diff --git a/libcontainer/container_linux.go b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
index e3e2cf2bdb8..ac2db63365d 100644
--- a/libcontainer/container_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
@@ -212,12 +212,32 @@ func (c *Container) Start(process *Process) error {
 // after start returns but opens the fifo after start returns.
 func (c *Container) Run(process *Process) error {
 	c.m.Lock()
-	defer c.m.Unlock()
 	if err := c.start(process); err != nil {
+		c.m.Unlock()
 		return err
 	}
 	if process.Init {
-		return c.exec()
+		err := c.exec()
+		if err != nil {
+			c.m.Unlock()
+			return err
+		}
+		c.m.Unlock()
+		return c.PostStart()
+	}
+	c.m.Unlock()
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Container) PostStart() error {
+	s, err := c.OCIState()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if c.config.Hooks != nil {
+		if err := c.config.Hooks.Run(configs.Poststart, s); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("run poststart hook %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -225,8 +245,13 @@ func (c *Container) Run(process *Process) error {
 // Exec signals the container to exec the users process at the end of the init.
 func (c *Container) Exec() error {
 	c.m.Lock()
-	defer c.m.Unlock()
-	return c.exec()
+	err := c.exec()
+	if err != nil {
+		c.m.Unlock()
+		return err
+	}
+	c.m.Unlock()
+	return c.PostStart()
 }
 
 func (c *Container) exec() error {
@@ -353,19 +378,6 @@ func (c *Container) start(process *Process) (retErr error) {
 
 	if process.Init {
 		c.fifo.Close()
-		if c.config.Hooks != nil {
-			s, err := c.currentOCIState()
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-			if err := c.config.Hooks.Run(configs.Poststart, s); err != nil {
-				if err := ignoreTerminateErrors(parent.terminate()); err != nil {
-					logrus.Warn(fmt.Errorf("error running poststart hook: %w", err))
-				}
-				return err
-			}
-		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }