diff --git a/pkg/common/events/recorder.go b/pkg/common/events/recorder.go
index 48a06fa71..cde9a64f2 100644
--- a/pkg/common/events/recorder.go
+++ b/pkg/common/events/recorder.go
@@ -19,43 +19,22 @@
 package events
 
 import (
-	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
-	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/events"
-
-	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/client"
-	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/common/constants"
-	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/conf"
-	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/locking"
 )
 
-var eventRecorder events.EventRecorder = events.NewFakeRecorder(1024)
-var once sync.Once
-var lock locking.RWMutex
+var eventRecorder atomic.Pointer[events.EventRecorder]
+
+func init() {
+	r := events.EventRecorder(NewMockedRecorder())
+	eventRecorder.Store(&r)
+}
 
 func GetRecorder() events.EventRecorder {
-	lock.Lock()
-	defer lock.Unlock()
-	once.Do(func() {
-		// note, the initiation of the event recorder requires on a workable Kubernetes client,
-		// in test mode we should skip this and just use a fake recorder instead.
-		configs := conf.GetSchedulerConf()
-		if !configs.IsTestMode() {
-			k8sClient := client.NewKubeClient(configs.KubeConfig)
-			eventBroadcaster := events.NewBroadcaster(&events.EventSinkImpl{
-				Interface: k8sClient.GetClientSet().EventsV1()})
-			eventBroadcaster.StartRecordingToSink(make(<-chan struct{}))
-			eventRecorder = eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(scheme.Scheme, constants.SchedulerName)
-		}
-	})
-
-	return eventRecorder
+	return *eventRecorder.Load()
 }
 
 func SetRecorder(recorder events.EventRecorder) {
-	lock.Lock()
-	defer lock.Unlock()
-	eventRecorder = recorder
-	once.Do(func() {}) // make sure Do() doesn't fire elsewhere
+	eventRecorder.Store(&recorder)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/common/events/recorder_test.go b/pkg/common/events/recorder_test.go
index 7068ad262..b10e1f585 100644
--- a/pkg/common/events/recorder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/common/events/recorder_test.go
@@ -23,15 +23,10 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
-
-	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/conf"
 )
 
 func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
 	// simply test the get won't fail
-	// which means the get function honors the testMode and
-	// skips initiating a real event recorder
-	conf.GetSchedulerConf().SetTestMode(true)
 	recorder := GetRecorder()
-	assert.Equal(t, reflect.TypeOf(recorder).String(), "*events.FakeRecorder")
+	assert.Equal(t, reflect.TypeOf(recorder).String(), "*events.MockedRecorder")
 }
diff --git a/pkg/shim/scheduler.go b/pkg/shim/scheduler.go
index ebf3fb118..291083f4f 100644
--- a/pkg/shim/scheduler.go
+++ b/pkg/shim/scheduler.go
@@ -19,15 +19,20 @@
 package shim
 
 import (
+	ctx "context"
 	"time"
 
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/informers"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	k8events "k8s.io/client-go/tools/events"
 
 	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/cache"
 	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/client"
+	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/common/constants"
+	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/common/events"
 	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/common/utils"
 	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/conf"
 	"github.com/apache/yunikorn-k8shim/pkg/dispatcher"
@@ -67,6 +72,18 @@ func NewShimScheduler(scheduler api.SchedulerAPI, configs *conf.SchedulerConf, b
 	apiFactory := client.NewAPIFactory(scheduler, informerFactory, configs, false)
 	context := cache.NewContextWithBootstrapConfigMaps(apiFactory, bootstrapConfigMaps)
 	rmCallback := cache.NewAsyncRMCallback(context)
+
+	eventBroadcaster := k8events.NewBroadcaster(&k8events.EventSinkImpl{
+		Interface: kubeClient.GetClientSet().EventsV1()})
+	err := eventBroadcaster.StartRecordingToSinkWithContext(ctx.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Log(log.Shim).Error("Could not create event broadcaster",
+			zap.Error(err))
+	} else {
+		eventRecorder := eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(scheme.Scheme, constants.SchedulerName)
+		events.SetRecorder(eventRecorder)
+	}
+
 	return newShimSchedulerInternal(context, apiFactory, rmCallback)
 }