diff --git a/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection.py b/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection.py
index ea20f0a570..fc72a1d95e 100644
--- a/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection.py
+++ b/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection.py
@@ -55,13 +55,24 @@ def run(self):
             logger.info("{} successfully acquired lease".format(self.election_config.lock.identity))
 
             # Start leading and call OnStartedLeading()
-            threading.Thread(target=self.election_config.onstarted_leading, daemon=True).start()
+            leading_failed = threading.Event()
+            threading.Thread(target=self.run_onstarted_leading, args=(leading_failed,), daemon=True).start()
 
-            self.renew_loop()
+            self.renew_loop(leading_failed)
 
             # Failed to update lease, run OnStoppedLeading callback
             self.election_config.onstopped_leading()
 
+    def run_onstarted_leading(self, leading_failed):
+        # Run the callback in this thread, recording whether it raised. Without
+        # this the exception is swallowed by the worker thread and the lease keeps
+        # being renewed even though the work it protects is no longer running.
+        try:
+            self.election_config.onstarted_leading()
+        except Exception:
+            logger.exception("onstarted_leading raised an exception, stopping leading")
+            leading_failed.set()
+
     def acquire(self):
         # Follower
         logger.info("{} is a follower".format(self.election_config.lock.identity))
@@ -75,7 +86,7 @@ def acquire(self):
 
             time.sleep(retry_period)
 
-    def renew_loop(self):
+    def renew_loop(self, leading_failed=None):
         # Leader
         logger.info("Leader has entered renew loop and will try to update lease continuously")
 
@@ -83,6 +94,11 @@ def renew_loop(self):
         renew_deadline = self.election_config.renew_deadline * 1000
 
         while True:
+            # onstarted_leading raised, so stop renewing a lease that no longer
+            # protects anything and let run() call onstopped_leading.
+            if leading_failed is not None and leading_failed.is_set():
+                return
+
             timeout = int(time.time() * 1000) + renew_deadline
             succeeded = False
 
diff --git a/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.py b/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.py
index 0cbcf00c88..ad9c7e7d1e 100644
--- a/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.py
+++ b/kubernetes/base/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import unittest
 import threading
 import json
+import sys
 import time
 import pytest
 from unittest.mock import patch
@@ -222,6 +223,32 @@ def record_thread(*args, **kwargs):
         self.assertIn("daemon", captured)
         self.assertTrue(captured["daemon"])
 
+    """Expected behavior: if onstarted_leading raises, the lease it protects is no
+    longer backed by any running work, so the candidate must stop renewing it and
+    run onstopped_leading. The lock below never refuses a renewal, so the renew
+    loop can only end because the callback failed."""
+    def test_stops_leading_when_onstarted_leading_raises(self):
+        stopped = threading.Event()
+
+        mock_lock = MockResourceLock("mock", "mock_namespace", "mock", thread_lock,
+                                     lambda: None, lambda: None, lambda: None, None)
+        mock_lock.renew_count_max = sys.maxsize
+
+        def on_started_leading():
+            raise RuntimeError("onstarted_leading failed")
+
+        config = electionconfig.Config(lock=mock_lock, lease_duration=2,
+                                       renew_deadline=1.5, retry_period=1.1,
+                                       onstarted_leading=on_started_leading,
+                                       onstopped_leading=stopped.set)
+
+        # Run in a daemon thread so a regression times out instead of hanging.
+        threading.Thread(target=leaderelection.LeaderElection(config).run,
+                         daemon=True).start()
+
+        self.assertTrue(stopped.wait(10),
+                        "onstopped_leading was not called after onstarted_leading raised")
+
     def assert_history(self, history, expected):
         self.assertIsNotNone(expected)
         self.assertIsNotNone(history)