diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index be9b574c2f2..5562500266e 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -12,3 +12,10 @@ task:
     - go test -v ./pkg/...
     - cd cmd/nerdctl
     - sudo go run . run $NERDCTL_RUN_ARGS | grep running
+
+docker_builder:
+  platform: windows
+  os_version: 2019
+  env:
+    CGO_ENABLED: 0
+  build_script: go test -v -run ^\QTestRunEnvFile\E$ ./cmd/...
diff --git a/pkg/testutil/testutil.go b/pkg/testutil/testutil.go
index 05c985805ad..22aad2466ce 100644
--- a/pkg/testutil/testutil.go
+++ b/pkg/testutil/testutil.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -399,6 +400,12 @@ func NewBase(t *testing.T) *Base {
 }
 
 func mirrorOf(s string) string {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		// use gcr.io/k8s-staging-e2e-test-images/busybox:1.29-2-windows-amd64-ltsc2022 locally on windows 11
+		// https://github.com/microsoft/Windows-Containers/issues/179
+		return "gcr.io/k8s-staging-e2e-test-images/busybox:1.29-2"
+	}
+
 	// plain mirror, NOT stargz-converted images
 	return fmt.Sprintf("ghcr.io/stargz-containers/%s-org", s)
 }