diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat.go b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..25ecab712c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package telemetry
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+// HostInfoClient is a collection of functionality for retrieving
+// information about the host.
+type HostInfoClient struct{}
+
+// KernelVersion returs the version of the kernel running on the host system.
+func (p *HostInfoClient) KernelVersion(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	var cmd *exec.Cmd
+
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "windows":
+		cmd = exec.CommandContext(ctx, "powershell", "-command", "$([Environment]::OSVersion).VersionString")
+	case "linux":
+		cmd = exec.CommandContext(ctx, "uname", "-r")
+	default:
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unsupported platform %q", runtime.GOOS)
+	}
+
+	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get %s kernel version: %s", runtime.GOOS, string(output))
+	}
+	return strings.TrimSuffix(string(output), "\n"), nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix.go b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix.go
deleted file mode 100644
index dc20736099..0000000000
--- a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-//go:build unix
-
-// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
-// Licensed under the MIT license.
-
-package telemetry
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"os/exec"
-	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-)
-
-func KernelVersion(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
-	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "uname", "-r")
-	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get linux kernel version: %s", string(output))
-	}
-	return strings.TrimSuffix(string(output), "\n"), nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix_test.go b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix_test.go
index 3f4cf747d5..4e2b68287c 100644
--- a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix_test.go
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_unix_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ func TestLinuxPlatformKernelVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	InitAppInsights("", "")
 	ctx := context.TODO()
 
-	str, err := KernelVersion(ctx)
+	client := &HostInfoClient{}
+	str, err := client.KernelVersion(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotEmpty(t, str)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows.go b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 40c878c8ae..0000000000
--- a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
-// Licensed under the MIT license.
-
-package telemetry
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"os/exec"
-	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-)
-
-func KernelVersion(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
-	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "powershell", "-command", "$([Environment]::OSVersion).VersionString")
-	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get windows kernel version: %s", string(output))
-	}
-	return strings.TrimSuffix(string(output), "\r\n"), nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows_test.go b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows_test.go
index 101fa04a74..461f7fad54 100644
--- a/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows_test.go
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/heartbeat_windows_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ func TestWindowsGetKernelVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	InitAppInsights("", "")
 	ctx := context.TODO()
 
-	str, err := KernelVersion(ctx)
+	client := &HostInfoClient{}
+	str, err := client.KernelVersion(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotEmpty(t, str)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/telemetry.go b/pkg/telemetry/telemetry.go
index 4984df42db..b6b5af918f 100644
--- a/pkg/telemetry/telemetry.go
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/telemetry.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ var (
 	client  appinsights.TelemetryClient
 	version string
 	mbShift uint64 = 20
-
 	// property keys
 	kernelversion = "kernelversion"
 	sysmem        = "sysmem"
@@ -86,6 +85,10 @@ type TelemetryClient struct {
 	processName string
 	properties  map[string]string
 	profile     Perf
+
+	kernelInfoClient interface {
+		KernelVersion(context.Context) (string, error)
+	}
 }
 
 func NewAppInsightsTelemetryClient(processName string, additionalproperties map[string]string) (*TelemetryClient, error) {
@@ -105,9 +108,10 @@ func NewAppInsightsTelemetryClient(processName string, additionalproperties map[
 	}
 
 	return &TelemetryClient{
-		processName: processName,
-		properties:  properties,
-		profile:     perfProfile,
+		processName:      processName,
+		kernelInfoClient: &HostInfoClient{},
+		properties:       properties,
+		profile:          perfProfile,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -161,7 +165,7 @@ func (t *TelemetryClient) trackWarning(err error, msg string) {
 }
 
 func (t *TelemetryClient) heartbeat(ctx context.Context) {
-	kernelVersion, err := KernelVersion(ctx)
+	kernelVersion, err := t.kernelInfoClient.KernelVersion(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.trackWarning(err, "failed to get kernel version")
 	}
@@ -224,6 +228,20 @@ func (t *TelemetryClient) TrackMetric(metricname string, value float64, properti
 
 func (t *TelemetryClient) TrackTrace(name string, severity contracts.SeverityLevel, properties map[string]string) {
 	trace := appinsights.NewTraceTelemetry(name, severity)
+
+	kernelVersion, err := t.kernelInfoClient.KernelVersion(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		if client != nil {
+			errtrace := appinsights.NewTraceTelemetry(fmt.Sprintf("failed to get kernel version for trace: %v", err), contracts.Error)
+			for k, v := range t.properties {
+				errtrace.Properties[k] = v
+			}
+			client.Track(errtrace)
+		}
+	} else {
+		properties[kernelversion] = kernelVersion
+	}
+
 	if t.properties != nil {
 		t.RLock()
 		for k, v := range t.properties {
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/telemetry_test.go b/pkg/telemetry/telemetry_test.go
index ae8c050dd9..a8e8e38b83 100644
--- a/pkg/telemetry/telemetry_test.go
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/telemetry_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/microsoft/ApplicationInsights-Go/appinsights"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -22,6 +23,40 @@ func TestNewAppInsightsTelemetryClient(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotPanics(t, func() { NewAppInsightsTelemetryClient("test", map[string]string{}) })
 }
 
+type MockKernelVersionClient struct {
+	KernelVersionF func(context.Context) (string, error)
+}
+
+func (m *MockKernelVersionClient) KernelVersion(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return m.KernelVersionF(ctx)
+}
+
+func TestTrackTraceIncludesKernelVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	mockKernelVersion := "5.15.0-101-generic"
+	called := false
+	mockClient := &MockKernelVersionClient{
+		KernelVersionF: func(_ context.Context) (string, error) {
+			called = true
+			return mockKernelVersion, nil
+		},
+	}
+
+	client := &TelemetryClient{
+		kernelInfoClient: mockClient,
+		properties: map[string]string{
+			"test_key": "test_value",
+		},
+	}
+
+	traceProperties := map[string]string{}
+
+	client.TrackTrace("test_trace_event", appinsights.Information, traceProperties)
+
+	require.Equal(t, mockKernelVersion, traceProperties[kernelversion], "kernelVersion should be included in trace properties")
+
+	require.True(t, called, "expected KernelVersion to be called but wasn't")
+}
+
 func TestGetEnvironmentProerties(t *testing.T) {
 	properties := GetEnvironmentProperties()