diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
index a0f08e8cb7..090e074755 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -256,6 +258,8 @@ type cloudHypervisor struct {
 	vmconfig        chclient.VmConfig
 	state           CloudHypervisorState
 	config          HypervisorConfig
+	stopped         int32
+	mu              sync.Mutex
 }
 
 var clhKernelParams = []Param{
@@ -1081,9 +1085,21 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) ResumeVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 // StopVM will stop the Sandbox's VM.
 func (clh *cloudHypervisor) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
+	clh.mu.Lock()
+	defer func() {
+		if err == nil {
+			atomic.StoreInt32(&clh.stopped, 1)
+		}
+		clh.mu.Unlock()
+	}()
 	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, clh.Logger(), "StopVM", clhTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": clh.id})
 	defer span.End()
 	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "StopVM").Info("Stop Sandbox")
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&clh.stopped) != 0 {
+		clh.Logger().Info("Already stopped")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	return clh.terminate(ctx, waitOnly)
 }
 
@@ -1385,16 +1401,20 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) isClhRunning(timeout uint) (bool, error) {
 
 	pid := clh.state.PID
 
-	if err := syscall.Kill(pid, syscall.Signal(0)); err != nil {
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&clh.stopped) != 0 {
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
 	timeStart := time.Now()
 	cl := clh.client()
 	for {
+		err := syscall.Kill(pid, syscall.Signal(0))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, nil
+		}
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), clh.getClhAPITimeout()*time.Second)
-		defer cancel()
-		_, _, err := cl.VmmPingGet(ctx)
+		_, _, err = cl.VmmPingGet(ctx)
+		cancel()
 		if err == nil {
 			return true, nil
 		} else {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index b7f9601c13..f15f62d13c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 	"unsafe"
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ type qemu struct {
 
 	nvdimmCount int
 
-	stopped bool
+	stopped int32
 
 	mu sync.Mutex
 }
@@ -969,21 +970,23 @@ func (q *qemu) waitVM(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
 }
 
 // StopVM will stop the Sandbox's VM.
-func (q *qemu) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error {
+func (q *qemu) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
 	q.mu.Lock()
 	defer q.mu.Unlock()
 	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "StopVM", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	q.Logger().Info("Stopping Sandbox")
-	if q.stopped {
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&q.stopped) != 0 {
 		q.Logger().Info("Already stopped")
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		q.cleanupVM()
-		q.stopped = true
+		if err == nil {
+			atomic.StoreInt32(&q.stopped, 1)
+		}
 	}()
 
 	if q.config.Debug && q.qemuConfig.LogFile != "" {
@@ -2568,7 +2571,7 @@ func (q *qemu) toGrpc(ctx context.Context) ([]byte, error) {
 func (q *qemu) Save() (s hv.HypervisorState) {
 
 	// If QEMU isn't even running, there isn't any state to Save
-	if q.stopped {
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&q.stopped) != 0 {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -2619,6 +2622,10 @@ func (q *qemu) Load(s hv.HypervisorState) {
 }
 
 func (q *qemu) Check() error {
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&q.stopped) != 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("qemu is not running")
+	}
+
 	q.memoryDumpFlag.Lock()
 	defer q.memoryDumpFlag.Unlock()