diff --git a/tools/cache/shared_informer.go b/tools/cache/shared_informer.go
index 5177ec587..753de1e41 100644
--- a/tools/cache/shared_informer.go
+++ b/tools/cache/shared_informer.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/utils/buffer"
 	"k8s.io/utils/clock"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
+	utiltrace "k8s.io/utils/trace"
 
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
@@ -1213,7 +1214,8 @@ type processorListener struct {
 	addCh  chan interface{}
 	done   chan struct{}
 
-	handler ResourceEventHandler
+	handler     ResourceEventHandler
+	handlerName string
 
 	syncTracker       *synctrack.SingleFileTracker
 	upstreamHasSynced DoneChecker
@@ -1224,6 +1226,9 @@ type processorListener struct {
 	// TODO: This is no worse than before, since reflectors were backed by unbounded DeltaFIFOs, but
 	// we should try to do something better.
 	pendingNotifications buffer.RingGrowing
+	// pendingNotificationsLength tracks pendingNotifications size and is only mutated by pop().
+	// run() reads this to decide when to enable expensive time tracing.
+	pendingNotificationsLength atomic.Int64
 
 	// requestedResyncPeriod is how frequently the listener wants a
 	// full resync from the shared informer, but modified by two
@@ -1261,6 +1266,7 @@ func (p *processorListener) HasSyncedChecker() DoneChecker {
 }
 
 func newProcessListener(logger klog.Logger, handler ResourceEventHandler, requestedResyncPeriod, resyncPeriod time.Duration, now time.Time, bufferSize int, hasSynced DoneChecker) *processorListener {
+	handlerName := nameForHandler(handler)
 	ret := &processorListener{
 		logger:                logger,
 		nextCh:                make(chan interface{}),
@@ -1268,7 +1274,8 @@ func newProcessListener(logger klog.Logger, handler ResourceEventHandler, reques
 		done:                  make(chan struct{}),
 		upstreamHasSynced:     hasSynced,
 		handler:               handler,
-		syncTracker:           synctrack.NewSingleFileTracker(fmt.Sprintf("%s + event handler %s", hasSynced.Name(), nameForHandler(handler))),
+		handlerName:           handlerName,
+		syncTracker:           synctrack.NewSingleFileTracker(fmt.Sprintf("%s + event handler %s", hasSynced.Name(), handlerName)),
 		pendingNotifications:  *buffer.NewRingGrowing(bufferSize),
 		requestedResyncPeriod: requestedResyncPeriod,
 		resyncPeriod:          resyncPeriod,
@@ -1299,7 +1306,9 @@ func (p *processorListener) pop() {
 			// Notification dispatched
 			var ok bool
 			notification, ok = p.pendingNotifications.ReadOne()
-			if !ok { // Nothing to pop
+			if ok {
+				p.pendingNotificationsLength.Add(-1)
+			} else { // Nothing to pop
 				nextCh = nil // Disable this select case
 			}
 		case notificationToAdd, ok := <-p.addCh:
@@ -1312,6 +1321,7 @@ func (p *processorListener) pop() {
 				nextCh = p.nextCh
 			} else { // There is already a notification waiting to be dispatched
 				p.pendingNotifications.WriteOne(notificationToAdd)
+				p.pendingNotificationsLength.Add(1)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1334,6 +1344,14 @@ func (p *processorListener) run() {
 			// Gets reset below, but only if we get that far.
 			sleepAfterCrash = true
 			defer utilruntime.HandleCrashWithLogger(p.logger)
+			pendingNotifications := p.pendingNotificationsLength.Load()
+			if pendingNotifications > initialBufferSize {
+				trace := utiltrace.New("processorListener handler",
+					utiltrace.Field{Key: "handler", Value: p.handlerName},
+					utiltrace.Field{Key: "pendingNotifications", Value: pendingNotifications},
+				)
+				defer trace.LogIfLong(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			}
 
 			switch notification := next.(type) {
 			case updateNotification: