diff --git a/changelog/v1.18.3/memleak.yaml b/changelog/v1.18.3/memleak.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..567d9d149f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/v1.18.3/memleak.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+changelog:
+  - type: FIX
+    issueLink: https://github.com/solo-io/solo-projects/issues/7573
+    description: >-
+      Fix a memory leaking a log name.
diff --git a/projects/gloo/pkg/syncer/setup/setup_syncer.go b/projects/gloo/pkg/syncer/setup/setup_syncer.go
index e3281df2906..71c352142a0 100644
--- a/projects/gloo/pkg/syncer/setup/setup_syncer.go
+++ b/projects/gloo/pkg/syncer/setup/setup_syncer.go
@@ -1375,15 +1375,15 @@ func runQueue(ctx context.Context, proxyReconcileQueue ggv2utils.AsyncQueue[gloo
 		// the proxy type key/value must stay in sync with the one defined in projects/gateway2/translator/gateway_translator.go
 		utils.ProxyTypeKey: utils.GatewayApiProxyValue,
 	}
+	ctx = contextutils.WithLogger(ctx, "proxyCache")
+	logger := contextutils.LoggerFrom(ctx)
+
 	proxyReconciler := gloov1.NewProxyReconciler(proxyClient, statusutils.NewNoOpStatusClient())
 	for {
 		proxyList, err := proxyReconcileQueue.Dequeue(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
-		ctx = contextutils.WithLogger(ctx, "proxyCache")
-		logger := contextutils.LoggerFrom(ctx)
-
 		// Proxy CR is located in the writeNamespace, which may be different from the originating Gateway CR
 		err = proxyReconciler.Reconcile(
 			writeNamespace,