diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/workload/synctargetexports/synctargetexports_controller.go b/pkg/reconciler/workload/synctargetexports/synctargetexports_controller.go
index cf455da4853..158bf79f94c 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/workload/synctargetexports/synctargetexports_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/workload/synctargetexports/synctargetexports_controller.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kcp-dev/logicalcluster/v3"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
-	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
@@ -77,18 +76,7 @@ func NewController(
 		syncTargetLister:  syncTargetInformer.Lister(),
 		apiExportsIndexer: apiExportInformer.Informer().GetIndexer(),
 		getAPIExport: func(path logicalcluster.Path, name string) (*apisv1alpha1.APIExport, error) {
-			// Try local informer first
-			export, err := indexers.ByPathAndName[*apisv1alpha1.APIExport](apisv1alpha1.Resource("apiexports"), apiExportInformer.Informer().GetIndexer(), path, name)
-			if err == nil {
-				// Quick happy path - found it locally
-				return export, nil
-			}
-			if !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-				// Unrecoverable error
-				return nil, err
-			}
-			// Didn't find it locally - try remote
-			return indexers.ByPathAndName[*apisv1alpha1.APIExport](apisv1alpha1.Resource("apiexports"), globalAPIExportInformer.Informer().GetIndexer(), path, name)
+			return indexers.ByPathAndNameWithFallback[*apisv1alpha1.APIExport](apisv1alpha1.Resource("apiexports"), apiExportInformer.Informer().GetIndexer(), globalAPIExportInformer.Informer().GetIndexer(), path, name)
 		},
 		getAPIResourceSchema: informer.NewScopedGetterWithFallback[*apisv1alpha1.APIResourceSchema, apisv1alpha1listers.APIResourceSchemaLister](apiResourceSchemaInformer.Lister(), globalAPIResourceSchemaInformer.Lister()),
 		apiImportLister:      apiResourceImportInformer.Lister(),