diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
index 5a5b6f43582..1b7a2fdff2b 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export KUBELET_TEST_ARGS=${KUBE_KUBELET_EXTRA_ARGS:-}
 # Default container runtime
 export CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-containerd}
 # Default container runtime for windows
-export WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-docker}
+export WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-containerd}
 
 # Set default values with override
 if [[ "${CONTAINER_RUNTIME}" == "docker" ]]; then
diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
index 4d9411311eb..a475d4f12df 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export NODE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT=${KUBE_GCE_NODE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT:-default}
 # Default container runtime for linux
 export CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-containerd}
 # Default container runtime for windows
-export WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-docker}
+export WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_WINDOWS_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-containerd}
 
 # Set default values with override
 if [[ "${CONTAINER_RUNTIME}" == "docker" ]]; then