diff --git a/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go b/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go
index 2c5e2518fc0..6560eec44f7 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app/controllermanager.go
@@ -116,47 +116,15 @@ func Run(s *options.CMServer) error {
 	} else {
 		glog.Errorf("unable to register configz: %s", err)
 	}
-	kubeconfig, err := clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags(s.Master, s.Kubeconfig)
+
+	kubeClient, leaderElectionClient, kubeconfig, err := createClients(s)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	kubeconfig.ContentConfig.ContentType = s.ContentType
-	// Override kubeconfig qps/burst settings from flags
-	kubeconfig.QPS = s.KubeAPIQPS
-	kubeconfig.Burst = int(s.KubeAPIBurst)
-	kubeClient, err := clientset.NewForConfig(restclient.AddUserAgent(kubeconfig, "controller-manager"))
-	if err != nil {
-		glog.Fatalf("Invalid API configuration: %v", err)
-	}
-	leaderElectionClient := kubernetes.NewForConfigOrDie(restclient.AddUserAgent(kubeconfig, "leader-election"))
+	go startHTTP(s)
 
-	go func() {
-		mux := http.NewServeMux()
-		healthz.InstallHandler(mux)
-		if s.EnableProfiling {
-			mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/", pprof.Index)
-			mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/profile", pprof.Profile)
-			mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/symbol", pprof.Symbol)
-			mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/trace", pprof.Trace)
-			if s.EnableContentionProfiling {
-				goruntime.SetBlockProfileRate(1)
-			}
-		}
-		configz.InstallHandler(mux)
-		mux.Handle("/metrics", prometheus.Handler())
-
-		server := &http.Server{
-			Addr:    net.JoinHostPort(s.Address, strconv.Itoa(int(s.Port))),
-			Handler: mux,
-		}
-		glog.Fatal(server.ListenAndServe())
-	}()
-
-	eventBroadcaster := record.NewBroadcaster()
-	eventBroadcaster.StartLogging(glog.Infof)
-	eventBroadcaster.StartRecordingToSink(&v1core.EventSinkImpl{Interface: v1core.New(kubeClient.CoreV1().RESTClient()).Events("")})
-	recorder := eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(api.Scheme, v1.EventSource{Component: "controller-manager"})
+	recorder := createRecorder(kubeClient)
 
 	run := func(stop <-chan struct{}) {
 		rootClientBuilder := controller.SimpleControllerClientBuilder{
@@ -230,6 +198,53 @@ func Run(s *options.CMServer) error {
 	panic("unreachable")
 }
 
+func startHTTP(s *options.CMServer) {
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+	healthz.InstallHandler(mux)
+	if s.EnableProfiling {
+		mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/", pprof.Index)
+		mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/profile", pprof.Profile)
+		mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/symbol", pprof.Symbol)
+		mux.HandleFunc("/debug/pprof/trace", pprof.Trace)
+		if s.EnableContentionProfiling {
+			goruntime.SetBlockProfileRate(1)
+		}
+	}
+	configz.InstallHandler(mux)
+	mux.Handle("/metrics", prometheus.Handler())
+
+	server := &http.Server{
+		Addr:    net.JoinHostPort(s.Address, strconv.Itoa(int(s.Port))),
+		Handler: mux,
+	}
+	glog.Fatal(server.ListenAndServe())
+}
+
+func createRecorder(kubeClient *clientset.Clientset) record.EventRecorder {
+	eventBroadcaster := record.NewBroadcaster()
+	eventBroadcaster.StartLogging(glog.Infof)
+	eventBroadcaster.StartRecordingToSink(&v1core.EventSinkImpl{Interface: v1core.New(kubeClient.CoreV1().RESTClient()).Events("")})
+	return eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(api.Scheme, v1.EventSource{Component: "controller-manager"})
+}
+
+func createClients(s *options.CMServer) (*clientset.Clientset, *clientset.Clientset, *restclient.Config, error) {
+	kubeconfig, err := clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags(s.Master, s.Kubeconfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
+	}
+
+	kubeconfig.ContentConfig.ContentType = s.ContentType
+	// Override kubeconfig qps/burst settings from flags
+	kubeconfig.QPS = s.KubeAPIQPS
+	kubeconfig.Burst = int(s.KubeAPIBurst)
+	kubeClient, err := clientset.NewForConfig(restclient.AddUserAgent(kubeconfig, "controller-manager"))
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Fatalf("Invalid API configuration: %v", err)
+	}
+	leaderElectionClient := kubernetes.NewForConfigOrDie(restclient.AddUserAgent(kubeconfig, "leader-election"))
+	return kubeClient, leaderElectionClient, kubeconfig, nil
+}
+
 type ControllerContext struct {
 	// ClientBuilder will provide a client for this controller to use
 	ClientBuilder controller.ControllerClientBuilder