diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go
index 980889d9611..c32e561d8a0 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ func (s *ProxyServer) Run() error {
 	serviceConfig.RegisterEventHandler(s.Proxier)
 	go serviceConfig.Run(wait.NeverStop)
 
-	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.EndpointSlice) {
+	if s.UseEndpointSlices {
 		endpointSliceConfig := config.NewEndpointSliceConfig(informerFactory.Discovery().V1beta1().EndpointSlices(), s.ConfigSyncPeriod)
 		endpointSliceConfig.RegisterEventHandler(s.Proxier)
 		go endpointSliceConfig.Run(wait.NeverStop)
diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
index 9c5cb19f236..fd622863a0a 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ func newProxyServer(
 		OOMScoreAdj:            config.OOMScoreAdj,
 		ConfigSyncPeriod:       config.ConfigSyncPeriod.Duration,
 		HealthzServer:          healthzServer,
+		UseEndpointSlices:      utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.EndpointSlice),
 	}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
index 04b0993973c..b67d85073e7 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ func newProxyServer(config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration, cleanupAndExi
 		OOMScoreAdj:        config.OOMScoreAdj,
 		ConfigSyncPeriod:   config.ConfigSyncPeriod.Duration,
 		HealthzServer:      healthzServer,
+		UseEndpointSlices:  false,
 	}, nil
 }