diff --git a/internal/pkg/cmd/reloader.go b/internal/pkg/cmd/reloader.go
index 15c8d3c..963070c 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/cmd/reloader.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/cmd/reloader.go
@@ -148,13 +148,12 @@ func startReloader(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			logrus.Fatalf("%s", err)
 		}
 
-		// If HA is enabled then we need to run leadership election
-		if options.EnableHA {
-			c.SetLeader(false)
-		}
-
 		controllers = append(controllers, c)
 
+		// If HA is enabled we only run the controller when
+		if options.EnableHA {
+			continue
+		}
 		// Now let's start the controller
 		stop := make(chan struct{})
 		defer close(stop)
@@ -164,11 +163,17 @@ func startReloader(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 	// Run the leadership election
 	if options.EnableHA {
+		var stopChannels []chan struct{}
+		for i := 0; i < len(controllers); i++ {
+			stop := make(chan struct{})
+			stopChannels = append(stopChannels, stop)
+		}
 		podName, podNamespace := getHAEnvs()
 		lock := getNewLock(clientset, constants.LockName, podName, podNamespace)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 		defer cancel()
-		runLeaderElection(lock, ctx, podName, controllers)
+		runLeaderElection(lock, ctx, cancel, podName, controllers, stopChannels)
+		return
 	}
 
 	select {}
@@ -187,22 +192,23 @@ func getNewLock(clientset *kubernetes.Clientset, lockName, podname, namespace st
 	}
 }
 
-func runLeaderElection(lock *resourcelock.LeaseLock, ctx context.Context, id string, controllers []*controller.Controller) {
+// runLeaderElection runs leadership election. If an instance of the controller is the leader and stops leading it will shutdown.
+func runLeaderElection(lock *resourcelock.LeaseLock, ctx context.Context, cancel context.CancelFunc, id string, controllers []*controller.Controller, stopChannels []chan struct{}) {
 	leaderelection.RunOrDie(ctx, leaderelection.LeaderElectionConfig{
 		Lock:            lock,
 		ReleaseOnCancel: true,
-		// TODO Validate that keys persist in the cache for at least one leadership election cycle
-		LeaseDuration: 15 * time.Second,
-		RenewDeadline: 10 * time.Second,
-		RetryPeriod:   2 * time.Second,
+		LeaseDuration:   15 * time.Second,
+		RenewDeadline:   10 * time.Second,
+		RetryPeriod:     2 * time.Second,
 		Callbacks: leaderelection.LeaderCallbacks{
 			OnStartedLeading: func(c context.Context) {
-				setLeader(controllers, true)
-				logrus.Info("became leader")
+				logrus.Info("became leader, starting controllers")
+				runControllers(controllers, stopChannels)
 			},
 			OnStoppedLeading: func() {
-				setLeader(controllers, false)
-				logrus.Info("no longer leader")
+				logrus.Info("no longer leader, shutting down")
+				stopControllers(stopChannels)
+				cancel()
 			},
 			OnNewLeader: func(current_id string) {
 				if current_id == id {
@@ -215,10 +221,16 @@ func runLeaderElection(lock *resourcelock.LeaseLock, ctx context.Context, id str
 	})
 }
 
-func setLeader(controllers []*controller.Controller, isLeader bool) {
-	for _, c := range controllers {
+func runControllers(controllers []*controller.Controller, stopChannels []chan struct{}) {
+	for i, c := range controllers {
 		c := c
-		c.SetLeader(isLeader)
+		go c.Run(1, stopChannels[i])
+	}
+}
+
+func stopControllers(stopChannels []chan struct{}) {
+	for _, c := range stopChannels {
+		close(c)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/controller/controller.go b/internal/pkg/controller/controller.go
index 29b8c08..1e75bb3 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/controller/controller.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/controller/controller.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ type Controller struct {
 	namespace         string
 	ignoredNamespaces util.List
 	collectors        metrics.Collectors
-	isLeader          bool
 }
 
 // controllerInitialized flag determines whether controlled is being initialized
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ func NewController(
 	c.informer = informer
 	c.queue = queue
 	c.collectors = collectors
-	c.isLeader = true
+	logrus.Infof("created controller for: %s", resource)
 	return &c, nil
 }
 
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ func (c *Controller) processNextItem() bool {
 	defer c.queue.Done(resourceHandler)
 
 	// Invoke the method containing the business logic
-	err := resourceHandler.(handler.ResourceHandler).Handle(c.isLeader)
+	err := resourceHandler.(handler.ResourceHandler).Handle()
 	// Handle the error if something went wrong during the execution of the business logic
 	c.handleErr(err, resourceHandler)
 	return true
@@ -174,8 +173,3 @@ func (c *Controller) handleErr(err error, key interface{}) {
 	runtime.HandleError(err)
 	logrus.Infof("Dropping the key %q out of the queue: %v", key, err)
 }
-
-func (c *Controller) SetLeader(isLeader bool) {
-	c.isLeader = isLeader
-	logrus.Info("controller active")
-}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/handler/create.go b/internal/pkg/handler/create.go
index da3c75e..e6cc41a 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/handler/create.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/handler/create.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package handler
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/stakater/Reloader/internal/pkg/metrics"
 	"github.com/stakater/Reloader/internal/pkg/util"
@@ -16,16 +14,12 @@ type ResourceCreatedHandler struct {
 }
 
 // Handle processes the newly created resource
-func (r ResourceCreatedHandler) Handle(isLeader bool) error {
+func (r ResourceCreatedHandler) Handle() error {
 	if r.Resource == nil {
 		logrus.Errorf("Resource creation handler received nil resource")
 	} else {
 		config, _ := r.GetConfig()
-		// process resource based on its type
-		if isLeader {
-			return doRollingUpgrade(config, r.Collectors)
-		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("instance is not leader, will not perform rolling upgrade on %s %s/%s", config.Type, config.ResourceName, config.Namespace)
+		return doRollingUpgrade(config, r.Collectors)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/pkg/handler/handler.go b/internal/pkg/handler/handler.go
index 4dbf10e..634e080 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/handler/handler.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/handler/handler.go
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 // ResourceHandler handles the creation and update of resources
 type ResourceHandler interface {
-	Handle(isLeader bool) error
+	Handle() error
 	GetConfig() (util.Config, string)
 }
diff --git a/internal/pkg/handler/update.go b/internal/pkg/handler/update.go
index 77da76e..91f320a 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/handler/update.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/handler/update.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package handler
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/stakater/Reloader/internal/pkg/metrics"
 	"github.com/stakater/Reloader/internal/pkg/util"
@@ -17,17 +15,13 @@ type ResourceUpdatedHandler struct {
 }
 
 // Handle processes the updated resource
-func (r ResourceUpdatedHandler) Handle(isLeader bool) error {
+func (r ResourceUpdatedHandler) Handle() error {
 	if r.Resource == nil || r.OldResource == nil {
 		logrus.Errorf("Resource update handler received nil resource")
 	} else {
 		config, oldSHAData := r.GetConfig()
 		if config.SHAValue != oldSHAData {
-			// process resource based on its type
-			if isLeader {
-				return doRollingUpgrade(config, r.Collectors)
-			}
-			return fmt.Errorf("instance is not leader, will not perform rolling upgrade on %s %s/%s", config.Type, config.ResourceName, config.Namespace)
+			return doRollingUpgrade(config, r.Collectors)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil