diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/timeout_handler.go b/pkg/reconciler/timeout_handler.go
index 7f2a693e597..212262f75b6 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/timeout_handler.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/timeout_handler.go
@@ -131,7 +131,9 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) checkPipelineRunTimeouts(namespace string) {
 		if pipelineRun.IsDone() || pipelineRun.IsCancelled() {
 			continue
 		}
-		go t.WaitPipelineRun(&pipelineRun)
+		started := make(chan struct{})
+		go t.WaitPipelineRun(&pipelineRun, started)
+		<-started
 	}
 }
 
@@ -162,13 +164,15 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) checkTaskRunTimeouts(namespace string) {
 		if taskrun.IsDone() || taskrun.IsCancelled() {
 			continue
 		}
-		go t.WaitTaskRun(&taskrun)
+		started := make(chan struct{})
+		go t.WaitTaskRun(&taskrun, started)
+		<-started
 	}
 }
 
 // WaitTaskRun function creates a blocking function for taskrun to wait for
 // 1. Stop signal, 2. TaskRun to complete or 3. Taskrun to time out
-func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitTaskRun(tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun) {
+func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitTaskRun(tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun, started chan struct{}) {
 	timeout := getTimeout(tr.Spec.Timeout)
 	runtime := time.Duration(0)
 
@@ -180,6 +184,9 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitTaskRun(tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun) {
 	timeout -= runtime
 	finished := t.getOrCreateFinishedChan(tr)
 
+	timeAfter := time.After(timeout)
+	close(started)
+
 	defer t.Release(tr)
 
 	select {
@@ -189,7 +196,7 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitTaskRun(tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun) {
 	case <-finished:
 		// taskrun finished, we can stop watching
 		return
-	case <-time.After(timeout):
+	case <-timeAfter:
 		t.StatusLock(tr)
 		defer t.StatusUnlock(tr)
 		if t.taskRunCallbackFunc != nil {
@@ -202,7 +209,7 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitTaskRun(tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun) {
 
 // WaitPipelineRun function creates a blocking function for pipelinerun to wait for
 // 1. Stop signal, 2. pipelinerun to complete or 3. pipelinerun to time out
-func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitPipelineRun(pr *v1alpha1.PipelineRun) {
+func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitPipelineRun(pr *v1alpha1.PipelineRun, started chan struct{}) {
 	timeout := getTimeout(pr.Spec.Timeout)
 
 	runtime := time.Duration(0)
@@ -214,6 +221,9 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitPipelineRun(pr *v1alpha1.PipelineRun) {
 	timeout -= runtime
 	finished := t.getOrCreateFinishedChan(pr)
 
+	timeAfter := time.After(timeout)
+	close(started)
+
 	defer t.Release(pr)
 
 	select {
@@ -223,7 +233,7 @@ func (t *TimeoutSet) WaitPipelineRun(pr *v1alpha1.PipelineRun) {
 	case <-finished:
 		// pipelinerun finished, we can stop watching
 		return
-	case <-time.After(timeout):
+	case <-timeAfter:
 		t.StatusLock(pr)
 		defer t.StatusUnlock(pr)
 		if t.pipelineRunCallbackFunc != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
index 2362ae9cab0..722502ac568 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
@@ -168,7 +168,9 @@ func (c *Reconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
 	c.timeoutHandler.StatusLock(pr)
 	if !pr.HasStarted() {
 		// start goroutine to track pipelinerun timeout only startTime is not set
-		go c.timeoutHandler.WaitPipelineRun(pr)
+		started := make(chan struct{})
+		go c.timeoutHandler.WaitPipelineRun(pr, started)
+		<-started
 	}
 	pr.Status.InitializeConditions()
 
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun.go b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun.go
index 28a56becf9f..077faeeee79 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun.go
@@ -284,7 +284,6 @@ func (c *Reconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun) error
 		}
 	} else {
 		// Pod is not present, create pod.
-		go c.timeoutHandler.WaitTaskRun(tr)
 		pod, err = c.createPod(tr, rtr.TaskSpec, rtr.TaskName)
 		if err != nil {
 			// This Run has failed, so we need to mark it as failed and stop reconciling it
@@ -304,7 +303,9 @@ func (c *Reconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, tr *v1alpha1.TaskRun) error
 			c.Logger.Errorf("Failed to create build pod for task %q :%v", err, tr.Name)
 			return nil
 		}
-		go c.timeoutHandler.WaitTaskRun(tr)
+		started := make(chan struct{})
+		go c.timeoutHandler.WaitTaskRun(tr, started)
+		<-started
 	}
 	if err := c.tracker.Track(tr.GetBuildPodRef(), tr); err != nil {
 		c.Logger.Errorf("Failed to create tracker for build pod %q for taskrun %q: %v", tr.Name, tr.Name, err)