diff --git a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
index 77bbc206931..089bf5a3710 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
@@ -65,26 +65,10 @@ type endpointSliceTracker struct {
 // corresponding EndpointSlices.
 type endpointSliceDataByName map[string]*endpointSliceData
 
-// endpointSliceData contains just the attributes kube-proxy cares about.
-// Used for caching. Intentionally small to limit memory util.
+// endpointSliceData contains information about a single EndpointSlice update or removal.
 type endpointSliceData struct {
-	Ports     []discovery.EndpointPort
-	Endpoints []*endpointData
-	Remove    bool
-}
-
-// endpointData contains just the attributes kube-proxy cares about.
-// Used for caching. Intentionally small to limit memory util.
-// Addresses, NodeName, and Zone are copied from EndpointSlice Endpoints.
-type endpointData struct {
-	Addresses []string
-	NodeName  *string
-	Zone      *string
-	ZoneHints sets.Set[string]
-
-	Ready       bool
-	Serving     bool
-	Terminating bool
+	endpointSlice *discovery.EndpointSlice
+	remove        bool
 }
 
 // NewEndpointSliceCache initializes an EndpointSliceCache.
@@ -109,43 +93,6 @@ func newEndpointSliceTracker() *endpointSliceTracker {
 	}
 }
 
-// newEndpointSliceData generates endpointSliceData from an EndpointSlice.
-func newEndpointSliceData(endpointSlice *discovery.EndpointSlice, remove bool) *endpointSliceData {
-	esData := &endpointSliceData{
-		Ports:     endpointSlice.Ports,
-		Endpoints: []*endpointData{},
-		Remove:    remove,
-	}
-
-	if !remove {
-		for _, endpoint := range endpointSlice.Endpoints {
-			epData := &endpointData{
-				Addresses: endpoint.Addresses,
-				Zone:      endpoint.Zone,
-				NodeName:  endpoint.NodeName,
-
-				// conditions
-				Ready:       endpoint.Conditions.Ready == nil || *endpoint.Conditions.Ready,
-				Serving:     endpoint.Conditions.Serving == nil || *endpoint.Conditions.Serving,
-				Terminating: endpoint.Conditions.Terminating != nil && *endpoint.Conditions.Terminating,
-			}
-
-			if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.TopologyAwareHints) {
-				if endpoint.Hints != nil && len(endpoint.Hints.ForZones) > 0 {
-					epData.ZoneHints = sets.New[string]()
-					for _, zone := range endpoint.Hints.ForZones {
-						epData.ZoneHints.Insert(zone.Name)
-					}
-				}
-			}
-
-			esData.Endpoints = append(esData.Endpoints, epData)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return esData
-}
-
 // standardEndpointInfo is the default makeEndpointFunc.
 func standardEndpointInfo(ep *BaseEndpointInfo, _ *ServicePortName) Endpoint {
 	return ep
@@ -159,7 +106,7 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) updatePending(endpointSlice *discovery.Endpoint
 		return false
 	}
 
-	esData := newEndpointSliceData(endpointSlice, remove)
+	esData := &endpointSliceData{endpointSlice, remove}
 
 	cache.lock.Lock()
 	defer cache.lock.Unlock()
@@ -195,7 +142,7 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) checkoutChanges() map[types.NamespacedName]*end
 		change.previous = cache.getEndpointsMap(serviceNN, esTracker.applied)
 
 		for name, sliceData := range esTracker.pending {
-			if sliceData.Remove {
+			if sliceData.remove {
 				delete(esTracker.applied, name)
 			} else {
 				esTracker.applied[name] = sliceData
@@ -226,7 +173,7 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) endpointInfoByServicePort(serviceNN types.Names
 	endpointInfoBySP := spToEndpointMap{}
 
 	for _, sliceData := range sliceDataByName {
-		for _, port := range sliceData.Ports {
+		for _, port := range sliceData.endpointSlice.Ports {
 			if port.Name == nil {
 				klog.ErrorS(nil, "Ignoring port with nil name", "portName", port.Name)
 				continue
@@ -243,15 +190,15 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) endpointInfoByServicePort(serviceNN types.Names
 				Protocol:       *port.Protocol,
 			}
 
-			endpointInfoBySP[svcPortName] = cache.addEndpoints(&svcPortName, int(*port.Port), endpointInfoBySP[svcPortName], sliceData.Endpoints)
+			endpointInfoBySP[svcPortName] = cache.addEndpoints(&svcPortName, int(*port.Port), endpointInfoBySP[svcPortName], sliceData.endpointSlice.Endpoints)
 		}
 	}
 
 	return endpointInfoBySP
 }
 
-// addEndpoints adds endpointInfo for each unique endpoint.
-func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) addEndpoints(svcPortName *ServicePortName, portNum int, endpointSet map[string]Endpoint, endpoints []*endpointData) map[string]Endpoint {
+// addEndpoints adds an Endpoint for each unique endpoint.
+func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) addEndpoints(svcPortName *ServicePortName, portNum int, endpointSet map[string]Endpoint, endpoints []discovery.Endpoint) map[string]Endpoint {
 	if endpointSet == nil {
 		endpointSet = map[string]Endpoint{}
 	}
@@ -274,8 +221,22 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) addEndpoints(svcPortName *ServicePortName, port
 
 		isLocal := endpoint.NodeName != nil && cache.isLocal(*endpoint.NodeName)
 
+		ready := endpoint.Conditions.Ready == nil || *endpoint.Conditions.Ready
+		serving := endpoint.Conditions.Serving == nil || *endpoint.Conditions.Serving
+		terminating := endpoint.Conditions.Terminating != nil && *endpoint.Conditions.Terminating
+
+		var zoneHints sets.Set[string]
+		if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.TopologyAwareHints) {
+			if endpoint.Hints != nil && len(endpoint.Hints.ForZones) > 0 {
+				zoneHints = sets.New[string]()
+				for _, zone := range endpoint.Hints.ForZones {
+					zoneHints.Insert(zone.Name)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		endpointInfo := newBaseEndpointInfo(endpoint.Addresses[0], portNum, isLocal,
-			endpoint.Ready, endpoint.Serving, endpoint.Terminating, endpoint.ZoneHints)
+			ready, serving, terminating, zoneHints)
 
 		// This logic ensures we're deduplicating potential overlapping endpoints
 		// isLocal should not vary between matching endpoints, but if it does, we
@@ -314,7 +275,7 @@ func (cache *EndpointSliceCache) esDataChanged(serviceKey types.NamespacedName,
 
 	// If this is marked for removal and does not exist in the cache, no changes
 	// are necessary.
-	if esData.Remove {
+	if esData.remove {
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
index 0aa032d8274..c51203c1357 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ func TestEsDataChanged(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatalf("Expected no error calling endpointSliceCacheKeys(): %v", err)
 			}
 
-			esData := newEndpointSliceData(tc.updatedSlice, false)
+			esData := &endpointSliceData{tc.updatedSlice, false}
 			changed := tc.cache.esDataChanged(serviceKey, sliceKey, esData)
 
 			if tc.expectChanged != changed {