diff --git a/cmd/cloud-controller-manager/nodeipamcontroller.go b/cmd/cloud-controller-manager/nodeipamcontroller.go
index c90a632c6f8..f91f97eaf55 100644
--- a/cmd/cloud-controller-manager/nodeipamcontroller.go
+++ b/cmd/cloud-controller-manager/nodeipamcontroller.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
-	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
@@ -31,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cloud-provider/app"
 	cloudcontrollerconfig "k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/config"
 	genericcontrollermanager "k8s.io/controller-manager/app"
+	"k8s.io/controller-manager/controller"
 	"k8s.io/controller-manager/pkg/features"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	nodeipamcontrolleroptions "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/options"
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ func (nodeIpamController *nodeIPAMController) StartNodeIpamControllerWrapper(ini
 	}
 	nodeIpamController.nodeIPAMControllerOptions.ApplyTo(&nodeIpamController.nodeIPAMControllerConfiguration)
 
-	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 		return startNodeIpamController(initContext, completedConfig, nodeIpamController.nodeIPAMControllerConfiguration, ctx, cloud)
 	}
 }
 
-func startNodeIpamController(initContext app.ControllerInitContext, ccmConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, nodeIPAMConfig nodeipamconfig.NodeIPAMControllerConfiguration, ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+func startNodeIpamController(initContext app.ControllerInitContext, ccmConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, nodeIPAMConfig nodeipamconfig.NodeIPAMControllerConfiguration, ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 	var serviceCIDR *net.IPNet
 	var secondaryServiceCIDR *net.IPNet
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/controllermanager.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/controllermanager.go
index 9730f1179ba..4c9d0075a52 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/controllermanager.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/controllermanager.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
-	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
@@ -50,6 +49,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/component-base/version"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/version/verflag"
 	genericcontrollermanager "k8s.io/controller-manager/app"
+	"k8s.io/controller-manager/controller"
 	"k8s.io/controller-manager/pkg/clientbuilder"
 	"k8s.io/controller-manager/pkg/informerfactory"
 	"k8s.io/controller-manager/pkg/leadermigration"
@@ -302,10 +302,14 @@ func startControllers(cloud cloudprovider.Interface, ctx genericcontrollermanage
 // InitCloudFunc is used to initialize cloud
 type InitCloudFunc func(config *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig) cloudprovider.Interface
 
-// InitFunc is used to launch a particular controller.  It may run additional "should I activate checks".
+// InitFunc is used to launch a particular controller. It returns a controller
+// that can optionally implement other interfaces so that the controller manager
+// can support the requested features.
+// The returned controller may be nil, which will be considered an anonymous controller
+// that requests no additional features from the controller manager.
 // Any error returned will cause the controller process to `Fatal`
 // The bool indicates whether the controller was enabled.
-type InitFunc func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (debuggingHandler http.Handler, enabled bool, err error)
+type InitFunc func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (controller controller.Interface, enabled bool, err error)
 
 // InitFuncConstructor is used to construct InitFunc
 type InitFuncConstructor func(initcontext ControllerInitContext, completedConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) InitFunc
@@ -340,28 +344,28 @@ type ControllerInitContext struct {
 
 // StartCloudNodeControllerWrapper is used to take cloud cofig as input and start cloud node controller
 func StartCloudNodeControllerWrapper(initContext ControllerInitContext, completedConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) InitFunc {
-	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 		return startCloudNodeController(initContext, completedConfig, cloud, ctx.Stop)
 	}
 }
 
 // StartCloudNodeLifecycleControllerWrapper is used to take cloud cofig as input and start cloud node lifecycle controller
 func StartCloudNodeLifecycleControllerWrapper(initContext ControllerInitContext, completedConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) InitFunc {
-	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 		return startCloudNodeLifecycleController(initContext, completedConfig, cloud, ctx.Stop)
 	}
 }
 
 // StartServiceControllerWrapper is used to take cloud cofig as input and start service controller
 func StartServiceControllerWrapper(initContext ControllerInitContext, completedConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) InitFunc {
-	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 		return startServiceController(initContext, completedConfig, cloud, ctx.Stop)
 	}
 }
 
 // StartRouteControllerWrapper is used to take cloud cofig as input and start route controller
 func StartRouteControllerWrapper(initContext ControllerInitContext, completedConfig *cloudcontrollerconfig.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface) InitFunc {
-	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+	return func(ctx genericcontrollermanager.ControllerContext) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 		return startRouteController(initContext, completedConfig, cloud, ctx.Stop)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/core.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/core.go
index c18b64d0af9..586a250f64e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/core.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cloud-provider/app/core.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ package app
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
-	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 
 	cloudprovider "k8s.io/cloud-provider"
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	cloudnodelifecyclecontroller "k8s.io/cloud-provider/controllers/nodelifecycle"
 	routecontroller "k8s.io/cloud-provider/controllers/route"
 	servicecontroller "k8s.io/cloud-provider/controllers/service"
+	"k8s.io/controller-manager/controller"
 	"k8s.io/controller-manager/pkg/features"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	netutils "k8s.io/utils/net"
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import (
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 )
 
-func startCloudNodeController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+func startCloudNodeController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 	// Start the CloudNodeController
 	nodeController, err := cloudnodecontroller.NewCloudNodeController(
 		ctx.SharedInformers.Core().V1().Nodes(),
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func startCloudNodeController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.Com
 	return nil, true, nil
 }
 
-func startCloudNodeLifecycleController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+func startCloudNodeLifecycleController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 	// Start the cloudNodeLifecycleController
 	cloudNodeLifecycleController, err := cloudnodelifecyclecontroller.NewCloudNodeLifecycleController(
 		ctx.SharedInformers.Core().V1().Nodes(),
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func startCloudNodeLifecycleController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *c
 	return nil, true, nil
 }
 
-func startServiceController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+func startServiceController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 	// Start the service controller
 	serviceController, err := servicecontroller.New(
 		cloud,
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func startServiceController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.Compl
 	return nil, true, nil
 }
 
-func startRouteController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (http.Handler, bool, error) {
+func startRouteController(initContext ControllerInitContext, ctx *config.CompletedConfig, cloud cloudprovider.Interface, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (controller.Interface, bool, error) {
 	if !ctx.ComponentConfig.KubeCloudShared.ConfigureCloudRoutes {
 		klog.Infof("Will not configure cloud provider routes, --configure-cloud-routes: %v", ctx.ComponentConfig.KubeCloudShared.ConfigureCloudRoutes)
 		return nil, false, nil