diff --git a/cmake/winml.cmake b/cmake/winml.cmake
index 26bb827911..66d12b3be5 100644
--- a/cmake/winml.cmake
+++ b/cmake/winml.cmake
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ target_compile_options(winml_lib_ort PRIVATE /GR- /await /wd4238)
 target_compile_definitions(winml_lib_ort PRIVATE WINML_ROOT_NS=${winml_root_ns})
 target_compile_definitions(winml_lib_ort PRIVATE PLATFORM_WINDOWS)
 target_compile_definitions(winml_lib_ort PRIVATE _SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS)                         # remove warnings about unchecked iterators
+if (onnxruntime_WINML_NAMESPACE_OVERRIDE STREQUAL "Windows")
+  target_compile_definitions(winml_lib_ort PRIVATE "BUILD_INBOX=1")
+endif()
 
 # Specify the usage of a precompiled header
 target_precompiled_header(winml_lib_ort pch.h)
@@ -622,7 +625,6 @@ add_dependencies(winml_dll winml_api_native)
 add_dependencies(winml_dll winml_api_native_internal)
 
 # Link libraries
-target_link_libraries(winml_dll PRIVATE onnxruntime)
 target_link_libraries(winml_dll PRIVATE re2)
 target_link_libraries(winml_dll PRIVATE wil)
 target_link_libraries(winml_dll PRIVATE winml_lib_api)
diff --git a/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEngine.cpp b/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEngine.cpp
index 4a71e40d89..7b011ec795 100644
--- a/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEngine.cpp
+++ b/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEngine.cpp
@@ -13,16 +13,6 @@
 
 using namespace _winml;
 
-static const OrtApi* GetVersionedOrtApi() {
-  static const uint32_t ort_version = 2;
-  const auto ort_api_base = OrtGetApiBase();
-  return ort_api_base->GetApi(ort_version);
-}
-
-static const WinmlAdapterApi* GetVersionedWinmlAdapterApi() {
-  return OrtGetWinMLAdapter(GetVersionedOrtApi());
-}
-
 static ONNXTensorElementDataType
 ONNXTensorElementDataTypeFromTensorKind(winml::TensorKind kind) {
   switch (kind) {
diff --git a/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.cpp b/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.cpp
index af0188e827..8940f9642d 100644
--- a/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.cpp
+++ b/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.cpp
@@ -7,10 +7,59 @@
 #include "core/platform/windows/TraceLoggingConfig.h"
 #include <evntrace.h>
 
+#include <windows.h>
+
 using namespace _winml;
 
 static bool debug_output_ = false;
 
+static HRESULT GetOnnxruntimeLibrary(HMODULE& module) {
+  DWORD flags = 0;
+#ifdef BUILD_INBOX
+  flags = LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32;
+#endif
+
+  auto out_module = LoadLibraryExA("onnxruntime.dll", nullptr, flags);
+  if (out_module == nullptr) {
+    return HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(GetLastError());
+  }
+  module = out_module;
+  return S_OK;
+}
+
+const OrtApi* _winml::GetVersionedOrtApi() {
+  HMODULE onnxruntime_dll;
+  FAIL_FAST_IF_FAILED(GetOnnxruntimeLibrary(onnxruntime_dll));
+
+  using OrtGetApiBaseSignature = decltype(OrtGetApiBase);
+  auto ort_get_api_base_fn = reinterpret_cast<OrtGetApiBaseSignature*>(GetProcAddress(onnxruntime_dll, "OrtGetApiBase"));
+  if (ort_get_api_base_fn == nullptr) {
+    FAIL_FAST_HR(HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(GetLastError()));
+  }
+
+  const auto ort_api_base = ort_get_api_base_fn();
+
+  static const uint32_t ort_version = 2;
+  return ort_api_base->GetApi(ort_version);
+}
+
+static const WinmlAdapterApi* GetVersionedWinmlAdapterApi(const OrtApi* ort_api) {
+  HMODULE onnxruntime_dll;
+  FAIL_FAST_IF_FAILED(GetOnnxruntimeLibrary(onnxruntime_dll));
+
+  using OrtGetWinMLAdapterSignature = decltype(OrtGetWinMLAdapter);
+  auto ort_get_winml_adapter_fn = reinterpret_cast<OrtGetWinMLAdapterSignature*>(GetProcAddress(onnxruntime_dll, "OrtGetWinMLAdapter"));
+  if (ort_get_winml_adapter_fn == nullptr) {
+    FAIL_FAST_HR(HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(GetLastError()));
+  }
+
+  return ort_get_winml_adapter_fn(ort_api);
+}
+
+const WinmlAdapterApi* _winml::GetVersionedWinmlAdapterApi() {
+  return GetVersionedWinmlAdapterApi(GetVersionedOrtApi());
+}
+
 static void __stdcall WinmlOrtLoggingCallback(void* param, OrtLoggingLevel severity, const char* category,
                                     const char* logger_id, const char* code_location, const char* message) noexcept {
   UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(param);
@@ -128,7 +177,7 @@ OnnxruntimeEnvironment::OnnxruntimeEnvironment(const OrtApi* ort_api) : ort_env_
   ort_env_ = UniqueOrtEnv(ort_env, ort_api->ReleaseEnv);
 
   // Configure the environment with the winml logger
-  auto winml_adapter_api = OrtGetWinMLAdapter(ort_api);
+  auto winml_adapter_api = GetVersionedWinmlAdapterApi(ort_api);
   THROW_IF_NOT_OK_MSG(winml_adapter_api->EnvConfigureCustomLoggerAndProfiler(ort_env_.get(),
                                                                              &WinmlOrtLoggingCallback, &WinmlOrtProfileEventCallback, nullptr,
                                                                              OrtLoggingLevel::ORT_LOGGING_LEVEL_VERBOSE, "Default", &ort_env),
diff --git a/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.h b/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.h
index 5d47266cf9..10df3aec6c 100644
--- a/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.h
+++ b/winml/lib/Api.Ort/OnnxruntimeEnvironment.h
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ class OnnxruntimeEnvironment {
   UniqueOrtEnv ort_env_;
 };
 
+const OrtApi* GetVersionedOrtApi();
+const WinmlAdapterApi* GetVersionedWinmlAdapterApi();
+
 }  // namespace _winml
 
 #pragma warning(pop)
\ No newline at end of file