diff --git a/lib/services/watcher.go b/lib/services/watcher.go
index 7699f5459b070..d06d97dc7c7c2 100644
--- a/lib/services/watcher.go
+++ b/lib/services/watcher.go
@@ -839,9 +839,9 @@ func (g *genericCollector[T, R]) processEventsAndUpdateCurrent(ctx context.Conte
 			}
 
 			key := g.ResourceKey(resource)
-			current := g.current[key]
+			current, exists := g.current[key]
 			g.current[key] = resource
-			updated = g.ResourceDiffer(current, resource)
+			updated = !exists || g.ResourceDiffer(current, resource)
 		default:
 			g.Logger.WarnContext(ctx, "Skipping unsupported event type", "event_type", event.Type)
 		}
diff --git a/lib/services/watcher_test.go b/lib/services/watcher_test.go
index 730c7430696a4..52988beae8355 100644
--- a/lib/services/watcher_test.go
+++ b/lib/services/watcher_test.go
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ func TestProxyWatcher(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		ProxyGetter: presence,
 		ProxiesC:    make(chan []types.Server, 10),
+		ProxyDiffer: func(old, new types.Server) bool {
+			return old.GetPeerAddr() != new.GetPeerAddr()
+		},
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	t.Cleanup(w.Close)