diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd.go
index 820eaaeab4..901124687c 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd.go
@@ -499,8 +499,8 @@ func (b *ContainerdBuilder) buildContainerdConfig() (string, error) {
 	for name, endpoints := range containerd.RegistryMirrors {
 		config.SetPath([]string{"plugins", "io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri", "registry", "mirrors", name, "endpoint"}, endpoints)
 	}
+	config.SetPath([]string{"plugins", "io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri", "containerd", "default_runtime_name"}, "runc")
 	config.SetPath([]string{"plugins", "io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri", "containerd", "runtimes", "runc", "runtime_type"}, "io.containerd.runc.v2")
-	// only enable systemd cgroups for kubernetes >= 1.20
 	config.SetPath([]string{"plugins", "io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri", "containerd", "runtimes", "runc", "options", "SystemdCgroup"}, true)
 	if b.NodeupConfig.UsesKubenet {
 		// Using containerd with Kubenet requires special configuration.
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ func appendNvidiaGPURuntimeConfig(config *toml.Tree) error {
 			"privileged_without_host_devices": false,
 			"runtime_engine":                  "",
 			"runtime_root":                    "",
-			"runtime_type":                    "io.containerd.runc.v1",
+			"runtime_type":                    "io.containerd.runc.v2",
 			"options": map[string]interface{}{
 				"SystemdCgroup": true,
 				"BinaryName":    "/usr/bin/nvidia-container-runtime",
@@ -557,7 +557,6 @@ func appendNvidiaGPURuntimeConfig(config *toml.Tree) error {
 	}
 
 	config.SetPath([]string{"plugins", "io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri", "containerd", "runtimes", "nvidia"}, gpuConfig)
-	config.SetPath([]string{"plugins", "io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri", "containerd", "default_runtime_name"}, "runc")
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd_test.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd_test.go
index 486c2ef358..19b031e8bb 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd_test.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/containerd_test.go
@@ -200,12 +200,13 @@ func TestAppendGPURuntimeContainerdConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	originalConfig := `version = 2
 [plugins]
   [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri"]
-	[plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd]
-	  [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes]
-		[plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes.runc]
-		  runtime_type = "io.containerd.runc.v2"
-		  [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes.runc.options]
-			SystemdCgroup = true
+    [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd]
+      default_runtime_name = "runc"
+      [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes]
+        [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes.runc]
+          runtime_type = "io.containerd.runc.v2"
+          [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes.runc.options]
+            SystemdCgroup = true
 `
 
 	expectedNewConfig := `version = 2
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ func TestAppendGPURuntimeContainerdConfig(t *testing.T) {
           privileged_without_host_devices = false
           runtime_engine = ""
           runtime_root = ""
-          runtime_type = "io.containerd.runc.v1"
+          runtime_type = "io.containerd.runc.v2"
 
           [plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri".containerd.runtimes.nvidia.options]
             BinaryName = "/usr/bin/nvidia-container-runtime"
diff --git a/pkg/model/components/containerd.go b/pkg/model/components/containerd.go
index ae7cfc9e5e..77d2ff5bc2 100644
--- a/pkg/model/components/containerd.go
+++ b/pkg/model/components/containerd.go
@@ -47,11 +47,16 @@ func (b *ContainerdOptionsBuilder) BuildOptions(o *kops.Cluster) error {
 			containerd.Runc = &kops.Runc{
 				Version: fi.PtrTo("1.1.5"),
 			}
-		default:
+		case b.IsKubernetesLT("1.32"):
 			containerd.Version = fi.PtrTo("1.7.28")
 			containerd.Runc = &kops.Runc{
 				Version: fi.PtrTo("1.3.0"),
 			}
+		default:
+			containerd.Version = fi.PtrTo("2.1.4")
+			containerd.Runc = &kops.Runc{
+				Version: fi.PtrTo("1.3.0"),
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	// Set default log level to INFO