diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerManager.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerManager.java
index 6caf39ccd9..d53b65920e 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerManager.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerManager.java
@@ -120,19 +120,31 @@ public void changeNamespaces(Set<String> namespaces) {
       return;
     }
 
+    // Registering the handler on an already populated shared informer replays its cache to the
+    // handler synchronously, on the registering thread. The event source holds its monitor while
+    // waiting for the informers below to start, so the handler has to be registered on this thread:
+    // a replay from an informer starter thread would block on that monitor and deadlock.
+    var newSources = newNamespaces.stream().map(this::getEventSourceForNamespace).toList();
     controllerConfiguration
         .getConfigurationService()
         .getExecutorServiceManager()
         .boundedExecuteAndWaitForAllToComplete(
-            newNamespaces.stream(),
-            ns -> {
-              final var source = getEventSourceForNamespace(ns);
+            newSources.stream(),
+            source -> {
               // block until the informer's cache is synced (or the sync timeout elapses)
               start(source);
-              log.debug("Registered new {} -> {} for namespace: {}", this, source, ns);
+              log.debug(
+                  "Registered new {} -> {} for namespace: {}",
+                  this,
+                  source,
+                  source.getTargetNamespace());
               return null;
             },
-            ns -> "InformerStarter-" + ns + "-" + configuration.getResourceClass().getSimpleName());
+            source ->
+                "InformerStarter-"
+                    + source.getTargetNamespace()
+                    + "-"
+                    + configuration.getResourceClass().getSimpleName());
   }
 
   private void start(InformerWrapper<R> informerWrapper) {
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/ManagedInformerEventSourceNamespaceChangeTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/ManagedInformerEventSourceNamespaceChangeTest.java
index a1ee558036..7a2ee4ee16 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/ManagedInformerEventSourceNamespaceChangeTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/ManagedInformerEventSourceNamespaceChangeTest.java
@@ -15,13 +15,16 @@
  */
 package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.event.source.informer;
 
+import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ObjectMetaBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.apps.Deployment;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.ResourceEventHandler;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.SharedIndexInformer;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.cache.Cache;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.MockKubernetesClient;
@@ -37,8 +40,11 @@
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.sample.simple.TestCustomResource;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTimeoutPreemptively;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 /**
@@ -100,22 +106,71 @@ void namespaceChangeIsStillAppliedWhileRunning() {
     assertThat(pool.numberOfInformersForResource(Deployment.class)).isZero();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Fabric8 replays the cache of an already populated informer to a newly added handler
+   * synchronously, on the thread registering it. That replay enters the event source's monitor,
+   * which the namespace change holds while waiting for the informers to start, so the handler must
+   * be registered on the thread holding the monitor rather than on an informer starter thread.
+   */
+  @Test
+  void namespaceChangeJoiningAPopulatedInformerDoesNotDeadlock() {
+    var eventHandler = mock(EventHandler.class);
+    var eventSource = buildEventSource(eventHandler);
+    eventSource.start();
+    replayCacheOnHandlerRegistration();
+
+    assertTimeoutPreemptively(
+        Duration.ofSeconds(10), () -> eventSource.changeNamespaces(Set.of("ns1", "ns2")));
+
+    assertThat(eventSource.manager().isWatchingNamespace("ns2")).isTrue();
+    verify(eventHandler).handleEvent(any());
+    eventSource.stop();
+  }
+
+  private void replayCacheOnHandlerRegistration() {
+    var informer = informer();
+    var existing = new Deployment();
+    existing.setMetadata(
+        new ObjectMetaBuilder()
+            .withName("existing")
+            .withNamespace("ns2")
+            .withResourceVersion("1")
+            .build());
+    doAnswer(
+            invocation -> {
+              ResourceEventHandler<Deployment> handler = invocation.getArgument(0);
+              handler.onAdd(existing);
+              return null;
+            })
+        .when(informer)
+        .addEventHandler(any());
+  }
+
   /**
    * A successfully started {@link InformerEventSource} lists its cache to populate the
    * primary-to-secondary index, and the mock client leaves the informer's store unstubbed.
    */
   private void stubInformerStore() {
-    SharedIndexInformer informer =
-        clientMock
-            .resources(Deployment.class)
-            .inNamespace("ns1")
-            .withLabelSelector((String) null)
-            .withShardSelector(null)
-            .runnableInformer(0);
+    var informer = informer();
     when(informer.getStore()).thenReturn(mock(Cache.class));
   }
 
+  /** The mock client hands out the very same informer for every namespace. */
+  private SharedIndexInformer informer() {
+    return clientMock
+        .resources(Deployment.class)
+        .inNamespace("ns1")
+        .withLabelSelector((String) null)
+        .withShardSelector(null)
+        .runnableInformer(0);
+  }
+
   private InformerEventSource<Deployment, TestCustomResource> buildEventSource() {
+    return buildEventSource(mock(EventHandler.class));
+  }
+
+  private InformerEventSource<Deployment, TestCustomResource> buildEventSource(
+      EventHandler eventHandler) {
     ConfigurationService configurationService =
         ConfigurationService.newOverriddenConfigurationService(
             new BaseConfigurationService(),
@@ -125,7 +180,7 @@ private InformerEventSource<Deployment, TestCustomResource> buildEventSource() {
     when(controllerConfiguration.getName()).thenReturn("controller");
 
     var eventSource = new InformerEventSource<Deployment, TestCustomResource>(configuration);
-    eventSource.setEventHandler(mock(EventHandler.class));
+    eventSource.setEventHandler(eventHandler);
     eventSource.setControllerConfiguration(controllerConfiguration);
     return eventSource;
   }