diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/service.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/service.go
index 9154ddb6c..1967d430e 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/service.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/service.go
@@ -260,10 +260,17 @@ func (c *criService) Run() error {
 			netSyncGroup.Done()
 		}(h)
 	}
-	go func() {
-		netSyncGroup.Wait()
-		close(cniNetConfMonitorErrCh)
-	}()
+	// For platforms that may not support CNI (darwin etc.) there's no
+	// use in launching this as `Wait` will return immediately. Further
+	// down we select on this channel along with some others to determine
+	// if we should Close() the CRI service, so closing this preemptively
+	// isn't good.
+	if len(c.cniNetConfMonitor) > 0 {
+		go func() {
+			netSyncGroup.Wait()
+			close(cniNetConfMonitorErrCh)
+		}()
+	}
 
 	// Start streaming server.
 	logrus.Info("Start streaming server")
diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_other.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_other.go
index 6118a4d60..053178600 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_other.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_other.go
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/go-cni"
 )
 
-// initPlatform handles linux specific initialization for the CRI service.
+// initPlatform handles initialization of the CRI service for non-windows
+// and non-linux platforms.
 func (c *criService) initPlatform() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// cniLoadOptions returns cni load options for the linux.
+// cniLoadOptions returns cni load options for non-windows and non-linux
+// platforms.
 func (c *criService) cniLoadOptions() []cni.Opt {
 	return []cni.Opt{}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_windows.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_windows.go
index f46ee2f5c..2f73d248a 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/service_windows.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import (
 // attaches to
 const windowsNetworkAttachCount = 1
 
-// initPlatform handles linux specific initialization for the CRI service.
+// initPlatform handles windows specific initialization for the CRI service.
 func (c *criService) initPlatform() error {
 	pluginDirs := map[string]string{
 		defaultNetworkPlugin: c.config.NetworkPluginConfDir,
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/service.go b/pkg/cri/server/service.go
index 1e2d7a31d..7937a2358 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/service.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/service.go
@@ -237,10 +237,17 @@ func (c *criService) Run() error {
 			netSyncGroup.Done()
 		}(h)
 	}
-	go func() {
-		netSyncGroup.Wait()
-		close(cniNetConfMonitorErrCh)
-	}()
+	// For platforms that may not support CNI (darwin etc.) there's no
+	// use in launching this as `Wait` will return immediately. Further
+	// down we select on this channel along with some others to determine
+	// if we should Close() the CRI service, so closing this preemptively
+	// isn't good.
+	if len(c.cniNetConfMonitor) > 0 {
+		go func() {
+			netSyncGroup.Wait()
+			close(cniNetConfMonitorErrCh)
+		}()
+	}
 
 	// Start streaming server.
 	logrus.Info("Start streaming server")