diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index fb73af822d4..16783c66333 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1694,7 +1694,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) setupDataDirs(logger klog.Logger) error {
 func (kl *Kubelet) StartGarbageCollection(ctx context.Context) {
 	logger := klog.FromContext(ctx)
 	loggedContainerGCFailure := false
-	go wait.Until(func() {
+	go wait.UntilWithContext(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) {
 		if err := kl.containerGC.GarbageCollect(ctx); err != nil {
 			logger.Error(err, "Container garbage collection failed")
 			kl.recorder.WithLogger(logger).Eventf(kl.nodeRef, v1.EventTypeWarning, events.ContainerGCFailed, "%s", err.Error())
@@ -1708,7 +1708,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) StartGarbageCollection(ctx context.Context) {
 
 			logger.V(int(vLevel)).Info("Container garbage collection succeeded")
 		}
-	}, ContainerGCPeriod, wait.NeverStop)
+	}, ContainerGCPeriod)
 
 	// when the high threshold is set to 100, and the max age is 0 (or the max age feature is disabled)
 	// stub the image GC manager
@@ -1719,7 +1719,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) StartGarbageCollection(ctx context.Context) {
 
 	prevImageGCFailed := false
 	beganGC := time.Now()
-	go wait.Until(func() {
+	go wait.UntilWithContext(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) {
 		if err := kl.imageManager.GarbageCollect(ctx, beganGC); err != nil {
 			if prevImageGCFailed {
 				logger.Error(err, "Image garbage collection failed multiple times in a row")
@@ -1738,7 +1738,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) StartGarbageCollection(ctx context.Context) {
 
 			logger.V(int(vLevel)).Info("Image garbage collection succeeded")
 		}
-	}, ImageGCPeriod, wait.NeverStop)
+	}, ImageGCPeriod)
 }
 
 // initializeModules will initialize internal modules that do not require the container runtime to be up.
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 82859bf1ed2..ed920ec4e44 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -3301,12 +3301,21 @@ func createRemoteRuntimeService(ctx context.Context, endpoint string, t *testing
 func TestNewMainKubeletStandAlone(t *testing.T) {
 	tCtx := ktesting.Init(t)
 	tempDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "logs")
-	ContainerLogsDir = tempDir
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer func() {
-		err := os.RemoveAll(ContainerLogsDir)
+	containerLogsDir := ContainerLogsDir
+	// Point the package-level log directory at this test's temp dir so the
+	// garbage collection path uses an isolated directory, then restore it during
+	// cleanup.
+	ContainerLogsDir = tempDir
+	// Use t.Cleanup instead of defer so that the cleanup registered by the second
+	// ktesting.Init in this test cancels the GC context before RemoveAll runs.
+	// This is needed on Windows because a concurrent os.ReadDir in a GC goroutine
+	// can keep a handle to this directory in use and cause os.RemoveAll to fail.
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		ContainerLogsDir = containerLogsDir
+		err := os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-	}()
+	})
 
 	ca, cert, key, err := generateCAAndCertKeyWithOptions(
 		"localhost",
@@ -3453,12 +3462,21 @@ func TestNewMainKubeletStandAlone(t *testing.T) {
 func TestNewMainKubeletWithCertAndCAReloadingEnabled(t *testing.T) {
 	tCtx := ktesting.Init(t)
 	tempDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "logs")
-	ContainerLogsDir = tempDir
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer func() {
-		err := os.RemoveAll(ContainerLogsDir)
+	containerLogsDir := ContainerLogsDir
+	// Point the package-level log directory at this test's temp dir so the
+	// garbage collection path uses an isolated directory, then restore it during
+	// cleanup.
+	ContainerLogsDir = tempDir
+	// Use t.Cleanup instead of defer so that the cleanup registered by the second
+	// ktesting.Init in this test cancels the GC context before RemoveAll runs.
+	// This is needed on Windows because a concurrent os.ReadDir in a GC goroutine
+	// can keep a handle to this directory in use and cause os.RemoveAll to fail.
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		ContainerLogsDir = containerLogsDir
+		err := os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-	}()
+	})
 
 	ca, cert, key, err := generateCAAndCertKeyWithOptions(
 		"localhost",