diff --git a/oci/oci.go b/oci/oci.go
index 114c0935..c53fe83c 100644
--- a/oci/oci.go
+++ b/oci/oci.go
@@ -412,15 +412,6 @@ func (r *Runtime) ExecSync(c *Container, command []string, timeout int64) (resp
 		os.RemoveAll(logPath)
 	}()
 
-	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "exec-sync-process")
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, ExecSyncError{
-			ExitCode: -1,
-			Err:      err,
-		}
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(f.Name())
-
 	var args []string
 	args = append(args, "-c", c.id)
 	args = append(args, "-r", r.Path(c))
@@ -435,24 +426,16 @@ func (r *Runtime) ExecSync(c *Container, command []string, timeout int64) (resp
 	}
 	args = append(args, "-l", logPath)
 
-	pspec := c.Spec().Process
-	pspec.Args = command
-	processJSON, err := json.Marshal(pspec)
+	processFile, err := PrepareProcessExec(c, command, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, ExecSyncError{
 			ExitCode: -1,
 			Err:      err,
 		}
 	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(processFile.Name())
 
-	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(f.Name(), processJSON, 0644); err != nil {
-		return nil, ExecSyncError{
-			ExitCode: -1,
-			Err:      err,
-		}
-	}
-
-	args = append(args, "--exec-process-spec", f.Name())
+	args = append(args, "--exec-process-spec", processFile.Name())
 
 	cmd := exec.Command(r.conmonPath, args...)
 
@@ -741,3 +724,27 @@ func (r *Runtime) UnpauseContainer(c *Container) error {
 	_, err := utils.ExecCmd(r.Path(c), "resume", c.id)
 	return err
 }
+
+// PrepareProcessExec returns the path of the process.json used in runc exec -p
+// caller is responsible to close the returned *os.File if needed.
+func PrepareProcessExec(c *Container, cmd []string, tty bool) (*os.File, error) {
+	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "exec-process-")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	pspec := c.Spec().Process
+	pspec.Args = cmd
+	if tty {
+		pspec.Terminal = true
+	}
+	processJSON, err := json.Marshal(pspec)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(f.Name(), processJSON, 0644); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return f, nil
+}
diff --git a/server/container_exec.go b/server/container_exec.go
index 857e6e27..fe2f6ba4 100644
--- a/server/container_exec.go
+++ b/server/container_exec.go
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 package server
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"time"
@@ -55,28 +53,14 @@ func (ss streamService) Exec(containerID string, cmd []string, stdin io.Reader,
 		return fmt.Errorf("container is not created or running")
 	}
 
-	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "exec-process")
+	processFile, err := oci.PrepareProcessExec(c, cmd, tty)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(f.Name())
-
-	pspec := c.Spec().Process
-	pspec.Args = cmd
-	processJSON, err := json.Marshal(pspec)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(f.Name(), processJSON, 0644); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(processFile.Name())
 
 	args := []string{"exec"}
-	if tty {
-		args = append(args, "-t")
-	}
-	args = append(args, "-p", f.Name())
+	args = append(args, "--process", processFile.Name())
 	args = append(args, c.ID())
 	execCmd := exec.Command(ss.runtimeServer.Runtime().Path(c), args...)
 	var cmdErr error