diff --git a/kong/runloop/balancer/upstreams.lua b/kong/runloop/balancer/upstreams.lua
index c23555a3b8d..000759811a1 100644
--- a/kong/runloop/balancer/upstreams.lua
+++ b/kong/runloop/balancer/upstreams.lua
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ function upstreams_M.update_balancer_state()
   if err then
     log(CRIT, "unable to start update proxy state timer: ", err)
   else
+    update_balancer_state_running = true
     log(DEBUG, "update proxy state timer scheduled")
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua
index e279435e9c5..f185f76e4ef 100644
--- a/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua
@@ -1117,13 +1117,14 @@ end)
 describe("Admin API #off worker_consistency=eventual", function()
 
   local client
+  local WORKER_STATE_UPDATE_FREQ = 0.1
 
   lazy_setup(function()
     assert(helpers.start_kong({
       database = "off",
       lmdb_map_size = LMDB_MAP_SIZE,
       worker_consistency = "eventual",
-      worker_state_update_frequency = 0.1,
+      worker_state_update_frequency = WORKER_STATE_UPDATE_FREQ,
     }))
   end)