diff --git a/server/container_remove.go b/server/container_remove.go
index 1d1d67a2..161b3525 100644
--- a/server/container_remove.go
+++ b/server/container_remove.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func (s *Server) RemoveContainer(ctx context.Context, req *pb.RemoveContainerReq
 	}
 
 	cState := s.runtime.ContainerStatus(c)
-	if cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateCreated || cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
+	if cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
 		if err := s.runtime.StopContainer(c, -1); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to stop container %s: %v", c.ID(), err)
 		}
diff --git a/server/container_stop.go b/server/container_stop.go
index 1ddee82f..506b9f47 100644
--- a/server/container_stop.go
+++ b/server/container_stop.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (s *Server) StopContainer(ctx context.Context, req *pb.StopContainerRequest
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	cStatus := s.runtime.ContainerStatus(c)
-	if cStatus.Status != oci.ContainerStateStopped {
+	if cStatus.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
 		if err := s.runtime.StopContainer(c, req.Timeout); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to stop container %s: %v", c.ID(), err)
 		}
diff --git a/server/sandbox_remove.go b/server/sandbox_remove.go
index cd4955f8..bba98e5f 100644
--- a/server/sandbox_remove.go
+++ b/server/sandbox_remove.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (s *Server) RemovePodSandbox(ctx context.Context, req *pb.RemovePodSandboxR
 		}
 
 		cState := s.runtime.ContainerStatus(c)
-		if cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateCreated || cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
+		if cState.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
 			if err := s.runtime.StopContainer(c, -1); err != nil {
 				// Assume container is already stopped
 				logrus.Warnf("failed to stop container %s: %v", c.Name(), err)
diff --git a/server/sandbox_stop.go b/server/sandbox_stop.go
index 55aa3d84..5484a1df 100644
--- a/server/sandbox_stop.go
+++ b/server/sandbox_stop.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func (s *Server) StopPodSandbox(ctx context.Context, req *pb.StopPodSandboxReque
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		cStatus := s.runtime.ContainerStatus(c)
-		if cStatus.Status != oci.ContainerStateStopped {
+		if cStatus.Status == oci.ContainerStateRunning {
 			if err := s.runtime.StopContainer(c, -1); err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to stop container %s in pod sandbox %s: %v", c.Name(), sb.id, err)
 			}