diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/winstats/perfcounter_nodestats.go b/pkg/kubelet/winstats/perfcounter_nodestats.go
index 415d02459de..4aa7602bf44 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/winstats/perfcounter_nodestats.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/winstats/perfcounter_nodestats.go
@@ -57,18 +57,13 @@ func (p *perfCounterNodeStatsClient) startMonitoring() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	iv, err := exec.Command("powershell", "-command", "(Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem).Caption").Output()
+	version, err := exec.Command("cmd", "/C", "ver").Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	osImageVersion := strings.TrimSpace(string(iv))
-
-	kv, err := exec.Command("powershell", "-command", "[System.Environment]::OSVersion.Version.ToString()").Output()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	kernelVersion := strings.TrimSpace(string(kv))
 
+	osImageVersion := strings.TrimSpace(string(version))
+	kernelVersion := extractVersionNumber(osImageVersion)
 	p.nodeInfo = nodeInfo{
 		kernelVersion:               kernelVersion,
 		osImageVersion:              osImageVersion,
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats.go b/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats.go
index b02bab4f6bd..123870b8968 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package winstats
 
 import (
+	"regexp"
 	"time"
 
 	cadvisorapi "github.com/google/cadvisor/info/v1"
@@ -134,3 +135,11 @@ func (c *statsClient) createRootContainerInfo() (*cadvisorapiv2.ContainerInfo, e
 
 	return &rootInfo, nil
 }
+
+// extractVersionNumber gets the version number from the full version string on Windows
+// e.g. extracts "10.0.14393" from "Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.14393]"
+func extractVersionNumber(fullVersion string) string {
+	re := regexp.MustCompile("[^0-9.]")
+	version := re.ReplaceAllString(fullVersion, "")
+	return version
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats_test.go
index 42df2bb2d80..c1710750708 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/winstats/winstats_test.go
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ func TestWinVersionInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		KernelVersion: "v42"})
 }
 
+func TestExtractVersionNumber(t *testing.T) {
+	fullVersion := "Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.14393]"
+	versionNumber := extractVersionNumber(fullVersion)
+	expected := "10.0.14393"
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, versionNumber)
+}
+
 func getClient(t *testing.T) Client {
 	f := fakeWinNodeStatsClient{}
 	c, err := newClient(f)