diff --git a/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_linux.go b/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_linux.go
index d6bfc22364..454478b5c2 100644
--- a/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_linux.go
+++ b/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_linux.go
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ func (ctr *container) handleEvent(e *containerd.Event) error {
 	defer ctr.client.unlock(ctr.containerID)
 	switch e.Type {
 	case StateExit, StatePause, StateResume, StateOOM:
+		var waitRestart chan error
 		st := StateInfo{
 			CommonStateInfo: CommonStateInfo{
 				State:    e.Type,
@@ -166,26 +167,7 @@ func (ctr *container) handleEvent(e *containerd.Event) error {
 				st.State = StateRestart
 				ctr.restarting = true
 				ctr.client.deleteContainer(e.Id)
-				go func() {
-					err := <-wait
-					ctr.client.lock(ctr.containerID)
-					defer ctr.client.unlock(ctr.containerID)
-					ctr.restarting = false
-					if err != nil {
-						st.State = StateExit
-						ctr.clean()
-						ctr.client.q.append(e.Id, func() {
-							if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(e.Id, st); err != nil {
-								logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: %v", err)
-							}
-						})
-						if err != restartmanager.ErrRestartCanceled {
-							logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: %v", err)
-						}
-					} else {
-						ctr.start()
-					}
-				}()
+				waitRestart = wait
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -202,6 +184,32 @@ func (ctr *container) handleEvent(e *containerd.Event) error {
 			if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(e.Id, st); err != nil {
 				logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: backend.StateChanged(): %v", err)
 			}
+			if st.State == StateRestart {
+				go func() {
+					err := <-waitRestart
+					ctr.client.lock(ctr.containerID)
+					defer ctr.client.unlock(ctr.containerID)
+					ctr.restarting = false
+					if err == nil {
+						if err = ctr.start(); err != nil {
+							logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: error restarting %v", err)
+						}
+					}
+					if err != nil {
+						st.State = StateExit
+						ctr.clean()
+						ctr.client.q.append(e.Id, func() {
+							if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(e.Id, st); err != nil {
+								logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: %v", err)
+							}
+						})
+						if err != restartmanager.ErrRestartCanceled {
+							logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: %v", err)
+						}
+					}
+				}()
+			}
+
 			if e.Type == StatePause || e.Type == StateResume {
 				ctr.pauseMonitor.handle(e.Type)
 			}
diff --git a/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_windows.go b/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_windows.go
index 8e5328941f..cc47934b3d 100644
--- a/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_windows.go
+++ b/components/engine/libcontainerd/container_windows.go
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ func (ctr *container) waitProcessExitCode(process *process) int {
 // equivalent to (in the linux containerd world) where events come in for
 // state change notifications from containerd.
 func (ctr *container) waitExit(process *process, isFirstProcessToStart bool) error {
+	var waitRestart chan error
 	logrus.Debugln("libcontainerd: waitExit() on pid", process.systemPid)
 
 	exitCode := ctr.waitProcessExitCode(process)
@@ -238,20 +239,7 @@ func (ctr *container) waitExit(process *process, isFirstProcessToStart bool) err
 			} else if restart {
 				si.State = StateRestart
 				ctr.restarting = true
-				go func() {
-					err := <-wait
-					ctr.restarting = false
-					ctr.client.deleteContainer(ctr.friendlyName)
-					if err != nil {
-						si.State = StateExit
-						if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(ctr.containerID, si); err != nil {
-							logrus.Error(err)
-						}
-						logrus.Error(err)
-					} else {
-						ctr.client.Create(ctr.containerID, ctr.ociSpec, ctr.options...)
-					}
-				}()
+				waitRestart = wait
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -267,6 +255,24 @@ func (ctr *container) waitExit(process *process, isFirstProcessToStart bool) err
 	if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(ctr.containerID, si); err != nil {
 		logrus.Error(err)
 	}
+	if si.State == StateRestart {
+		go func() {
+			err := <-waitRestart
+			ctr.restarting = false
+			ctr.client.deleteContainer(ctr.friendlyName)
+			if err == nil {
+				if err = ctr.client.Create(ctr.containerID, ctr.ociSpec, ctr.options...); err != nil {
+					logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: error restarting %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				si.State = StateExit
+				if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(ctr.containerID, si); err != nil {
+					logrus.Error(err)
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
 
 	logrus.Debugf("libcontainerd: waitExit() completed OK, %+v", si)
 	return nil