diff --git a/tools/cache/testing/fake_controller_source.go b/tools/cache/testing/fake_controller_source.go
index 6151582c..90b6e5cf 100644
--- a/tools/cache/testing/fake_controller_source.go
+++ b/tools/cache/testing/fake_controller_source.go
@@ -275,11 +275,11 @@ func (f *FakeControllerSource) Watch(options metav1.ListOptions) (watch.Interfac
 			// clients).
 			changes = append(changes, watch.Event{Type: c.Type, Object: c.Object.DeepCopyObject()})
 		}
-		return f.Broadcaster.WatchWithPrefix(changes), nil
+		return f.Broadcaster.WatchWithPrefix(changes)
 	} else if rc > f.lastRV {
 		return nil, errors.New("resource version in the future not supported by this fake")
 	}
-	return f.Broadcaster.Watch(), nil
+	return f.Broadcaster.Watch()
 }
 
 // Shutdown closes the underlying broadcaster, waiting for events to be
diff --git a/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go b/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go
index 3dd3cea1..dd7e0aa1 100644
--- a/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go
+++ b/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go
@@ -307,7 +307,15 @@ func (e *eventBroadcasterImpl) StartStructuredLogging(verbosity klog.Level) func
 // StartEventWatcher starts sending events received from this EventBroadcaster to the given event handler function.
 // The return value is used to stop recording
 func (e *eventBroadcasterImpl) StartEventWatcher(eventHandler func(event runtime.Object)) func() {
-	watcher := e.Watch()
+	watcher, err := e.Watch()
+	if err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("Unable start event watcher: '%v' (will not retry!)", err)
+		// TODO: Rewrite the function signature to return an error, for
+		// now just return a no-op function
+		return func() {
+			klog.Error("The event watcher failed to start")
+		}
+	}
 	go func() {
 		defer utilruntime.HandleCrash()
 		for {
diff --git a/tools/record/event.go b/tools/record/event.go
index b901d2e8..a01f3288 100644
--- a/tools/record/event.go
+++ b/tools/record/event.go
@@ -298,7 +298,10 @@ func (e *eventBroadcasterImpl) StartStructuredLogging(verbosity klog.Level) watc
 // StartEventWatcher starts sending events received from this EventBroadcaster to the given event handler function.
 // The return value can be ignored or used to stop recording, if desired.
 func (e *eventBroadcasterImpl) StartEventWatcher(eventHandler func(*v1.Event)) watch.Interface {
-	watcher := e.Watch()
+	watcher, err := e.Watch()
+	if err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("Unable start event watcher: '%v' (will not retry!)", err)
+	}
 	go func() {
 		defer utilruntime.HandleCrash()
 		for watchEvent := range watcher.ResultChan() {
@@ -346,7 +349,12 @@ func (recorder *recorderImpl) generateEvent(object runtime.Object, annotations m
 	// when we go to shut down this broadcaster.  Just drop events if we get overloaded,
 	// and log an error if that happens (we've configured the broadcaster to drop
 	// outgoing events anyway).
-	if sent := recorder.ActionOrDrop(watch.Added, event); !sent {
+	sent, err := recorder.ActionOrDrop(watch.Added, event)
+	if err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("unable to record event: %v (will not retry!)", err)
+		return
+	}
+	if !sent {
 		klog.Errorf("unable to record event: too many queued events, dropped event %#v", event)
 	}
 }