResources,
 ) error {
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
 	// Gather additional resources to watch from registered extensions
 	var extServerPoliciesGVKs []schema.GroupVersionKind
 	var extGVKs []schema.GroupVersionKind
@@ -138,8 +136,12 @@ func newGatewayAPIController(mgr manager.Manager, cfg *config.Server, su Updater
 	if cfg.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Type == egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes &&
 		!ptr.Deref(cfg.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Kubernetes.LeaderElection.Disable, false) {
 		go func() {
-			cfg.Elected.Wait()
-			r.subscribeAndUpdateStatus(ctx, cfg.EnvoyGateway.EnvoyGatewaySpec.ExtensionManager != nil)
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			case <-cfg.Elected:
+				r.subscribeAndUpdateStatus(ctx, cfg.EnvoyGateway.EnvoyGatewaySpec.ExtensionManager != nil)
+			}
 		}()
 	} else {
 		r.subscribeAndUpdateStatus(ctx, cfg.EnvoyGateway.EnvoyGatewaySpec.ExtensionManager != nil)
diff --git a/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 56f96e70a18..fb42b76d442 100644
--- a/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ type Provider struct {
 }
 
 // New creates a new Provider from the provided EnvoyGateway.
-func New(restCfg *rest.Config, svrCfg *ec.Server, resources *message.ProviderResources) (*Provider, error) {
+func New(ctx context.Context, restCfg *rest.Config, svrCfg *ec.Server, resources *message.ProviderResources) (*Provider, error) {
 	// TODO: Decide which mgr opts should be exposed through envoygateway.provider.kubernetes API.
 
 	mgrOpts := manager.Options{
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func New(restCfg *rest.Config, svrCfg *ec.Server, resources *message.ProviderRes
 	}
 
 	// Create and register the controllers with the manager.
-	if err := newGatewayAPIController(mgr, svrCfg, updateHandler.Writer(), resources); err != nil {
+	if err := newGatewayAPIController(ctx, mgr, svrCfg, updateHandler.Writer(), resources); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failted to create gatewayapi controller: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ func New(restCfg *rest.Config, svrCfg *ec.Server, resources *message.ProviderRes
 	// Emit elected & continue with the tasks that require leadership.
 	go func() {
 		<-mgr.Elected()
-		svrCfg.Elected.Done()
+		// Close the elected channel to signal that this EG instance has been elected as leader.
+		// This allows the tasks that require leadership to proceed.
+		close(svrCfg.Elected)
 	}()
 
 	return &Provider{
diff --git a/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go b/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go
index 135de799948..541237c2f6a 100644
--- a/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go
+++ b/internal/provider/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func TestProvider(t *testing.T) {
 	svr, err := config.New()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	resources := new(message.ProviderResources)
-	provider, err := New(cliCfg, svr, resources)
+	provider, err := New(context.Background(), cliCfg, svr, resources)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctrl.SetupSignalHandler())
 	go func() {
@@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@ func TestNamespacedProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		LeaderElection: egv1a1.DefaultLeaderElection(),
 	}
 	resources := new(message.ProviderResources)
-	provider, err := New(cliCfg, svr, resources)
+	provider, err := New(context.Background(), cliCfg, svr, resources)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	go func() {
@@ -1334,7 +1334,7 @@ func TestNamespaceSelectorProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		LeaderElection: egv1a1.DefaultLeaderElection(),
 	}
 	resources := new(message.ProviderResources)
-	provider, err := New(cliCfg, svr, resources)
+	provider, err := New(context.Background(), cliCfg, svr, resources)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	go func() {
diff --git a/internal/provider/runner/runner.go b/internal/provider/runner/runner.go
index 94488489376..d4be9020c68 100644
--- a/internal/provider/runner/runner.go
+++ b/internal/provider/runner/runner.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (r *Runner) Start(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	var p provider.Provider
 	switch r.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Type {
 	case egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes:
-		p, err = r.createKubernetesProvider()
+		p, err = r.createKubernetesProvider(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create kubernetes provider: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ func (r *Runner) Start(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (r *Runner) createKubernetesProvider() (*kubernetes.Provider, error) {
+func (r *Runner) createKubernetesProvider(ctx context.Context) (*kubernetes.Provider, error) {
 	cfg, err := ctrl.GetConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get kubeconfig: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	p, err := kubernetes.New(cfg, &r.Config.Server, r.ProviderResources)
+	p, err := kubernetes.New(ctx, cfg, &r.Config.Server, r.ProviderResources)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create provider %s: %w", egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes, err)
 	}
diff --git a/release-notes/current.yaml b/release-notes/current.yaml
index 38b78855438..15dc6e667bb 100644
--- a/release-notes/current.yaml
+++ b/release-notes/current.yaml
@@ -10,12 +10,9 @@ security updates: |
 
 # New features or capabilities added in this release.
 new features: |
-  Add support for modifying container securityContext for Envoy Gateway deployment in Helm
 
 bug fixes: |
-  Fixed a nil pointer error that occurs when a SecurityPolicy refers to a UDS backend
-  Fixed the Gateway API translator didn't use the TLS configuration from the BackendTLSPolicy when connecting to the OIDC provider's well-known endpoint.
-  Fixed a validation failure when multiple HTTPRoutes refer to the same extension filter
+  Fixed a panic that occurred following update to the envoy-gateway-config ConfigMap
 
 # Enhancements that improve performance.
 performance improvements: |
@@ -27,4 +24,3 @@ deprecations: |
 
 # Other notable changes not covered by the above sections.
 Other changes: |
-  Bumped the version of Envoy to 1.32.3.