diff --git a/cns/deviceplugin/server.go b/cns/deviceplugin/server.go
index c5243368b9..725f57c543 100644
--- a/cns/deviceplugin/server.go
+++ b/cns/deviceplugin/server.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ func (s *Server) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	defer cancel()
 	s.shutdownCh = childCtx.Done()
 
+	// remove the socket if it already exists
+	if err := os.Remove(s.address); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error removing socket")
+	}
+
 	l, err := net.Listen("unix", s.address)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "error listening on socket")
diff --git a/cns/deviceplugin/server_test.go b/cns/deviceplugin/server_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3d044baca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cns/deviceplugin/server_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package deviceplugin
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+type mockDeviceCounter struct {
+	count int
+}
+
+func (m *mockDeviceCounter) getDeviceCount() int {
+	return m.count
+}
+
+func TestServer_Run_CleansUpExistingSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create a temporary directory for the socket
+	socketPath := filepath.Join("testdata", "test.sock")
+	defer os.Remove(socketPath)
+
+	// Create a dummy file at the socket path to simulate a stale socket
+	if err := os.WriteFile(socketPath, []byte("stale socket"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create dummy socket file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	logger := zap.NewNop()
+	counter := &mockDeviceCounter{count: 1}
+	server := NewServer(logger, socketPath, counter, time.Second)
+
+	// Create a context that we can cancel to stop the server
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+
+	// Run the server in a goroutine
+	errChan := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		errChan <- server.Run(ctx)
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for the server to start up, delete the pre-existing file and recreate it as a socket
+	// We verify this by trying to connect to the socket repeatedly until success or timeout
+	var conn net.Conn
+	var err error
+	// Retry for up to 2 seconds
+	for start := time.Now(); time.Since(start) < 2*time.Second; time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond) {
+		conn, err = net.Dial("unix", socketPath)
+		if err == nil {
+			conn.Close()
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("failed to connect to socket: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Stop the server
+	cancel()
+
+	// Wait for Run to return
+	if err := <-errChan; err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("server.Run returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher.go b/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher.go
index 05b7df602b..5d1c7d621b 100644
--- a/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher.go
+++ b/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher.go
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ func (s *SocketWatcher) WatchSocket(ctx context.Context, socket string) <-chan s
 	socketChan := make(chan struct{})
 	s.socketChans[socket] = socketChan
 	go func() {
-		defer close(socketChan)
+		defer func() {
+			s.mutex.Lock()
+			delete(s.socketChans, socket)
+			s.mutex.Unlock()
+			close(socketChan)
+		}()
 		ticker := time.NewTicker(s.options.statInterval)
 		defer ticker.Stop()
 		for {
diff --git a/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher_test.go b/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher_test.go
index e987358481..4275734726 100644
--- a/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher_test.go
+++ b/cns/deviceplugin/socketwatcher_test.go
@@ -12,12 +12,23 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestWatchContextCancelled(t *testing.T) {
+	socket := filepath.Join("testdata", "socket.sock")
+	f, createErr := os.Create(socket)
+	if createErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error creating test file %s: %v", socket, createErr)
+	}
+	f.Close()
+	defer os.Remove(socket)
+
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	logger, _ := zap.NewDevelopment()
+	logger, err := zap.NewDevelopment()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create logger: %v", err)
+	}
 	s := deviceplugin.NewSocketWatcher(logger)
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	go func(done chan struct{}) {
-		<-s.WatchSocket(ctx, "testdata/socket.sock")
+		<-s.WatchSocket(ctx, socket)
 		close(done)
 	}(done)
 
@@ -39,19 +50,18 @@ func TestWatchContextCancelled(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestWatchSocketDeleted(t *testing.T) {
-	// Create a temporary directory
-	tempDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "socket-watcher-test-")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error creating temporary directory: %v", err)
+	socket := filepath.Join("testdata", "to-be-deleted.sock")
+	f, createErr := os.Create(socket)
+	if createErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error creating test file %s: %v", socket, createErr)
 	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tempDir) // Ensure the directory is cleaned up
+	f.Close()
+	defer os.Remove(socket)
 
-	socket := filepath.Join(tempDir, "to-be-deleted.sock")
-	if _, err := os.Create(socket); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error creating test file %s: %v", socket, err)
+	logger, err := zap.NewDevelopment()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create logger: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	logger, _ := zap.NewDevelopment()
 	s := deviceplugin.NewSocketWatcher(logger, deviceplugin.SocketWatcherStatInterval(time.Second))
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	go func(done chan struct{}) {
@@ -79,19 +89,18 @@ func TestWatchSocketDeleted(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestWatchSocketTwice(t *testing.T) {
-	// Create a temporary directory
-	tempDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "socket-watcher-test-")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error creating temporary directory: %v", err)
+	socket := filepath.Join("testdata", "to-be-deleted.sock")
+	f, createErr := os.Create(socket)
+	if createErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error creating test file %s: %v", socket, createErr)
 	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tempDir) // Ensure the directory is cleaned up
+	f.Close()
+	defer os.Remove(socket)
 
-	socket := filepath.Join(tempDir, "to-be-deleted.sock")
-	if _, err := os.Create(socket); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error creating test file %s: %v", socket, err)
+	logger, err := zap.NewDevelopment()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create logger: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	logger, _ := zap.NewDevelopment()
 	s := deviceplugin.NewSocketWatcher(logger, deviceplugin.SocketWatcherStatInterval(time.Second))
 	done1 := make(chan struct{})
 	done2 := make(chan struct{})
@@ -134,3 +143,61 @@ func TestWatchSocketTwice(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("socket watcher is still watching 5 seconds after file is deleted")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestWatchSocketCleanup(t *testing.T) {
+	socket := filepath.Join("testdata", "to-be-deleted.sock")
+	f, createErr := os.Create(socket)
+	if createErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error creating test file %s: %v", socket, createErr)
+	}
+	f.Close()
+	defer os.Remove(socket)
+
+	logger, err := zap.NewDevelopment()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create logger: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Use a short interval for faster test execution
+	s := deviceplugin.NewSocketWatcher(logger, deviceplugin.SocketWatcherStatInterval(100*time.Millisecond))
+
+	// 1. Watch the socket
+	ch1 := s.WatchSocket(context.Background(), socket)
+
+	// Verify it's open
+	select {
+	case <-ch1:
+		t.Fatal("channel should be open initially")
+	default:
+	}
+
+	// 2. Delete the socket to trigger watcher exit
+	if removeErr := os.Remove(socket); removeErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to remove socket: %v", removeErr)
+	}
+
+	// 3. Wait for ch1 to close
+	select {
+	case <-ch1:
+		// Expected
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timed out waiting for watcher to detect socket deletion")
+	}
+
+	// 4. Recreate the socket
+	f, err = os.Create(socket)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error recreating test file %s: %v", socket, err)
+	}
+	f.Close()
+
+	// 5. Watch the socket again
+	ch2 := s.WatchSocket(context.Background(), socket)
+
+	// 6. Verify ch2 is open
+	select {
+	case <-ch2:
+		t.Fatal("channel is closed but expected to be open")
+	case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+		// Wait for at least one tick to ensure the watcher has had a chance to run.
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cns/deviceplugin/testdata/.gitignore b/cns/deviceplugin/testdata/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c74d682773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cns/deviceplugin/testdata/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*.sock
diff --git a/cns/deviceplugin/testdata/socket.sock b/cns/deviceplugin/testdata/socket.sock
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2..0000000000