diff --git a/cluster/gce/util.sh b/cluster/gce/util.sh
index 04c1d07b313..ff4084b7f59 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/util.sh
@@ -1580,7 +1580,7 @@ CNI_CONFIG_DIR: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CNI_CONFIG_DIR}")
 WINDOWS_CNI_STORAGE_PATH: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CNI_STORAGE_PATH}")
 WINDOWS_CNI_VERSION: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CNI_VERSION}")
 WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME}")
-WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME_ENDPOINT: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME_ENDPOINT}")
+WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME_ENDPOINT: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME_ENDPOINT:-}")
 MANIFESTS_DIR: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_MANIFESTS_DIR}")
 PKI_DIR: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_PKI_DIR}")
 CA_FILE_PATH: $(yaml-quote "${WINDOWS_CA_FILE}")