diff --git a/cmd/controller/app/controller.go b/cmd/controller/app/controller.go
index 6dc31badb..4b1d97205 100644
--- a/cmd/controller/app/controller.go
+++ b/cmd/controller/app/controller.go
@@ -194,7 +194,10 @@ func Run(opts *options.ControllerOptions, stopCh <-chan struct{}) error {
 	log.V(logf.DebugLevel).Info("starting shared informer factories")
 	ctx.SharedInformerFactory.Start(rootCtx.Done())
 	ctx.KubeSharedInformerFactory.Start(rootCtx.Done())
-	ctx.GWShared.Start(rootCtx.Done())
+
+	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(feature.ExperimentalGatewayAPISupport) {
+		ctx.GWShared.Start(rootCtx.Done())
+	}
 
 	err = g.Wait()
 	if err != nil {