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 4f408044197..c7d9390ae76 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@ func (wm watchersMap) addWatcher(w *cacheWatcher, number int) {
 	wm[number] = w
 }
 
-func (wm watchersMap) deleteWatcher(number int) {
-	delete(wm, number)
+func (wm watchersMap) deleteWatcher(number int, done func(*cacheWatcher)) {
+	if watcher, ok := wm[number]; ok {
+		delete(wm, number)
+		done(watcher)
+	}
 }
 
 func (wm watchersMap) terminateAll(done func(*cacheWatcher)) {
@@ -144,14 +147,14 @@ func (i *indexedWatchers) addWatcher(w *cacheWatcher, number int, scope namespac
 	}
 }
 
-func (i *indexedWatchers) deleteWatcher(number int, scope namespacedName, value string, supported bool) {
+func (i *indexedWatchers) deleteWatcher(number int, scope namespacedName, value string, supported bool, done func(*cacheWatcher)) {
 	if supported {
-		i.valueWatchers[value].deleteWatcher(number)
+		i.valueWatchers[value].deleteWatcher(number, done)
 		if len(i.valueWatchers[value]) == 0 {
 			delete(i.valueWatchers, value)
 		}
 	} else {
-		i.allWatchers[scope].deleteWatcher(number)
+		i.allWatchers[scope].deleteWatcher(number, done)
 		if len(i.allWatchers[scope]) == 0 {
 			delete(i.allWatchers, scope)
 		}
@@ -1220,8 +1223,7 @@ 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(w)
+		c.watchers.deleteWatcher(index, scope, triggerValue, triggerSupported, c.stopWatcherLocked)
 	}
 }
 
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 86d178390a2..11220e721f3 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
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ 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"
 )
 
@@ -1808,45 +1807,3 @@ 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)
-}