diff --git a/controllers/leveltriggered/caching.go b/controllers/leveltriggered/caching.go
index 4a2dd66..207eb6d 100644
--- a/controllers/leveltriggered/caching.go
+++ b/controllers/leveltriggered/caching.go
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ type caches struct {
 	runner             *runner
 }
 
-func newCaches(events chan event.GenericEvent, targetScheme *runtime.Scheme) *caches {
+func newCaches(targetScheme *runtime.Scheme) *caches {
+	events := make(chan event.GenericEvent)
 	return &caches{
 		targetScheme: targetScheme,
 		events:       events,
@@ -53,12 +54,16 @@ func newCaches(events chan event.GenericEvent, targetScheme *runtime.Scheme) *ca
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *caches) appEvents() <-chan event.GenericEvent {
+	return c.events
+}
+
 func (c *caches) setupWithManager(mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
 	c.localClusterConfig = mgr.GetConfig()
 	c.baseLogger = mgr.GetLogger().WithValues("component", "target-cache")
 	c.reader = mgr.GetClient() // this specifically gets the client that has the indexing installed below; i.e., these are coupled.
 
-	c.runner = newRunner()
+	c.runner = newRunner(mgr.GetLogger().WithValues("component", "cache-runner"))
 	if err := mgr.Add(c.runner); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -188,7 +193,7 @@ func (c *caches) watchTargetAndGetReader(ctx context.Context, clusterObject *clu
 				return nil, false, err
 			}
 
-			cancel := c.runner.run(func(ctx context.Context) {
+			cancel := c.runner.run("cache-"+cacheKey.String(), func(ctx context.Context) {
 				if err := ca.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 					logger.Error(err, "cache exited with error")
 				}
@@ -368,6 +373,7 @@ func (gc *gc) loop() {
 	for {
 		item, shutdown := gc.queue.Get()
 		if shutdown {
+			gc.log.Info("exiting cache GC loop")
 			return
 		}
 		key, ok := item.(clusterAndGVK)
diff --git a/controllers/leveltriggered/controller.go b/controllers/leveltriggered/controller.go
index f4051ce..0aa48b2 100644
--- a/controllers/leveltriggered/controller.go
+++ b/controllers/leveltriggered/controller.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/event"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/handler"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/source"
@@ -34,13 +33,9 @@ type PipelineReconciler struct {
 	caches         *caches
 	recorder       record.EventRecorder
 	stratReg       strategy.StrategyRegistry
-
-	appEvents chan event.GenericEvent
 }
 
 func NewPipelineReconciler(c client.Client, s *runtime.Scheme, controllerName string, eventRecorder record.EventRecorder, stratReg strategy.StrategyRegistry) *PipelineReconciler {
-	appEvents := make(chan event.GenericEvent)
-
 	// this is empty because we're going to use unstructured.Unstructured objects to support arbitrary types.
 	// If something changed and we wanted typed objects, this scheme would need to have those registered.
 	targetScheme := runtime.NewScheme()
@@ -51,8 +46,7 @@ func NewPipelineReconciler(c client.Client, s *runtime.Scheme, controllerName st
 		recorder:       eventRecorder,
 		ControllerName: controllerName,
 		stratReg:       stratReg,
-		caches:         newCaches(appEvents, targetScheme),
-		appEvents:      appEvents,
+		caches:         newCaches(targetScheme),
 	}
 	return pc
 }
@@ -444,7 +438,7 @@ func (r *PipelineReconciler) SetupWithManager(mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
 			&clusterctrlv1alpha1.GitopsCluster{},
 			handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.requestsForCluster(gitopsClusterIndexKey)),
 		).
-		WatchesRawSource(&source.Channel{Source: r.appEvents}, &handler.EnqueueRequestForObject{}).
+		WatchesRawSource(&source.Channel{Source: r.caches.appEvents()}, &handler.EnqueueRequestForObject{}).
 		Complete(r)
 }
 
diff --git a/controllers/leveltriggered/controller_remote_test.go b/controllers/leveltriggered/controller_remote_test.go
index 26b939f..d98e099 100644
--- a/controllers/leveltriggered/controller_remote_test.go
+++ b/controllers/leveltriggered/controller_remote_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func TestRemoteTargets(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("starting leaf test env failed", err)
 	}
+	envsToStop = append(envsToStop, leafEnv)
 
 	user, err := leafEnv.ControlPlane.AddUser(envtest.User{
 		Name:   "leaf-admin",
diff --git a/controllers/leveltriggered/runner.go b/controllers/leveltriggered/runner.go
index 4d61fd6..5973b01 100644
--- a/controllers/leveltriggered/runner.go
+++ b/controllers/leveltriggered/runner.go
@@ -1,47 +1,60 @@
 package leveltriggered
 
-import "context"
+import (
+	"context"
+	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
+	"sync"
+)
 
-// This is a dead simple way to run things using a manager's context as a base, so that they will
-// get shut down when the manager does. It must be constructed with `newRunner`, and added to a manager:
+// ctrl.Manager makes sure everything that is `Add`ed is started with a context, and cancels the context
+// to signal shutdown. But: all the runnables added share the same context, so they all get shut down at
+// the same time.
 //
-//     r := newRunner()
+// `runner` is a dead simple way to run things with their own context, using a manager's context as a
+// base, so that they will get shut down when the manager does _and_ you can shut them down individually.
+// It must be constructed with `newRunner`, and added to a manager:
+//
+//     r := newRunner(logger)
 //     mgr.Add(r)
 //
 // then you can use it to run funcs:
 //
-//     cancel := r.run(func(context.Context))
+//     cancel := r.run(string, func(context.Context))
 //
-// The func will be run with its own context derived from the root context supplied by the manager,
+// The func will be run with its own context, derived from the root context supplied by the manager,
 // with the cancel func returned to the caller as shown. This way you can cancel the context yourself,
 // or let it be canceled when the manager shuts down.
 //
 // It'll deadlock if you call `run` before adding it to a manager (or otherwise calling `Start`).
 
 type runWithContext struct {
-	ctx context.Context
-	run func(context.Context)
+	name string
+	ctx  context.Context
+	do   func(context.Context)
 }
 
 type runner struct {
+	log         logr.Logger
 	rootContext context.Context
 	tostart     chan runWithContext
 	ready       chan struct{}
 }
 
-func newRunner() *runner {
+func newRunner(log logr.Logger) *runner {
 	return &runner{
+		log:     log,
 		tostart: make(chan runWithContext),
 		ready:   make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 }
 
-func (r *runner) run(fn func(ctx context.Context)) context.CancelFunc {
+func (r *runner) run(name string, fn func(ctx context.Context)) context.CancelFunc {
 	<-r.ready // wait until there's a root context
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(r.rootContext)
 	r.tostart <- runWithContext{
-		run: fn,
-		ctx: ctx,
+		name: name,
+		do:   fn,
+		ctx:  ctx,
 	}
 	return cancel
 }
@@ -51,12 +64,24 @@ func (r *runner) run(fn func(ctx context.Context)) context.CancelFunc {
 func (r *runner) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	r.rootContext = ctx
 	close(r.ready) // broadcast that things can be run
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+loop:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case randc := <-r.tostart:
-			go randc.run(randc.ctx)
+			r.log.Info("starting child", "name", randc.name)
+			wg.Add(1)
+			go func(rc runWithContext) {
+				defer wg.Done()
+				rc.do(rc.ctx)
+				r.log.Info("child exited", "name", rc.name)
+			}(randc)
 		case <-r.rootContext.Done():
-			return nil
+			break loop
 		}
 	}
+	r.log.Info("Stopping and waiting for children")
+	wg.Wait()
+	r.log.Info("All children stopped; runner exit")
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/controllers/leveltriggered/suite_test.go b/controllers/leveltriggered/suite_test.go
index d6bea58..2dcb801 100644
--- a/controllers/leveltriggered/suite_test.go
+++ b/controllers/leveltriggered/suite_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ var kubeConfig []byte
 var eventRecorder *testEventRecorder
 var pipelineReconciler *PipelineReconciler
 
+var envsToStop []*envtest.Environment
+
 type testEvent struct {
 	object    runtime.Object
 	eventType string
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("starting test env failed: %s", err)
 	}
+	envsToStop = append(envsToStop, testEnv)
 
 	user, err := testEnv.ControlPlane.AddUser(envtest.User{
 		Name:   "envtest-admin",
@@ -176,11 +179,20 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 	cancel()
 	wg.Wait()
+	log.Println("manager exited")
 
-	err = testEnv.Stop()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("stoping test env failed: %s", err)
+	var failedToStopEnvs bool
+	for _, env := range envsToStop {
+		err = env.Stop()
+		if err != nil {
+			failedToStopEnvs = true
+			log.Printf("stopping test env failed: %s\n", err)
+		}
+	}
+	if failedToStopEnvs {
+		log.Fatalf("failed to stop all test envs")
 	}
 
+	log.Println("test envs stopped")
 	os.Exit(retCode)
 }
diff --git a/controllers/suite_test.go b/controllers/suite_test.go
index 253523a..05bdf5f 100644
--- a/controllers/suite_test.go
+++ b/controllers/suite_test.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 	err = testEnv.Stop()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("stoping test env failed: %s", err)
+		log.Fatalf("stopping test env failed: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	os.Exit(retCode)