diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
index c7d9390ae76..4f408044197 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
@@ -112,11 +112,8 @@ func (wm watchersMap) addWatcher(w *cacheWatcher, number int) {
 	wm[number] = w
 }
 
-func (wm watchersMap) deleteWatcher(number int, done func(*cacheWatcher)) {
-	if watcher, ok := wm[number]; ok {
-		delete(wm, number)
-		done(watcher)
-	}
+func (wm watchersMap) deleteWatcher(number int) {
+	delete(wm, number)
 }
 
 func (wm watchersMap) terminateAll(done func(*cacheWatcher)) {
@@ -147,14 +144,14 @@ func (i *indexedWatchers) addWatcher(w *cacheWatcher, number int, scope namespac
 	}
 }
 
-func (i *indexedWatchers) deleteWatcher(number int, scope namespacedName, value string, supported bool, done func(*cacheWatcher)) {
+func (i *indexedWatchers) deleteWatcher(number int, scope namespacedName, value string, supported bool) {
 	if supported {
-		i.valueWatchers[value].deleteWatcher(number, done)
+		i.valueWatchers[value].deleteWatcher(number)
 		if len(i.valueWatchers[value]) == 0 {
 			delete(i.valueWatchers, value)
 		}
 	} else {
-		i.allWatchers[scope].deleteWatcher(number, done)
+		i.allWatchers[scope].deleteWatcher(number)
 		if len(i.allWatchers[scope]) == 0 {
 			delete(i.allWatchers, scope)
 		}
@@ -1223,7 +1220,8 @@ func forgetWatcher(c *Cacher, w *cacheWatcher, index int, scope namespacedName,
 		// It's possible that the watcher is already not in the structure (e.g. in case of
 		// simultaneous Stop() and terminateAllWatchers(), but it is safe to call stopLocked()
 		// on a watcher multiple times.
-		c.watchers.deleteWatcher(index, scope, triggerValue, triggerSupported, c.stopWatcherLocked)
+		c.watchers.deleteWatcher(index, scope, triggerValue, triggerSupported)
+		c.stopWatcherLocked(w)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
index 11220e721f3..86d178390a2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import (
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
 	"k8s.io/utils/clock"
+	testingclock "k8s.io/utils/clock/testing"
 	"k8s.io/utils/pointer"
 )
 
@@ -1807,3 +1808,45 @@ func TestDoNotPopExpiredWatchersWhenNoEventsSeen(t *testing.T) {
 		}},
 	}, true)
 }
+
+func TestForgetWatcher(t *testing.T) {
+	backingStorage := &dummyStorage{}
+	cacher, _, err := newTestCacher(backingStorage)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer cacher.Stop()
+
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.allWatchers))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.valueWatchers))
+
+	var forgetWatcherFn func(bool)
+	var forgetCounter int
+	forgetWatcherWrapped := func(drainWatcher bool) {
+		forgetCounter++
+		forgetWatcherFn(drainWatcher)
+	}
+	w := newCacheWatcher(
+		0,
+		func(_ string, _ labels.Set, _ fields.Set) bool { return true },
+		nil,
+		storage.APIObjectVersioner{},
+		testingclock.NewFakeClock(time.Now()).Now().Add(2*time.Minute),
+		true,
+		schema.GroupResource{Resource: "pods"},
+		"1",
+	)
+	forgetWatcherFn = forgetWatcher(cacher, w, 0, namespacedName{}, "", false)
+
+	cacher.watchers.addWatcher(w, 0, namespacedName{}, "", false)
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.valueWatchers))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, len(cacher.watchers.allWatchers))
+
+	forgetWatcherWrapped(false)
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.allWatchers))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.valueWatchers))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, forgetCounter)
+
+	forgetWatcherWrapped(false)
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.allWatchers))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(cacher.watchers.valueWatchers))
+	require.Equal(t, 2, forgetCounter)
+}