diff --git a/orca/producer.go b/orca/producer.go
index df29a8176c70..de0c6c0ebc1a 100644
--- a/orca/producer.go
+++ b/orca/producer.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package orca
 import (
 	"context"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
@@ -40,17 +41,27 @@ type producerBuilder struct{}
 func (*producerBuilder) Build(cci interface{}) (balancer.Producer, func()) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	p := &producer{
-		client:       v3orcaservicegrpc.NewOpenRcaServiceClient(cci.(grpc.ClientConnInterface)),
-		closed:       grpcsync.NewEvent(),
-		intervals:    make(map[time.Duration]int),
-		listeners:    make(map[OOBListener]struct{}),
-		backoff:      internal.DefaultBackoffFunc,
-		hasIntervals: make(chan struct{}),
+		client:      v3orcaservicegrpc.NewOpenRcaServiceClient(cci.(grpc.ClientConnInterface)),
+		closed:      grpcsync.NewEvent(),
+		intervals:   make(map[time.Duration]int),
+		listeners:   make(map[OOBListener]struct{}),
+		backoff:     internal.DefaultBackoffFunc,
+		initialized: 0,
 	}
+	// Take the mutex at creation time.  This will allow the first listener to
+	// be registered before the run goroutine calls minInterval.
+	p.mu.Lock()
 	go p.run(ctx)
 	return p, func() {
+		// Signal the run goroutine to exit.
 		cancel()
-		<-p.closed.Done() // Block until stream stopped.
+		// The stop function that unregisters a listener takes the lock.  Give
+		// it up to allow the run goroutine to exit.
+		p.mu.Unlock()
+		// Block until stream stopped.
+		<-p.closed.Done()
+		// Re-take the lock so the stop function can safely unlock it.
+		p.mu.Lock()
 	}
 }
 
@@ -78,7 +89,13 @@ type OOBListenerOptions struct {
 func RegisterOOBListener(sc balancer.SubConn, l OOBListener, opts OOBListenerOptions) (stop func()) {
 	pr, close := sc.GetOrBuildProducer(producerBuilderSingleton)
 	p := pr.(*producer)
-	p.registerListener(l, opts.ReportInterval)
+	if initialized := atomic.SwapInt32(&p.initialized, 1); initialized != 0 {
+		// If we're still initializing, the mutex is held.  Otherwise, take the
+		// mutex now.
+		p.mu.Lock()
+	}
+	p.registerListenerLocked(l, opts.ReportInterval)
+	p.mu.Unlock()
 
 	// TODO: When we can register for SubConn state updates, automatically call
 	// stop() on SHUTDOWN.
@@ -86,8 +103,10 @@ func RegisterOOBListener(sc balancer.SubConn, l OOBListener, opts OOBListenerOpt
 	// If stop is called multiple times, prevent it from having any effect on
 	// subsequent calls.
 	return grpcsync.OnceFunc(func() {
-		p.unregisterListener(l, opts.ReportInterval)
-		close()
+		p.mu.Lock()
+		p.unregisterListenerLocked(l, opts.ReportInterval)
+		close() // If this is the final producer instance, stops run().
+		p.mu.Unlock()
 	})
 }
 
@@ -101,38 +120,28 @@ type producer struct {
 	// reports a result.
 	backoff func(int) time.Duration
 
-	mu           sync.Mutex
-	intervals    map[time.Duration]int    // map from interval time to count of listeners requesting that time
-	listeners    map[OOBListener]struct{} // set of registered listeners
-	hasIntervals chan struct{}            // created when intervals is empty; closed and nilled when non-empty.
+	initialized int32 // Set to 1 when initialized.  Accessed atomically.
+
+	mu        sync.Mutex
+	intervals map[time.Duration]int    // map from interval time to count of listeners requesting that time
+	listeners map[OOBListener]struct{} // set of registered listeners
 }
 
 // registerListener adds the listener and its requested report interval to the
-// producer.
-func (p *producer) registerListener(l OOBListener, interval time.Duration) {
-	p.mu.Lock()
-	defer p.mu.Unlock()
-	if p.hasIntervals != nil {
-		close(p.hasIntervals)
-		p.hasIntervals = nil
-	}
+// producer.  p.mu must be held.
+func (p *producer) registerListenerLocked(l OOBListener, interval time.Duration) {
 	p.listeners[l] = struct{}{}
 	p.intervals[interval]++
 }
 
 // registerListener removes the listener and its requested report interval to
-// the producer.
-func (p *producer) unregisterListener(l OOBListener, interval time.Duration) {
-	p.mu.Lock()
-	defer p.mu.Unlock()
+// the producer.  p.mu must be held.
+func (p *producer) unregisterListenerLocked(l OOBListener, interval time.Duration) {
 	delete(p.listeners, l)
 	p.intervals[interval]--
 	if p.intervals[interval] == 0 {
 		delete(p.intervals, interval)
 	}
-	if len(p.intervals) == 0 {
-		p.hasIntervals = make(chan struct{})
-	}
 }
 
 // minInterval returns the smallest key in p.intervals.  If p.intervals is
@@ -140,29 +149,17 @@ func (p *producer) unregisterListener(l OOBListener, interval time.Duration) {
 // producer closure; it is the caller's duty to determine if 0 is a valid value
 // or if the producer was closed.
 func (p *producer) minInterval() time.Duration {
-	for !p.closed.HasFired() {
-		p.mu.Lock()
-		if len(p.intervals) == 0 {
-			ch := p.hasIntervals
-			p.mu.Unlock()
-			select {
-			case <-p.closed.Done():
-			case <-ch:
-			}
-			continue
-		}
-		var min time.Duration
-		first := true
-		for t := range p.intervals {
-			if t < min || first {
-				min = t
-				first = false
-			}
+	p.mu.Lock()
+	defer p.mu.Unlock()
+	var min time.Duration
+	first := true
+	for t := range p.intervals {
+		if t < min || first {
+			min = t
+			first = false
 		}
-		p.mu.Unlock()
-		return min
 	}
-	return 0
+	return min
 }
 
 // run manages the ORCA OOB stream on the subchannel.
diff --git a/orca/service_test.go b/orca/service_test.go
index 715d53241c71..89e4c38a8e72 100644
--- a/orca/service_test.go
+++ b/orca/service_test.go
@@ -73,13 +73,13 @@ func (t *testServiceImpl) EmptyCall(context.Context, *testpb.Empty) (*testpb.Emp
 	return &testpb.Empty{}, nil
 }
 
-// Test_E2E_CustomBackendMetrics_OutOfBand tests the injection of out-of-band
+// TestE2E_CustomBackendMetrics_OutOfBand tests the injection of out-of-band
 // custom backend metrics from the server application, and verifies that
 // expected load reports are received at the client.
 //
 // TODO: Change this test to use the client API, when ready, to read the
 // out-of-band metrics pushed by the server.
-func (s) Test_E2E_CustomBackendMetrics_OutOfBand(t *testing.T) {
+func (s) TestE2E_CustomBackendMetrics_OutOfBand(t *testing.T) {
 	lis, err := testutils.LocalTCPListener()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func (s) Test_E2E_CustomBackendMetrics_OutOfBand(t *testing.T) {
 				errCh <- fmt.Errorf("UnaryCall failed: %v", err)
 				return
 			}
-			time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+			time.Sleep(2 * time.Millisecond)
 		}
 		errCh <- nil
 	}()