diff --git a/src/v/cluster/controller.cc b/src/v/cluster/controller.cc
index 29b8865115aeb..707b60b9a1aa0 100644
--- a/src/v/cluster/controller.cc
+++ b/src/v/cluster/controller.cc
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ ss::future<> controller::start() {
             std::ref(_as));
       })
       .then([this] {
-          return _config_manager.start(
+          return _config_manager.start_single(
             std::ref(_config_preload),
             std::ref(_config_frontend),
             std::ref(_connections),
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ ss::future<> controller::start() {
             std::ref(_as));
       })
       .then([this] {
-          return _backend.start(
+          return _backend.start_single(
             std::ref(_tp_state),
             std::ref(_shard_table),
             std::ref(_partition_manager),