diff --git a/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer.go b/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer.go
index 5630b6fcce7f..46903bb7acc9 100644
--- a/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer.go
+++ b/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer.go
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ func (bb) Name() string {
 type scUpdate struct {
 	scw   *subConnWrapper
 	state balancer.SubConnState
-	cb    func(balancer.SubConnState)
 }
 
 type ejectionUpdate struct {
@@ -346,7 +345,7 @@ func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) ResolverError(err error) {
 	b.child.ResolverError(err)
 }
 
-func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) updateSubConnState(sc balancer.SubConn, state balancer.SubConnState, cb func(balancer.SubConnState)) {
+func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) updateSubConnState(sc balancer.SubConn, state balancer.SubConnState) {
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
 	scw, ok := b.scWrappers[sc]
@@ -362,12 +361,11 @@ func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) updateSubConnState(sc balancer.SubConn, state
 	b.scUpdateCh.Put(&scUpdate{
 		scw:   scw,
 		state: state,
-		cb:    cb,
 	})
 }
 
 func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) UpdateSubConnState(sc balancer.SubConn, state balancer.SubConnState) {
-	b.updateSubConnState(sc, state, nil)
+	b.logger.Errorf("UpdateSubConnState(%v, %+v) called unexpectedly", sc, state)
 }
 
 func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) Close() {
@@ -474,7 +472,7 @@ func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) UpdateState(s balancer.State) {
 func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) NewSubConn(addrs []resolver.Address, opts balancer.NewSubConnOptions) (balancer.SubConn, error) {
 	var sc balancer.SubConn
 	oldListener := opts.StateListener
-	opts.StateListener = func(state balancer.SubConnState) { b.updateSubConnState(sc, state, oldListener) }
+	opts.StateListener = func(state balancer.SubConnState) { b.updateSubConnState(sc, state) }
 	sc, err := b.cc.NewSubConn(addrs, opts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -483,6 +481,7 @@ func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) NewSubConn(addrs []resolver.Address, opts bal
 		SubConn:    sc,
 		addresses:  addrs,
 		scUpdateCh: b.scUpdateCh,
+		listener:   oldListener,
 	}
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
@@ -624,8 +623,8 @@ func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) handleSubConnUpdate(u *scUpdate) {
 	scw.latestState = u.state
 	if !scw.ejected {
 		b.childMu.Lock()
-		if u.cb != nil {
-			u.cb(u.state)
+		if scw.listener != nil {
+			scw.listener(u.state)
 		} else {
 			b.child.UpdateSubConnState(scw, u.state)
 		}
@@ -647,7 +646,11 @@ func (b *outlierDetectionBalancer) handleEjectedUpdate(u *ejectionUpdate) {
 		}
 	}
 	b.childMu.Lock()
-	b.child.UpdateSubConnState(scw, stateToUpdate)
+	if scw.listener != nil {
+		scw.listener(stateToUpdate)
+	} else {
+		b.child.UpdateSubConnState(scw, stateToUpdate)
+	}
 	b.childMu.Unlock()
 }
 
diff --git a/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer_test.go b/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer_test.go
index 4c3051f8fef3..16dd395404bb 100644
--- a/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer_test.go
+++ b/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/balancer_test.go
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ func (s) TestEjectUnejectSuccessRate(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Since no addresses are ejected, a SubConn update should forward down
 		// to the child.
-		od.UpdateSubConnState(scw1.(*subConnWrapper).SubConn, balancer.SubConnState{
+		od.updateSubConnState(scw1.(*subConnWrapper).SubConn, balancer.SubConnState{
 			ConnectivityState: connectivity.Connecting,
 		})
 
@@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ func (s) TestEjectUnejectSuccessRate(t *testing.T) {
 		// that address should not be forwarded downward. These SubConn updates
 		// will be cached to update the child sometime in the future when the
 		// address gets unejected.
-		od.UpdateSubConnState(pi.SubConn, balancer.SubConnState{
+		od.updateSubConnState(pi.SubConn, balancer.SubConnState{
 			ConnectivityState: connectivity.Connecting,
 		})
 		sCtx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultTestShortTimeout)
@@ -1564,7 +1564,7 @@ func (s) TestConcurrentOperations(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Call balancer.Balancers synchronously in this goroutine, upholding the
 	// balancer.Balancer API guarantee.
-	od.UpdateSubConnState(scw1.(*subConnWrapper).SubConn, balancer.SubConnState{
+	od.updateSubConnState(scw1.(*subConnWrapper).SubConn, balancer.SubConnState{
 		ConnectivityState: connectivity.Connecting,
 	})
 	od.ResolverError(errors.New("some error"))
diff --git a/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/subconn_wrapper.go b/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/subconn_wrapper.go
index 71a996f29ae0..0fa422d8f262 100644
--- a/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/subconn_wrapper.go
+++ b/xds/internal/balancer/outlierdetection/subconn_wrapper.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 // whether or not this SubConn is ejected.
 type subConnWrapper struct {
 	balancer.SubConn
+	listener func(balancer.SubConnState)
 
 	// addressInfo is a pointer to the subConnWrapper's corresponding address
 	// map entry, if the map entry exists.