diff --git a/api/grpc/server/server.go b/api/grpc/server/server.go
index 7b9bb57..6e105cc 100644
--- a/api/grpc/server/server.go
+++ b/api/grpc/server/server.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func (s *apiServer) CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, c *types.CreateContaine
 	e.Stdout = c.Stdout
 	e.Stderr = c.Stderr
 	e.Stdin = c.Stdin
+	e.Console = c.Console
 	if c.Checkpoint != "" {
 		e.Checkpoint = &runtime.Checkpoint{
 			Name: c.Checkpoint,
diff --git a/ctr/container.go b/ctr/container.go
index 900e707..efd06cb 100644
--- a/ctr/container.go
+++ b/ctr/container.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/codegangsta/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/containerd/api/grpc/types"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/term"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer"
 	netcontext "golang.org/x/net/context"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
@@ -72,6 +74,10 @@ var StartCommand = cli.Command{
 			Name:  "interactive,i",
 			Usage: "connect to the stdio of the container",
 		},
+		cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:  "tty,t",
+			Usage: "allocate a tty for use with the container",
+		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) {
 		var (
@@ -84,6 +90,11 @@ var StartCommand = cli.Command{
 		if id == "" {
 			fatal("container id cannot be empty", 1)
 		}
+		c := getClient()
+		events, err := c.Events(netcontext.Background(), &types.EventsRequest{})
+		if err != nil {
+			fatal(err.Error(), 1)
+		}
 		r := &types.CreateContainerRequest{
 			Id:         id,
 			BundlePath: path,
@@ -94,17 +105,57 @@ var StartCommand = cli.Command{
 				fatal(err.Error(), 1)
 			}
 		}
-		c := getClient()
+		if context.Bool("tty") {
+			if err := attachTty(r); err != nil {
+				fatal(err.Error(), 1)
+			}
+		}
 		if _, err := c.CreateContainer(netcontext.Background(), r); err != nil {
 			fatal(err.Error(), 1)
 		}
 		if stdin != nil {
-			io.Copy(stdin, os.Stdin)
+			go func() {
+				io.Copy(stdin, os.Stdin)
+				if state != nil {
+					term.RestoreTerminal(os.Stdin.Fd(), state)
+				}
+			}()
+			for {
+				e, err := events.Recv()
+				if err != nil {
+					fatal(err.Error(), 1)
+				}
+				if e.Id == id && e.Type == "exit" {
+					os.Exit(int(e.Status))
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	},
 }
 
-var stdin io.WriteCloser
+var (
+	stdin io.WriteCloser
+	state *term.State
+)
+
+func attachTty(r *types.CreateContainerRequest) error {
+	console, err := libcontainer.NewConsole(os.Getuid(), os.Getgid())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	r.Console = console.Path()
+	stdin = console
+	go func() {
+		io.Copy(os.Stdout, console)
+		console.Close()
+	}()
+	s, err := term.SetRawTerminal(os.Stdin.Fd())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	state = s
+	return nil
+}
 
 func attachStdio(r *types.CreateContainerRequest) error {
 	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "ctr-")
diff --git a/event.go b/event.go
index 632fa1a..f316ff3 100644
--- a/event.go
+++ b/event.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type Event struct {
 	Stdout     string
 	Stderr     string
 	Stdin      string
+	Console    string
 	Pid        int
 	Status     int
 	Signal     os.Signal
diff --git a/io.go b/io.go
index 0c4a0d0..8162807 100644
--- a/io.go
+++ b/io.go
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ type copier struct {
 
 func (l *copier) Close() (err error) {
 	for _, c := range append(l.closers, l.config.Stdin, l.config.Stdout, l.config.Stderr) {
-		if cerr := c.Close(); err == nil {
-			err = cerr
+		if c != nil {
+			if cerr := c.Close(); err == nil {
+				err = cerr
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return err
diff --git a/linux/linux.go b/linux/linux.go
index a3a94b6..1ea8b6d 100644
--- a/linux/linux.go
+++ b/linux/linux.go
@@ -188,9 +188,18 @@ func (p *libcontainerProcess) Signal(s os.Signal) error {
 func (p *libcontainerProcess) Close() error {
 	// in close we always need to call wait to close/flush any pipes
 	_, err := p.process.Wait()
-	p.process.Stdin.(io.Closer).Close()
-	p.process.Stdout.(io.Closer).Close()
-	p.process.Stderr.(io.Closer).Close()
+	// explicitly close any open fd on the process
+	for _, cl := range []interface{}{
+		p.process.Stderr,
+		p.process.Stdout,
+		p.process.Stdin,
+	} {
+		if cl != nil {
+			if c, ok := cl.(io.Closer); ok {
+				c.Close()
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -375,7 +384,7 @@ func (r *libcontainerRuntime) Type() string {
 	return "libcontainer"
 }
 
-func (r *libcontainerRuntime) Create(id, bundlePath string) (runtime.Container, *runtime.IO, error) {
+func (r *libcontainerRuntime) Create(id, bundlePath, consolePath string) (runtime.Container, *runtime.IO, error) {
 	spec, rspec, err := r.loadSpec(
 		filepath.Join(bundlePath, "config.json"),
 		filepath.Join(bundlePath, "runtime.json"),
@@ -397,11 +406,9 @@ func (r *libcontainerRuntime) Create(id, bundlePath string) (runtime.Container,
 	}
 	var rio runtime.IO
 	if spec.Process.Terminal {
-		console, err := process.NewConsole(int(spec.Process.User.UID))
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := process.ConsoleFromPath(consolePath); err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, err
 		}
-		rio.Console = console
 	} else {
 		i, err := process.InitializeIO(int(spec.Process.User.UID))
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/runc/runc.go b/runc/runc.go
index 9de6a4e..a2bd77b 100644
--- a/runc/runc.go
+++ b/runc/runc.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func (r *runcRuntime) Type() string {
 	return "runc"
 }
 
-func (r *runcRuntime) Create(id, bundlePath string) (runtime.Container, *runtime.IO, error) {
+func (r *runcRuntime) Create(id, bundlePath, consolePath string) (runtime.Container, *runtime.IO, error) {
 	var s specs.Spec
 	f, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(bundlePath, "config.json"))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/runtime/container.go b/runtime/container.go
index 16d5283..d2e5e5e 100644
--- a/runtime/container.go
+++ b/runtime/container.go
@@ -32,10 +32,9 @@ type Console interface {
 }
 
 type IO struct {
-	Stdin   io.WriteCloser
-	Stdout  io.ReadCloser
-	Stderr  io.ReadCloser
-	Console Console
+	Stdin  io.WriteCloser
+	Stdout io.ReadCloser
+	Stderr io.ReadCloser
 }
 
 func (i *IO) Close() error {
@@ -44,7 +43,6 @@ func (i *IO) Close() error {
 		i.Stdin,
 		i.Stdout,
 		i.Stderr,
-		i.Console,
 	} {
 		if c != nil {
 			if err := c.Close(); oerr == nil {
diff --git a/runtime/runtime.go b/runtime/runtime.go
index aabe055..500067d 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ type Runtime interface {
 	// Type of the runtime
 	Type() string
 	// Create creates a new container initialized but without it starting it
-	Create(id, bundlePath string) (Container, *IO, error)
+	Create(id, bundlePath, consolePath string) (Container, *IO, error)
 	// StartProcess adds a new process to the container
 	StartProcess(Container, specs.Process) (Process, *IO, error)
 }
diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
index 1f9ec8b..8bf6775 100644
--- a/start.go
+++ b/start.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ type StartEvent struct {
 }
 
 func (h *StartEvent) Handle(e *Event) error {
-	container, io, err := h.s.runtime.Create(e.ID, e.BundlePath)
+	container, io, err := h.s.runtime.Create(e.ID, e.BundlePath, e.Console)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}