diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 9649e89632..3a2dc9bd35 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ ssue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4825) and [these
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): fix the bug causing render looping when switching to heatmap.
 * BUGFIX: [vmbackup](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmbackup.html): properly copy `parts.json` files inside `<-storageDataPath>/{data,indexdb}` folders during [incremental backups](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmbackup.html#incremental-backups). Previously the new `parts.json` could be skipped during incremental backups, which could lead to inability to restore from the backup. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/5005). This issue has been introduced in [v1.90.0](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.90.0).
 * BUGFIX: [VictoriaMetrics enterprise](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/enterprise.html) validate `-dedup.minScrapeInterval` value and `-downsampling.period` intervals are multiples of each other. See [these docs](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#downsampling).
+* BUGFIX: [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmagent.html): properly close connections to Kubernetes API server after the change in `selectors` or `namespaces` sections of [kubernetes_sd_configs](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/sd_configs.html#kubernetes_sd_configs). Previously `vmagent` could continue polling Kubernetes API server with the old `selectors` or `namespaces` configs additionally to polling new configs. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4850).
 
 ## [v1.93.4](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.93.4)
 
@@ -105,7 +106,6 @@ The v1.93.x line will be supported for at least 12 months since [v1.93.0](https:
 * BUGFIX: properly replace `:` chars in label names with `_` when `-usePromCompatibleNaming` command-line flag is passed to `vmagent`, `vminsert` or single-node VictoriaMetrics. This addresses [this comment](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3113#issuecomment-1275077071).
 * BUGFIX: [vmbackup](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmbackup.html): correctly check if specified `-dst` belongs to specified `-storageDataPath`. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4837).
 * BUGFIX: [vmctl](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmctl.html): don't interrupt the migration process if no metrics were found for a specific tenant. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4796).
-* BUGFIX: [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmagent.html): fix the thread leak that occurs during the polling of the Kubernetes API server after a configuration reload. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4850).
 
 ## [v1.93.0](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.93.0)
 
diff --git a/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go b/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go
index 60f91cea4b..d49795942c 100644
--- a/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go
+++ b/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go
@@ -504,9 +504,8 @@ func newURLWatcher(role, apiURL string, gw *groupWatcher) *urlWatcher {
 		apiURL: apiURL,
 		gw:     gw,
 
-		refCount: 0,
-		ctx:      ctx,
-		cancel:   cancel,
+		ctx:    ctx,
+		cancel: cancel,
 
 		parseObject:     parseObject,
 		parseObjectList: parseObjectList,
@@ -604,7 +603,9 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) reloadObjects() string {
 	requestURL := apiURL + delimiter + "resourceVersion=0&resourceVersionMatch=NotOlderThan"
 	resp, err := uw.gw.doRequest(uw.ctx, requestURL)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Errorf("cannot perform request to %q: %s", requestURL, err)
+		if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+			logger.Errorf("cannot perform request to %q: %s", requestURL, err)
+		}
 		return ""
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
@@ -681,9 +682,10 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) watchForUpdates() {
 	delimiter := getQueryArgsDelimiter(apiURL)
 	timeoutSeconds := time.Duration(0.9 * float64(uw.gw.client.Timeout)).Seconds()
 	apiURL += delimiter + "watch=1&allowWatchBookmarks=true&timeoutSeconds=" + strconv.Itoa(int(timeoutSeconds))
+	stopCh := uw.ctx.Done()
 	for {
 		select {
-		case <-uw.ctx.Done():
+		case <-stopCh:
 			return
 		default:
 		}
@@ -696,8 +698,10 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) watchForUpdates() {
 		requestURL := apiURL + "&resourceVersion=" + url.QueryEscape(resourceVersion)
 		resp, err := uw.gw.doRequest(uw.ctx, requestURL)
 		if err != nil {
-			logger.Errorf("cannot perform request to %q: %s", requestURL, err)
-			backoffSleep()
+			if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+				logger.Errorf("cannot perform request to %q: %s", requestURL, err)
+				backoffSleep()
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
@@ -844,11 +848,6 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) maybeUpdateDependedScrapeWorksLocked() {
 	}
 }
 
-// close cancels context used for API polling
-func (uw *urlWatcher) close() {
-	uw.cancel()
-}
-
 // Bookmark is a bookmark message from Kubernetes Watch API.
 // See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/api-concepts/#watch-bookmarks
 type Bookmark struct {