diff --git a/lib/stop.go b/lib/stop.go
index 7dbbd066..6a8909de 100644
--- a/lib/stop.go
+++ b/lib/stop.go
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ func (c *ContainerServer) ContainerStop(ctx context.Context, container string, t
 			if err := c.runtime.StopContainer(ctx, ctr, timeout); err != nil {
 				return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to stop container %s", ctrID)
 			}
+			if err := c.runtime.WaitContainerStateStopped(ctx, ctr, timeout); err != nil {
+				return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get container 'stopped' status %s", ctrID)
+			}
 			if err := c.storageRuntimeServer.StopContainer(ctrID); err != nil {
 				return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to unmount container %s", ctrID)
 			}
diff --git a/oci/oci.go b/oci/oci.go
index 26b4ec26..73b9f885 100644
--- a/oci/oci.go
+++ b/oci/oci.go
@@ -604,6 +604,56 @@ func waitContainerStop(ctx context.Context, c *Container, timeout time.Duration)
 	return nil
 }
 
+// WaitContainerStateStopped runs a loop polling UpdateStatus(), seeking for
+// the container status to be updated to 'stopped'. Either it gets the expected
+// status and returns nil, or it reaches the timeout and returns an error.
+func (r *Runtime) WaitContainerStateStopped(ctx context.Context, c *Container, timeout int64) (err error) {
+	// No need to go further and spawn the go routine if the container
+	// is already in the expected status.
+	if r.ContainerStatus(c).Status == ContainerStateStopped {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	done := make(chan error)
+	chControl := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-chControl:
+				return
+			default:
+				// Check if the container is stopped
+				if err := r.UpdateStatus(c); err != nil {
+					done <- err
+					close(done)
+					return
+				}
+				if r.ContainerStatus(c).Status == ContainerStateStopped {
+					close(done)
+					return
+				}
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	select {
+	case err = <-done:
+		break
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		close(chControl)
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-time.After(time.Duration(timeout) * time.Second):
+		close(chControl)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get container stopped status: %ds timeout reached", timeout)
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get container stopped status: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // StopContainer stops a container. Timeout is given in seconds.
 func (r *Runtime) StopContainer(ctx context.Context, c *Container, timeout int64) error {
 	c.opLock.Lock()
@@ -655,6 +705,7 @@ func (r *Runtime) SetStartFailed(c *Container, err error) {
 func (r *Runtime) UpdateStatus(c *Container) error {
 	c.opLock.Lock()
 	defer c.opLock.Unlock()
+
 	out, err := exec.Command(r.Path(c), "state", c.id).Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		// there are many code paths that could lead to have a bad state in the
diff --git a/server/sandbox_remove.go b/server/sandbox_remove.go
index 85db32a5..4e2716bc 100644
--- a/server/sandbox_remove.go
+++ b/server/sandbox_remove.go
@@ -48,10 +48,14 @@ func (s *Server) RemovePodSandbox(ctx context.Context, req *pb.RemovePodSandboxR
 		if !sb.Stopped() {
 			cState := s.Runtime().ContainerStatus(c)
 			if cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateCreated || cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
-				if err := s.Runtime().StopContainer(ctx, c, 10); err != nil {
+				timeout := int64(10)
+				if err := s.Runtime().StopContainer(ctx, c, timeout); err != nil {
 					// Assume container is already stopped
 					logrus.Warnf("failed to stop container %s: %v", c.Name(), err)
 				}
+				if err := s.Runtime().WaitContainerStateStopped(ctx, c, timeout); err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get container 'stopped' status %s in pod sandbox %s: %v", c.Name(), sb.ID(), err)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/server/sandbox_stop.go b/server/sandbox_stop.go
index 5bd24d15..42fef50a 100644
--- a/server/sandbox_stop.go
+++ b/server/sandbox_stop.go
@@ -56,9 +56,13 @@ func (s *Server) StopPodSandbox(ctx context.Context, req *pb.StopPodSandboxReque
 	for _, c := range containers {
 		cStatus := s.Runtime().ContainerStatus(c)
 		if cStatus.Status != oci.ContainerStateStopped {
-			if err := s.Runtime().StopContainer(ctx, c, 10); err != nil {
+			timeout := int64(10)
+			if err := s.Runtime().StopContainer(ctx, c, timeout); err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to stop container %s in pod sandbox %s: %v", c.Name(), sb.ID(), err)
 			}
+			if err := s.Runtime().WaitContainerStateStopped(ctx, c, timeout); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get container 'stopped' status %s in pod sandbox %s: %v", c.Name(), sb.ID(), err)
+			}
 			if c.ID() == podInfraContainer.ID() {
 				continue
 			}