diff --git a/pkg/internal/testing/controlplane/plane.go b/pkg/internal/testing/controlplane/plane.go
index 36fd3c6306..456183a7a3 100644
--- a/pkg/internal/testing/controlplane/plane.go
+++ b/pkg/internal/testing/controlplane/plane.go
@@ -47,13 +47,18 @@ type ControlPlane struct {
 }
 
 // Start will start your control plane processes. To stop them, call Stop().
-func (f *ControlPlane) Start() error {
+func (f *ControlPlane) Start() (retErr error) {
 	if f.Etcd == nil {
 		f.Etcd = &Etcd{}
 	}
 	if err := f.Etcd.Start(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	defer func() {
+		if retErr != nil {
+			_ = f.Etcd.Stop()
+		}
+	}()
 
 	if f.APIServer == nil {
 		f.APIServer = &APIServer{}
@@ -62,6 +67,11 @@ func (f *ControlPlane) Start() error {
 	if err := f.APIServer.Start(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	defer func() {
+		if retErr != nil {
+			_ = f.APIServer.Stop()
+		}
+	}()
 
 	// provision the default user -- can be removed when the related
 	// methods are removed.  The default user has admin permissions to
@@ -88,6 +98,7 @@ func (f *ControlPlane) Stop() error {
 			errList = append(errList, err)
 		}
 	}
+
 	if f.Etcd != nil {
 		if err := f.Etcd.Stop(); err != nil {
 			errList = append(errList, err)