diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/tasks/metrics.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/tasks/metrics.go
index 80041867e..07facbaa5 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/tasks/metrics.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/tasks/metrics.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 	v1 "github.com/containerd/cgroups/v3/cgroup1/stats"
 	v2 "github.com/containerd/cgroups/v3/cgroup2/stats"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cmd/ctr/commands"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl/v2"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
@@ -154,22 +153,8 @@ func printCgroup2MetricsTable(w *tabwriter.Writer, data *v2.Metrics) {
 
 func printWindowsStats(w *tabwriter.Writer, windowsStats *wstats.Statistics) error {
 	if windowsStats.GetLinux() != nil {
-		var stats v1.Metrics
-
-		// It cannot be casted to v1.Metrics since windowsStats is still generated by gogo/protobuf.
-		linux := windowsStats.GetLinux()
-
-		// But Marshal/Unmarshal works because the underlying protobuf message is compatible.
-		data, err := linux.Marshal()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		err = proto.Unmarshal(data, &stats)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		printCgroupMetricsTable(w, &stats)
+		stats := windowsStats.GetLinux()
+		printCgroupMetricsTable(w, stats)
 	} else if windowsStats.GetWindows() != nil {
 		printWindowsContainerStatistics(w, windowsStats.GetWindows())
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_stats_list.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_stats_list.go
index c1bbfedbe..d08d29ecb 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_stats_list.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_stats_list.go
@@ -303,13 +303,13 @@ func (c *criService) windowsContainerMetrics(
 		}
 		if wstats.Processor != nil {
 			cs.Cpu = &runtime.CpuUsage{
-				Timestamp:            wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp:            (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				UsageCoreNanoSeconds: &runtime.UInt64Value{Value: wstats.Processor.TotalRuntimeNS},
 			}
 		}
 		if wstats.Memory != nil {
 			cs.Memory = &runtime.MemoryUsage{
-				Timestamp: wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp: (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				WorkingSetBytes: &runtime.UInt64Value{
 					Value: wstats.Memory.MemoryUsagePrivateWorkingSetBytes,
 				},
diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows.go
index 2408f9017..a063d1d37 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	containerstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/container"
 	sandboxstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/sandbox"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/stats"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/protobuf"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl/v2"
 	runtime "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 )
@@ -282,14 +283,14 @@ func (c *criService) convertToCRIStats(stats *wstats.Statistics) (*runtime.Windo
 		}
 		if wstats.Processor != nil {
 			cs.Cpu = &runtime.WindowsCpuUsage{
-				Timestamp:            wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp:            (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				UsageCoreNanoSeconds: &runtime.UInt64Value{Value: wstats.Processor.TotalRuntimeNS},
 			}
 		}
 
 		if wstats.Memory != nil {
 			cs.Memory = &runtime.WindowsMemoryUsage{
-				Timestamp: wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp: (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				WorkingSetBytes: &runtime.UInt64Value{
 					Value: wstats.Memory.MemoryUsagePrivateWorkingSetBytes,
 				},
diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go
index 6db03d6b9..f0077f18a 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	containerstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/container"
 	sandboxstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/sandbox"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/stats"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/protobuf"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	runtime "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 )
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ func sandboxPod(id string, timestamp time.Time, cachedCPU uint64) sandboxstore.S
 func windowsStat(timestamp time.Time, cpu uint64, memory uint64) *wstats.Statistics_Windows {
 	return &wstats.Statistics_Windows{
 		Windows: &wstats.WindowsContainerStatistics{
-			Timestamp: timestamp,
+			Timestamp: protobuf.ToTimestamp(timestamp),
 			Processor: &wstats.WindowsContainerProcessorStatistics{
 				TotalRuntimeNS: cpu,
 			},
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/container_stats_list_windows.go b/pkg/cri/server/container_stats_list_windows.go
index c7cb68136..f3bdcb68f 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/container_stats_list_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/container_stats_list_windows.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 
 	wstats "github.com/Microsoft/hcsshim/cmd/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/stats"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/protobuf"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl/v2"
 	runtime "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 
@@ -67,13 +68,13 @@ func (c *criService) containerMetrics(
 		}
 		if wstats.Processor != nil {
 			cs.Cpu = &runtime.CpuUsage{
-				Timestamp:            wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp:            (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				UsageCoreNanoSeconds: &runtime.UInt64Value{Value: wstats.Processor.TotalRuntimeNS},
 			}
 		}
 		if wstats.Memory != nil {
 			cs.Memory = &runtime.MemoryUsage{
-				Timestamp: wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp: (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				WorkingSetBytes: &runtime.UInt64Value{
 					Value: wstats.Memory.MemoryUsagePrivateWorkingSetBytes,
 				},
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows.go b/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows.go
index eabaac860..b54bf0e2e 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	containerstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/container"
 	sandboxstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/sandbox"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/stats"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/protobuf"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl/v2"
 	runtime "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 )
@@ -282,14 +283,14 @@ func (c *criService) convertToCRIStats(stats *wstats.Statistics) (*runtime.Windo
 		}
 		if wstats.Processor != nil {
 			cs.Cpu = &runtime.WindowsCpuUsage{
-				Timestamp:            wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp:            (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				UsageCoreNanoSeconds: &runtime.UInt64Value{Value: wstats.Processor.TotalRuntimeNS},
 			}
 		}
 
 		if wstats.Memory != nil {
 			cs.Memory = &runtime.WindowsMemoryUsage{
-				Timestamp: wstats.Timestamp.UnixNano(),
+				Timestamp: (protobuf.FromTimestamp(wstats.Timestamp)).UnixNano(),
 				WorkingSetBytes: &runtime.UInt64Value{
 					Value: wstats.Memory.MemoryUsagePrivateWorkingSetBytes,
 				},
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go b/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go
index 2450c7fbd..13359435b 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/sandbox_stats_windows_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	containerstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/container"
 	sandboxstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/sandbox"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/cri/store/stats"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/protobuf"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	runtime "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 )
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ func sandboxPod(id string, timestamp time.Time, cachedCPU uint64) sandboxstore.S
 func windowsStat(timestamp time.Time, cpu uint64, memory uint64) *wstats.Statistics_Windows {
 	return &wstats.Statistics_Windows{
 		Windows: &wstats.WindowsContainerStatistics{
-			Timestamp: timestamp,
+			Timestamp: protobuf.ToTimestamp(timestamp),
 			Processor: &wstats.WindowsContainerProcessorStatistics{
 				TotalRuntimeNS: cpu,
 			},