ListenerSet stuck on "Waiting for controller"

[Aurel-Biiodiv]

Hello everyone !

I have an issue regarding ListenerSet usage.
I have one Gateway:

apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Gateway
metadata:
  annotations:
  name: apps
  namespace: apps
status:
  conditions:
    - lastTransitionTime: '2026-03-31T08:08:12Z'
      message: The Gateway has been scheduled by Envoy Gateway
      observedGeneration: 2
      reason: Accepted
      status: 'True'
      type: Accepted
    - lastTransitionTime: '2026-03-31T08:08:12Z'
      message: Address assigned to the Gateway, 1/1 envoy replicas available
      observedGeneration: 2
      reason: Programmed
      status: 'True'
      type: Programmed
spec:
  addresses: []
  gatewayClassName: envoy-gateway
  allowedListeners:
    namespaces:
      from: Same
  listeners:
    - allowedRoutes:
        namespaces:
          from: Same
      hostname: dummy
      name: http
      port: 80
      protocol: HTTP

And one ListenetSet attached to it:

apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: ListenerSet
metadata:
  name: feature-flipping-listeners
  namespace: apps
status:
  conditions:
    - lastTransitionTime: '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z'
      message: Waiting for controller
      reason: Pending
      status: Unknown
      type: Accepted
    - lastTransitionTime: '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z'
      message: Waiting for controller
      reason: Pending
      status: Unknown
      type: Programmed
spec:
  listeners:
    - allowedRoutes:
        namespaces:
          from: Same
      hostname: feature-flipping.devs.cached.com
      name: http-feature-flipping
      port: 80
      protocol: HTTP
    - allowedRoutes:
        namespaces:
          from: Same
      hostname: feature-flipping.devs.cached.com
      name: https-feature-flipping
      port: 443
      protocol: HTTPS
      tls:
        certificateRefs:
          - group: ''
            kind: Secret
            name: feature-flipping-tls
        mode: Terminate
  parentRef:
    group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
    kind: Gateway
    name: apps

As you can see, my ListenerSet remains in the "Waiting for controller" state, and I’m not sure why. My parentRef appears to be correct.

My controller is not reporting any errors, and the gateway pod I created is also running without any issues.
Am I missing something ?

My gateway pod run docker.io/envoyproxy/envoy:distroless-v1.37.1, and controller docker.io/envoyproxy/gateway:v1.7.1

Thank you very much.

[zirain]

v1.7 used Gateway API v1.4, which means it only support XListenerSet.

[suvarnanith]

Hi, I have a same issue here. Does Xlistenerset does the same job like listenerset? In the cert manager documentation it is mentioned as support for gateway api. Please suggest

i am trying to integrate the cert manager with envoy listnerset.

https://cert-manager.io/docs/usage/gateway/

[arkodg]

we are in a chicken and egg situation, EG v1.7.x supports the experimental API XListenerSet, and EG v1.8 (yet to be released, likely in end April) will have support for the graduated ListenerSet API and remove support for XListenerSet

[suvarnanith]

If i use xlistenerset then will certmanager support this? Any idea on this? I feel it will not as certmanager knows only Listenerset but want to recheck this.

[zirain]

I think the best choice is wait for EG 1.8, there's no smoothly way to do the upgrade.
Becasue Gateawy API rename it from XListenerSet to ListenerSet directly.

[suvarnanith]

Hi @zirain, I see that 1.8.0_rc1 and rc2. Is this stable? Can we use it for listenerset?

[zirain]

you could try with it, only #8910 is left.