diff --git a/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go b/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go
index fd01321506..fc0a9870b7 100644
--- a/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go
+++ b/lib/promscrape/discovery/kubernetes/api_watcher.go
@@ -290,6 +290,24 @@ func (gw *groupWatcher) startWatchersForRole(role string, aw *apiWatcher) {
 		if needStart {
 			uw.reloadObjects()
 			go uw.watchForUpdates()
+			if role == "endpoints" || role == "endpointslice" {
+				// Refresh endpoints and enpointslices targets in background, since they depend on other object types such as pod and service.
+				// This should fix https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/1240 .
+				go func() {
+					sleepTime := 20 * time.Second
+					for {
+						time.Sleep(sleepTime)
+						startTime := time.Now()
+						gw.mu.Lock()
+						if uw.needUpdateScrapeWorks {
+							uw.needUpdateScrapeWorks = false
+							uw.updateScrapeWorksLocked(uw.aws)
+						}
+						gw.mu.Unlock()
+						sleepTime = time.Since(startTime)
+					}
+				}()
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -369,6 +387,8 @@ type urlWatcher struct {
 	// objectsByKey contains the latest state for objects obtained from apiURL
 	objectsByKey map[string]object
 
+	needUpdateScrapeWorks bool
+
 	resourceVersion string
 
 	objectsCount          *metrics.Counter
@@ -416,9 +436,19 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) registerPendingAPIWatchersLocked() {
 	if len(uw.awsPending) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	aws := make([]*apiWatcher, 0, len(uw.awsPending))
+	uw.updateScrapeWorksLocked(uw.awsPending)
 	for aw := range uw.awsPending {
 		uw.aws[aw] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	awsPendingLen := len(uw.awsPending)
+	uw.awsPending = make(map[*apiWatcher]struct{})
+	metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_promscrape_discovery_kubernetes_subscribers{role=%q,status="working"}`, uw.role)).Add(awsPendingLen)
+	metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_promscrape_discovery_kubernetes_subscribers{role=%q,status="pending"}`, uw.role)).Add(-awsPendingLen)
+}
+
+func (uw *urlWatcher) updateScrapeWorksLocked(awsMap map[*apiWatcher]struct{}) {
+	aws := make([]*apiWatcher, 0, len(awsMap))
+	for aw := range awsMap {
 		aws = append(aws, aw)
 	}
 	swosByKey := make([]map[string][]interface{}, len(aws))
@@ -452,9 +482,6 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) registerPendingAPIWatchersLocked() {
 	for i, aw := range aws {
 		aw.reloadScrapeWorks(uw, swosByKey[i])
 	}
-	uw.awsPending = make(map[*apiWatcher]struct{})
-	metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_promscrape_discovery_kubernetes_subscribers{role=%q,status="working"}`, uw.role)).Add(len(aws))
-	metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_promscrape_discovery_kubernetes_subscribers{role=%q,status="pending"}`, uw.role)).Add(-len(aws))
 }
 
 func (uw *urlWatcher) unsubscribeAPIWatcherLocked(aw *apiWatcher) {
@@ -475,6 +502,7 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) reloadObjects() string {
 		return uw.resourceVersion
 	}
 
+	startTime := time.Now()
 	requestURL := uw.apiURL
 	resp, err := uw.gw.doRequest(requestURL)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -512,6 +540,7 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) reloadObjects() string {
 			added++
 		}
 	}
+	uw.needUpdateScrapeWorks = false
 	uw.gw.mu.Unlock()
 
 	uw.objectsUpdated.Add(updated)
@@ -520,8 +549,8 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) reloadObjects() string {
 	uw.objectsCount.Add(added - removed)
 	uw.resourceVersion = metadata.ResourceVersion
 
-	logger.Infof("reloaded %d objects from %q; updated=%d, removed=%d, added=%d, resourceVersion=%q",
-		len(objectsByKey), requestURL, updated, removed, added, uw.resourceVersion)
+	logger.Infof("reloaded %d objects from %q in %.3fs; updated=%d, removed=%d, added=%d, resourceVersion=%q",
+		len(objectsByKey), requestURL, time.Since(startTime).Seconds(), updated, removed, added, uw.resourceVersion)
 	return uw.resourceVersion
 }
 
@@ -655,13 +684,13 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) updateObjectLocked(key string, o object) {
 		return
 	}
 	uw.objectsByKey[key] = o
-	if len(uw.aws) == 0 {
-		return
-	}
-	labels := o.getTargetLabels(uw.gw)
-	for aw := range uw.aws {
-		aw.setScrapeWorks(uw, key, labels)
+	if len(uw.aws) > 0 {
+		labels := o.getTargetLabels(uw.gw)
+		for aw := range uw.aws {
+			aw.setScrapeWorks(uw, key, labels)
+		}
 	}
+	uw.maybeUpdateEndpointsScrapeWorksLocked()
 }
 
 func (uw *urlWatcher) removeObjectLocked(key string) {
@@ -669,6 +698,24 @@ func (uw *urlWatcher) removeObjectLocked(key string) {
 	for aw := range uw.aws {
 		aw.removeScrapeWorks(uw, key)
 	}
+	uw.maybeUpdateEndpointsScrapeWorksLocked()
+}
+
+func (uw *urlWatcher) maybeUpdateEndpointsScrapeWorksLocked() {
+	if uw.role != "service" && uw.role != "pod" {
+		// Nothing to update
+		return
+	}
+	namespace := uw.namespace
+	for _, uwx := range uw.gw.m {
+		if uwx.role != "endpoints" && uwx.role != "endpointslice" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if uwx.namespace != "" && uwx.namespace != namespace {
+			continue
+		}
+		uwx.needUpdateScrapeWorks = true
+	}
 }
 
 // Bookmark is a bookmark message from Kubernetes Watch API.