diff --git a/azure/defaults.go b/azure/defaults.go
index 37cc3d76d52..fa8231e0310 100644
--- a/azure/defaults.go
+++ b/azure/defaults.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ const (
 	// DefaultLinuxGalleryImageName is the default Linux community gallery image definition.
 	DefaultLinuxGalleryImageName = "capi-ubun2-2404"
 	// DefaultWindowsGalleryImageName is the default Windows community gallery image definition.
-	DefaultWindowsGalleryImageName = "capi-win-2019-containerd"
+	DefaultWindowsGalleryImageName = "capi-win-2022-containerd"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ const (
 const (
 	// DefaultWindowsOsAndVersion is the default Windows Server version to use when
 	// generating default images for Windows nodes.
-	DefaultWindowsOsAndVersion = "windows-2019"
+	DefaultWindowsOsAndVersion = "windows-2022"
 )
 
 const (
diff --git a/azure/services/virtualmachineimages/images.go b/azure/services/virtualmachineimages/images.go
index 3a6fcac29ff..9f46de479b3 100644
--- a/azure/services/virtualmachineimages/images.go
+++ b/azure/services/virtualmachineimages/images.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package virtualmachineimages
 import (
 	"context"
 	"regexp"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/blang/semver"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -106,7 +105,8 @@ func (s *Service) GetDefaultWindowsImage(ctx context.Context, _, k8sVersion, run
 		if len(match) != 2 {
 			return nil, errors.Errorf("unsupported osAndVersion %s", osAndVersion)
 		}
-		imageName = strings.Replace(imageName, "2019", match[1], 1)
+		// Substitute the requested Windows Server year into the default image name.
+		imageName = regexp.MustCompile(`\d{4}`).ReplaceAllString(imageName, match[1])
 	}
 
 	// Use the Azure Marketplace for specific older versions, to keep "clusterctl upgrade" from rolling new machines.
diff --git a/test/e2e/helpers.go b/test/e2e/helpers.go
index afd50c93fb5..c61c2e95658 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helpers.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helpers.go
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ func resolveKubernetesVersions(config *clusterctl.E2EConfig) {
 	windowsRequired := testWindows == "true"
 
 	if windowsRequired {
-		windowsVersions := getVersionsInCommunityGallery(ctx, os.Getenv(AzureLocation), capiCommunityGallery, "capi-win-2019-containerd")
+		windowsVersions := getVersionsInCommunityGallery(ctx, os.Getenv(AzureLocation), capiCommunityGallery, "capi-win-2022-containerd")
 		for k, v := range linuxVersions {
 			if _, ok := windowsVersions[k]; ok {
 				versions = append(versions, v)