diff --git a/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher.go b/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher.go
index 8a7a1d415f556..a151e947352ed 100644
--- a/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher.go
+++ b/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/linkerd/linkerd2/controller/gen/apis/link/v1alpha3"
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ type (
 		eventsQueue              workqueue.TypedRateLimitingInterface[any]
 		requeueLimit             int
 		repairPeriod             time.Duration
+		gatewayAliveMu           sync.RWMutex
 		gatewayAlive             bool
 		liveness                 chan bool
 		headlessServicesEnabled  bool
@@ -371,6 +373,18 @@ func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) getMirrorServiceAnnotations(remoteServi
 	return annotations
 }
 
+func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) getGatewayAlive() bool {
+	rcsw.gatewayAliveMu.RLock()
+	defer rcsw.gatewayAliveMu.RUnlock()
+	return rcsw.gatewayAlive
+}
+
+func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) setGatewayAlive(alive bool) {
+	rcsw.gatewayAliveMu.Lock()
+	defer rcsw.gatewayAliveMu.Unlock()
+	rcsw.gatewayAlive = alive
+}
+
 // Provides annotations for federated service
 func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) getFederatedServiceAnnotations(remoteService *corev1.Service) map[string]string {
 	annotations := rcsw.getCommonServiceAnnotations(remoteService)
@@ -1468,27 +1482,31 @@ func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	ev := RepairEndpoints{}
 	rcsw.eventsQueue.Add(&ev)
 
-	go func() {
-		ticker := time.NewTicker(rcsw.repairPeriod)
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ticker.C:
-				ev := RepairEndpoints{}
-				rcsw.eventsQueue.Add(&ev)
-			case alive := <-rcsw.liveness:
-				rcsw.log.Debugf("gateway liveness change from %t to %t", rcsw.gatewayAlive, alive)
-				rcsw.gatewayAlive = alive
-				ev := RepairEndpoints{}
-				rcsw.eventsQueue.Add(&ev)
-			case <-rcsw.stopper:
-				return
-			}
-		}
-	}()
+	go rcsw.watchGatewayLiveness()
 
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) watchGatewayLiveness() {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(rcsw.repairPeriod)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			ev := RepairEndpoints{}
+			rcsw.eventsQueue.Add(&ev)
+		case alive := <-rcsw.liveness:
+			rcsw.log.Debugf("gateway liveness change from %t to %t", rcsw.getGatewayAlive(), alive)
+			rcsw.setGatewayAlive(alive)
+			ev := RepairEndpoints{}
+			rcsw.eventsQueue.Add(&ev)
+		case <-rcsw.stopper:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // Stop stops watching the cluster and cleans up all mirrored resources
 func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) Stop(cleanupState bool) {
 	close(rcsw.stopper)
@@ -1786,7 +1804,7 @@ func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) updateMirrorEndpoints(ctx context.Conte
 }
 
 func (rcsw *RemoteClusterServiceWatcher) updateReadiness(endpoints *corev1.Endpoints) {
-	if !rcsw.gatewayAlive {
+	if !rcsw.getGatewayAlive() {
 		rcsw.log.Warnf("gateway for %s/%s does not have ready addresses; setting addresses to not ready", endpoints.Namespace, endpoints.Name)
 		for i := range endpoints.Subsets {
 			endpoints.Subsets[i].NotReadyAddresses = append(endpoints.Subsets[i].NotReadyAddresses, endpoints.Subsets[i].Addresses...)
diff --git a/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_mirroring_test.go b/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_mirroring_test.go
index 58ed875c942bf..08c65e95dfdc4 100644
--- a/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_mirroring_test.go
+++ b/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_mirroring_test.go
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ func TestServiceCreatedGatewayAlive(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// The gateway is now down which triggers repairing Endpoints on the local
 	// cluster.
-	watcher.gatewayAlive = false
+	watcher.setGatewayAlive(false)
 	events.Add(&RepairEndpoints{})
 	for events.Len() > 0 {
 		watcher.processNextEvent(context.Background())
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ func TestServiceCreatedGatewayDown(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// The gateway is now alive which triggers repairing Endpoints on the
 	// local cluster.
-	watcher.gatewayAlive = true
+	watcher.setGatewayAlive(true)
 	events.Add(&RepairEndpoints{})
 	for events.Len() > 0 {
 		watcher.processNextEvent(context.Background())
diff --git a/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_race_test.go b/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_race_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..dde1185c66f23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/multicluster/service-mirror/cluster_watcher_race_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package servicemirror
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	logging "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/workqueue"
+)
+
+func TestGatewayAliveSynchronization(t *testing.T) {
+	stopper := make(chan struct{})
+	queue := workqueue.NewTypedRateLimitingQueue(workqueue.DefaultTypedControllerRateLimiter[any]())
+	defer queue.ShutDown()
+
+	watcher := &RemoteClusterServiceWatcher{
+		stopper:      stopper,
+		log:          logging.NewEntry(logging.New()),
+		eventsQueue:  queue,
+		repairPeriod: time.Hour,
+		gatewayAlive: true,
+		liveness:     make(chan bool, 1024),
+	}
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		watcher.watchGatewayLiveness()
+	}()
+
+	endpoints := &corev1.Endpoints{
+		Subsets: []corev1.EndpointSubset{{
+			Addresses: []corev1.EndpointAddress{{
+				IP: "192.0.2.1",
+			}},
+		}},
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < 1024; i++ {
+		watcher.liveness <- i%2 == 0
+		ep := endpoints.DeepCopy()
+		watcher.updateReadiness(ep)
+	}
+
+	close(stopper)
+	<-done
+}