diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6a3d4b4555..75e95ad9f4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -273,10 +273,8 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         name:
-          [windows-2022, windows-2019]
+          [windows-2022]
         include:
-          - name: "windows-2019"
-            runner: [self-hosted, 1ES.Pool=containerplat-github-runner-pool-east-us-2, 1ES.ImageOverride=github-mms-ws2019-containers-enabled]
           - name: "windows-2022"
             runner: [self-hosted, 1ES.Pool=containerplat-github-runner-pool-east-us-2, 1ES.ImageOverride=github-mms-ws2022-containers-enabled]
     steps:
@@ -404,7 +402,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        os: [windows-2019, windows-2022]
+        os: [windows-2022]
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout hcsshim
diff --git a/internal/lcow/scratch.go b/internal/lcow/scratch.go
index e44a6b388a..65ffc4a13c 100644
--- a/internal/lcow/scratch.go
+++ b/internal/lcow/scratch.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ func CreateScratch(ctx context.Context, lcowUVM *uvm.UtilityVM, destFile string,
 	err = cmd.Run()
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
+		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).WithField("stderr", mkfsStderr.String()).Error("mkfs.ext4 failed")
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to `%+v` following hot-add %s to utility VM: %w", cmd.Spec.Args, destFile, err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/uvm/create_lcow.go b/internal/uvm/create_lcow.go
index 1f310f8d60..1ab71e4e73 100644
--- a/internal/uvm/create_lcow.go
+++ b/internal/uvm/create_lcow.go
@@ -795,6 +795,10 @@ func makeLCOWDoc(ctx context.Context, opts *OptionsLCOW, uvm *UtilityVM) (_ *hcs
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Explicitly disable virtio_vsock_init, to make sure that we use hv_sock transport. For kernels built without
+	// virtio-vsock this is a no-op.
+	kernelArgs += " initcall_blacklist=virtio_vsock_init"
+
 	vmDebugging := false
 	if opts.ConsolePipe != "" {
 		vmDebugging = true