diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go
index 7a5b0c861c5..59aa34e5a97 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package app
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	goflag "flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
@@ -75,9 +74,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/apis/config/validation"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/config"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/healthcheck"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/iptables"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/ipvs"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/userspace"
 	proxyutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/filesystem"
 	utilflag "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/flag"
@@ -100,7 +96,6 @@ const (
 // proxyRun defines the interface to run a specified ProxyServer
 type proxyRun interface {
 	Run() error
-	CleanupAndExit() error
 }
 
 // Options contains everything necessary to create and run a proxy server.
@@ -314,15 +309,15 @@ func (o *Options) Run() error {
 		return o.writeConfigFile()
 	}
 
+	if o.CleanupAndExit {
+		return cleanupAndExit()
+	}
+
 	proxyServer, err := NewProxyServer(o)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if o.CleanupAndExit {
-		return proxyServer.CleanupAndExit()
-	}
-
 	o.proxyServer = proxyServer
 	return o.runLoop()
 }
@@ -815,27 +810,6 @@ func getConntrackMax(config kubeproxyconfig.KubeProxyConntrackConfiguration) (in
 	return 0, nil
 }
 
-// CleanupAndExit remove iptables rules and ipset/ipvs rules in ipvs proxy mode
-// and exit if success return nil
-func (s *ProxyServer) CleanupAndExit() error {
-	// cleanup IPv6 and IPv4 iptables rules
-	ipts := []utiliptables.Interface{
-		utiliptables.New(s.execer, utiliptables.ProtocolIPv4),
-		utiliptables.New(s.execer, utiliptables.ProtocolIPv6),
-	}
-	var encounteredError bool
-	for _, ipt := range ipts {
-		encounteredError = userspace.CleanupLeftovers(ipt) || encounteredError
-		encounteredError = iptables.CleanupLeftovers(ipt) || encounteredError
-		encounteredError = ipvs.CleanupLeftovers(s.IpvsInterface, ipt, s.IpsetInterface) || encounteredError
-	}
-	if encounteredError {
-		return errors.New("encountered an error while tearing down rules")
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // detectNodeIP returns the nodeIP used by the proxier
 // The order of precedence is:
 // 1. config.bindAddress if bindAddress is not 0.0.0.0 or ::
diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
index 8a5d580f93d..f0ac6210e5c 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
@@ -74,12 +74,11 @@ var timeoutForNodePodCIDR = 5 * time.Minute
 
 // NewProxyServer returns a new ProxyServer.
 func NewProxyServer(o *Options) (*ProxyServer, error) {
-	return newProxyServer(o.config, o.CleanupAndExit, o.master)
+	return newProxyServer(o.config, o.master)
 }
 
 func newProxyServer(
 	config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration,
-	cleanupAndExit bool,
 	master string) (*ProxyServer, error) {
 
 	if config == nil {
@@ -111,15 +110,6 @@ func newProxyServer(
 		ipvsInterface = utilipvs.New()
 	}
 
-	// We omit creation of pretty much everything if we run in cleanup mode
-	if cleanupAndExit {
-		return &ProxyServer{
-			execer:         execer,
-			IpvsInterface:  ipvsInterface,
-			IpsetInterface: ipsetInterface,
-		}, nil
-	}
-
 	if len(config.ShowHiddenMetricsForVersion) > 0 {
 		metrics.SetShowHidden()
 	}
@@ -603,3 +593,29 @@ func tryIPTablesProxy(kcompat iptables.KernelCompatTester) string {
 	klog.V(1).InfoS("Can't use iptables proxy, using userspace proxier")
 	return proxyModeUserspace
 }
+
+// cleanupAndExit remove iptables rules and ipset/ipvs rules
+func cleanupAndExit() error {
+	execer := exec.New()
+
+	// cleanup IPv6 and IPv4 iptables rules, regardless of current configuration
+	ipts := []utiliptables.Interface{
+		utiliptables.New(execer, utiliptables.ProtocolIPv4),
+		utiliptables.New(execer, utiliptables.ProtocolIPv6),
+	}
+
+	ipsetInterface := utilipset.New(execer)
+	ipvsInterface := utilipvs.New()
+
+	var encounteredError bool
+	for _, ipt := range ipts {
+		encounteredError = userspace.CleanupLeftovers(ipt) || encounteredError
+		encounteredError = iptables.CleanupLeftovers(ipt) || encounteredError
+		encounteredError = ipvs.CleanupLeftovers(ipvsInterface, ipt, ipsetInterface) || encounteredError
+	}
+	if encounteredError {
+		return errors.New("encountered an error while tearing down rules")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
index b26f8e328e2..5ba57692429 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ import (
 
 // NewProxyServer returns a new ProxyServer.
 func NewProxyServer(o *Options) (*ProxyServer, error) {
-	return newProxyServer(o.config, o.CleanupAndExit, o.master)
+	return newProxyServer(o.config, o.master)
 }
 
-func newProxyServer(config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration, cleanupAndExit bool, master string) (*ProxyServer, error) {
+func newProxyServer(config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration, master string) (*ProxyServer, error) {
 	if config == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("config is required")
 	}
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ func newProxyServer(config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration, cleanupAndExi
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to register configz: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	// We omit creation of pretty much everything if we run in cleanup mode
-	if cleanupAndExit {
-		return &ProxyServer{}, nil
-	}
-
 	if len(config.ShowHiddenMetricsForVersion) > 0 {
 		metrics.SetShowHidden()
 	}
@@ -225,3 +220,8 @@ func tryWinKernelSpaceProxy(kcompat winkernel.KernelCompatTester) string {
 	klog.V(1).InfoS("Can't use winkernel proxy, using userspace proxier")
 	return proxyModeUserspace
 }
+
+// cleanupAndExit cleans up after a previous proxy run
+func cleanupAndExit() error {
+	return errors.New("--cleanup-and-exit is not implemented on Windows")
+}