diff --git a/cloud/linode/cloud.go b/cloud/linode/cloud.go
index 8699dc2a..4d398579 100644
--- a/cloud/linode/cloud.go
+++ b/cloud/linode/cloud.go
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ type linodeCloud struct {
 	routes        cloudprovider.Routes
 }
 
+var instanceCache *instances
+
 func init() {
 	cloudprovider.RegisterCloudProvider(
 		ProviderName,
@@ -97,9 +99,8 @@ func newCloud() (cloudprovider.Interface, error) {
 		Options.VPCNames = Options.VPCName
 	}
 
-	instances := newInstances(linodeClient)
-
-	routes, err := newRoutes(linodeClient, instances)
+	instanceCache = newInstances(linodeClient)
+	routes, err := newRoutes(linodeClient, instanceCache)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("routes client was not created successfully: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ func newCloud() (cloudprovider.Interface, error) {
 	// create struct that satisfies cloudprovider.Interface
 	lcloud := &linodeCloud{
 		client:        linodeClient,
-		instances:     instances,
+		instances:     instanceCache,
 		loadbalancers: newLoadbalancers(linodeClient, region),
 		routes:        routes,
 	}
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ func (c *linodeCloud) Initialize(clientBuilder cloudprovider.ControllerClientBui
 	serviceController := newServiceController(c.loadbalancers.(*loadbalancers), serviceInformer)
 	go serviceController.Run(stopCh)
 
-	nodeController := newNodeController(kubeclient, c.client, nodeInformer)
+	nodeController := newNodeController(kubeclient, c.client, nodeInformer, instanceCache)
 	go nodeController.Run(stopCh)
 }
 
diff --git a/cloud/linode/node_controller.go b/cloud/linode/node_controller.go
index 52e19422..9b390043 100644
--- a/cloud/linode/node_controller.go
+++ b/cloud/linode/node_controller.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ type nodeController struct {
 	queue workqueue.TypedDelayingInterface[any]
 }
 
-func newNodeController(kubeclient kubernetes.Interface, client client.Client, informer v1informers.NodeInformer) *nodeController {
+func newNodeController(kubeclient kubernetes.Interface, client client.Client, informer v1informers.NodeInformer, instanceCache *instances) *nodeController {
 	timeout := defaultMetadataTTL
 	if raw, ok := os.LookupEnv("LINODE_METADATA_TTL"); ok {
 		if t, _ := strconv.Atoi(raw); t > 0 {
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func newNodeController(kubeclient kubernetes.Interface, client client.Client, in
 
 	return &nodeController{
 		client:             client,
-		instances:          newInstances(client),
+		instances:          instanceCache,
 		kubeclient:         kubeclient,
 		informer:           informer,
 		ttl:                timeout,
diff --git a/cloud/linode/route_controller.go b/cloud/linode/route_controller.go
index ed23f16a..b1aa112b 100644
--- a/cloud/linode/route_controller.go
+++ b/cloud/linode/route_controller.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ type routes struct {
 	routeCache *routeCache
 }
 
-func newRoutes(client client.Client, instances *instances) (cloudprovider.Routes, error) {
+func newRoutes(client client.Client, instanceCache *instances) (cloudprovider.Routes, error) {
 	timeout := 60
 	if raw, ok := os.LookupEnv("LINODE_ROUTES_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS"); ok {
 		if t, _ := strconv.Atoi(raw); t > 0 {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func newRoutes(client client.Client, instances *instances) (cloudprovider.Routes
 
 	return &routes{
 		client:    client,
-		instances: instances,
+		instances: instanceCache,
 		routeCache: &routeCache{
 			routes: make(map[int][]linodego.VPCIP, 0),
 			ttl:    time.Duration(timeout) * time.Second,
diff --git a/cloud/linode/route_controller_test.go b/cloud/linode/route_controller_test.go
index f8bb513f..8e4ba0a6 100644
--- a/cloud/linode/route_controller_test.go
+++ b/cloud/linode/route_controller_test.go
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ func TestListRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), gomock.Any()).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{}, nil)
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ func TestListRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ func TestListRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ func TestListRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)
@@ -168,8 +168,8 @@ func TestListRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ func TestListRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		vpcIP2 := "10.0.0.3"
@@ -322,8 +322,8 @@ func TestCreateRoute(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)
@@ -336,8 +336,8 @@ func TestCreateRoute(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{}, nil)
@@ -379,8 +379,8 @@ func TestDeleteRoute(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{}, nil)
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@ func TestDeleteRoute(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)
@@ -442,8 +442,8 @@ func TestDeleteRoute(t *testing.T) {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 		defer ctrl.Finish()
 		client := mocks.NewMockClient(ctrl)
-		instances := newInstances(client)
-		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instances)
+		instanceCache := newInstances(client)
+		routeController, err := newRoutes(client, instanceCache)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		client.EXPECT().ListInstances(gomock.Any(), nil).Times(1).Return([]linodego.Instance{validInstance}, nil)