diff --git a/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes.go b/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes.go
index d19dbef6b0..77cb55b5cd 100644
--- a/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes.go
+++ b/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	storagev1 "k8s.io/api/storage/v1"
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ type nodeTopology struct {
 	nodeInformer    coreinformersv1.NodeInformer
 	csiNodeInformer storageinformersv1.CSINodeInformer
 	queue           workqueue.TypedRateLimitingInterface[string]
+	hasSynced       atomic.Bool
 
 	mutex sync.Mutex
 	// segments hold a list of all currently known topology segments.
@@ -209,14 +211,20 @@ func (nt *nodeTopology) RunWorker(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (nt *nodeTopology) upstreamSynced() bool {
+	return nt.nodeInformer.Informer().HasSynced() &&
+		nt.csiNodeInformer.Informer().HasSynced()
+}
+
 func (nt *nodeTopology) HasSynced() bool {
-	if nt.nodeInformer.Informer().HasSynced() &&
-		nt.csiNodeInformer.Informer().HasSynced() {
-		// Now that both informers are up-to-date, use that
-		// information to update our own view of the world.
-		nt.sync(context.Background())
+	if nt.hasSynced.Load() {
 		return true
 	}
+	if nt.upstreamSynced() {
+		// Now that both informers are up-to-date,
+		// trigger a sync to update the list of topology segments.
+		nt.queue.Add("")
+	}
 	return false
 }
 
@@ -231,6 +239,11 @@ func (nt *nodeTopology) processNextWorkItem(ctx context.Context) bool {
 }
 
 func (nt *nodeTopology) sync(_ context.Context) {
+	if !nt.hasSynced.Load() && nt.upstreamSynced() {
+		// We are not yet synced, but the upstream informers are.
+		// we will become synced when this function returns
+		defer nt.hasSynced.Store(true)
+	}
 	// For all nodes on which the driver is registered, collect the topology key/value pairs
 	// and sort them by key name to make the result deterministic. Skip all segments that have
 	// been seen before.
diff --git a/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes_test.go b/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes_test.go
index 4ea2f39367..6410832d09 100644
--- a/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes_test.go
+++ b/pkg/capacity/topology/nodes_test.go
@@ -566,6 +566,41 @@ func TestNodeTopology(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHasSynced(t *testing.T) {
+	client := fakeclientset.NewSimpleClientset()
+	informerFactory := informers.NewSharedInformerFactory(client, 0*time.Second /* no resync */)
+	nodeInformer := informerFactory.Core().V1().Nodes()
+	csiNodeInformer := informerFactory.Storage().V1().CSINodes()
+	rateLimiter := workqueue.NewTypedItemExponentialFailureRateLimiter[string](time.Second, 2*time.Second)
+	queue := workqueue.NewTypedRateLimitingQueueWithConfig(rateLimiter, workqueue.TypedRateLimitingQueueConfig[string]{Name: "items"})
+
+	nt := NewNodeTopology(
+		driverName,
+		client,
+		nodeInformer,
+		csiNodeInformer,
+		queue,
+	).(*nodeTopology)
+
+	ctx := t.Context()
+	nt.sync(ctx)
+	if nt.HasSynced() {
+		t.Fatalf("upstream informer not started yet, expected HasSynced to return false")
+	}
+
+	informerFactory.Start(ctx.Done())
+	informerFactory.WaitForCacheSync(ctx.Done())
+	if nt.HasSynced() { // should enqueue a work item
+		t.Fatalf("nt not started, expected HasSynced to return false")
+	}
+
+	// consume the work item
+	nt.processNextWorkItem(ctx)
+	if !nt.HasSynced() {
+		t.Fatalf("nt should be synced now")
+	}
+}
+
 type segmentsFound map[*Segment]bool
 
 func (sf segmentsFound) Found() []*Segment {