diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 9a1755ffe7f..fbd5716af46 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -652,6 +652,12 @@ func NewMainKubelet(kubeCfg *kubeletconfiginternal.KubeletConfiguration,
 	klet.containerRuntime = runtime
 	klet.runner = runtime
 
+	runtimeCache, err := kubecontainer.NewRuntimeCache(klet.containerRuntime)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	klet.runtimeCache = runtimeCache
+
 	if cadvisor.UsingLegacyCadvisorStats(containerRuntime, remoteRuntimeEndpoint) {
 		klet.StatsProvider = stats.NewCadvisorStatsProvider(
 			klet.cadvisor,
@@ -780,11 +786,6 @@ func NewMainKubelet(kubeCfg *kubeletconfiginternal.KubeletConfiguration,
 		experimentalCheckNodeCapabilitiesBeforeMount,
 		keepTerminatedPodVolumes)
 
-	runtimeCache, err := kubecontainer.NewRuntimeCache(klet.containerRuntime)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	klet.runtimeCache = runtimeCache
 	klet.reasonCache = NewReasonCache()
 	klet.workQueue = queue.NewBasicWorkQueue(klet.clock)
 	klet.podWorkers = newPodWorkers(klet.syncPod, kubeDeps.Recorder, klet.workQueue, klet.resyncInterval, backOffPeriod, klet.podCache)