diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt b/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt
index ad13374f6..3a237ad24 100644
--- a/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt
+++ b/cmd/tailscale/depaware.txt
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale dependencies: (generated by github.com/tailscale/dep
    W    tailscale.com/util/endian                                    from tailscale.com/net/netns
         tailscale.com/util/groupmember                               from tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale/cli
         tailscale.com/util/lineread                                  from tailscale.com/net/interfaces+
+   W    tailscale.com/util/winutil                                   from tailscale.com/hostinfo
+   W 💣 tailscale.com/util/winutil/vss                               from tailscale.com/util/winutil
         tailscale.com/version                                        from tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale/cli+
         tailscale.com/version/distro                                 from tailscale.com/cmd/tailscale/cli+
         tailscale.com/wgengine/filter                                from tailscale.com/types/netmap
diff --git a/hostinfo/hostinfo_windows.go b/hostinfo/hostinfo_windows.go
index aa78cde2e..023f92463 100644
--- a/hostinfo/hostinfo_windows.go
+++ b/hostinfo/hostinfo_windows.go
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows/registry"
+	"tailscale.com/util/winutil"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -65,32 +65,20 @@ func packageTypeWindows() string {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(`C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib\tailscale`); err == nil {
 		return "choco"
 	}
+	if msiSentinel := winutil.GetRegInteger("MSI", 0); msiSentinel == 1 {
+		return "msi"
+	}
 	exe, err := os.Executable()
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
 	dir := filepath.Dir(exe)
-	if !strings.Contains(dir, "Program Files") {
-		// Atypical. Not worth trying to detect. Likely open
-		// source tailscaled or a developer running by hand.
-		return ""
-	}
 	nsisUninstaller := filepath.Join(dir, "Uninstall-Tailscale.exe")
 	_, err = os.Stat(nsisUninstaller)
 	if err == nil {
 		return "nsis"
 	}
-	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		_, cliErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "tailscale.exe"))
-		_, daemonErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "tailscaled.exe"))
-		if cliErr == nil && daemonErr == nil {
-			// Almost certainly MSI.
-			// We have tailscaled.exe and tailscale.exe
-			// next to each other in Program Files, but no
-			// uninstaller.
-			// TODO(bradfitz,dblohm7): tighter heuristic?
-			return "msi"
-		}
-	}
+	// Atypical. Not worth trying to detect. Likely open
+	// source tailscaled or a developer running by hand.
 	return ""
 }