diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/service.go b/containerd-shim-v2/service.go
index 0dc6fa6dfe..9786c53036 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/service.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/service.go
@@ -283,6 +283,27 @@ func (s *service) Create(ctx context.Context, r *taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest) (_ *
 
 // Start a process
 func (s *service) Start(ctx context.Context, r *taskAPI.StartRequest) (*taskAPI.StartResponse, error) {
+	s.Lock()
+	defer s.Unlock()
+
+	c, err := s.getContainer(r.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	//start a container
+	if r.ExecID == "" {
+		err = startContainer(ctx, s, c)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errdefs.ToGRPC(err)
+		}
+
+		return &taskAPI.StartResponse{
+			Pid: s.pid,
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	//start an exec
 	return nil, errdefs.ErrNotImplemented
 }
 
@@ -382,3 +403,13 @@ func (s *service) checkProcesses(e exit) {
 	}
 	return
 }
+
+func (s *service) getContainer(id string) (*container, error) {
+	c := s.containers[id]
+
+	if c == nil {
+		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPCf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "container does not exist %s", id)
+	}
+
+	return c, nil
+}
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/start.go b/containerd-shim-v2/start.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a6c1ef24c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/start.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018 HyperHQ Inc.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package containerdshim
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types/task"
+	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/pkg/katautils"
+)
+
+func startContainer(ctx context.Context, s *service, c *container) error {
+	//start a container
+	if c.cType == "" {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Bug, the container %s type is empty", c.id)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if s.sandbox == nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Bug, the sandbox hasn't been created for this container %s", c.id)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if c.cType.IsSandbox() {
+		err := s.sandbox.Start()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		_, err := s.sandbox.StartContainer(c.id)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Run post-start OCI hooks.
+	err := katautils.EnterNetNS(s.sandbox.GetNetNs(), func() error {
+		return katautils.PostStartHooks(ctx, *c.spec, s.sandbox.ID(), c.bundle)
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	c.status = task.StatusRunning
+
+	stdin, stdout, stderr, err := s.sandbox.IOStream(c.id, c.id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if c.stdin != "" || c.stdout != "" || c.stderr != "" {
+		tty, err := newTtyIO(ctx, c.stdin, c.stdout, c.stderr, c.terminal)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		c.ttyio = tty
+		go ioCopy(c.exitIOch, tty, stdin, stdout, stderr)
+	} else {
+		//close the io exit channel, since there is no io for this container,
+		//otherwise the following wait goroutine will hang on this channel.
+		close(c.exitIOch)
+	}
+
+	go wait(s, c, "")
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/stream.go b/containerd-shim-v2/stream.go
index f5489c6002..a551686309 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/stream.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/stream.go
@@ -5,7 +5,24 @@
 package containerdshim
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"io"
+	"sync"
+	"syscall"
+
+	"github.com/containerd/fifo"
+)
+
+// The buffer size used to specify the buffer for IO streams copy
+const bufSize = 32 << 10
+
+var (
+	bufPool = sync.Pool{
+		New: func() interface{} {
+			buffer := make([]byte, bufSize)
+			return &buffer
+		},
+	}
 )
 
 type ttyIO struct {
@@ -13,3 +30,97 @@ type ttyIO struct {
 	Stdout io.Writer
 	Stderr io.Writer
 }
+
+func (tty *ttyIO) close() {
+
+	if tty.Stdin != nil {
+		tty.Stdin.Close()
+	}
+	cf := func(w io.Writer) {
+		if w == nil {
+			return
+		}
+		if c, ok := w.(io.WriteCloser); ok {
+			c.Close()
+		}
+	}
+	cf(tty.Stdout)
+	cf(tty.Stderr)
+}
+
+func newTtyIO(ctx context.Context, stdin, stdout, stderr string, console bool) (*ttyIO, error) {
+	var in io.ReadCloser
+	var outw io.Writer
+	var errw io.Writer
+	var err error
+
+	if stdin != "" {
+		in, err = fifo.OpenFifo(ctx, stdin, syscall.O_RDONLY, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if stdout != "" {
+		outw, err = fifo.OpenFifo(ctx, stdout, syscall.O_WRONLY, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !console && stderr != "" {
+		errw, err = fifo.OpenFifo(ctx, stderr, syscall.O_WRONLY, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	ttyIO := &ttyIO{
+		Stdin:  in,
+		Stdout: outw,
+		Stderr: errw,
+	}
+
+	return ttyIO, nil
+}
+
+func ioCopy(exitch chan struct{}, tty *ttyIO, stdinPipe io.WriteCloser, stdoutPipe, stderrPipe io.Reader) {
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	var closeOnce sync.Once
+
+	if tty.Stdin != nil {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			p := bufPool.Get().(*[]byte)
+			defer bufPool.Put(p)
+			io.CopyBuffer(stdinPipe, tty.Stdin, *p)
+			wg.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+
+	if tty.Stdout != nil {
+		wg.Add(1)
+
+		go func() {
+			p := bufPool.Get().(*[]byte)
+			defer bufPool.Put(p)
+			io.CopyBuffer(tty.Stdout, stdoutPipe, *p)
+			wg.Done()
+			closeOnce.Do(tty.close)
+		}()
+	}
+
+	if tty.Stderr != nil && stderrPipe != nil {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			p := bufPool.Get().(*[]byte)
+			defer bufPool.Put(p)
+			io.CopyBuffer(tty.Stderr, stderrPipe, *p)
+			wg.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+
+	wg.Wait()
+	closeOnce.Do(tty.close)
+	close(exitch)
+}
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go b/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go
index 959db7d28f..13cb323c3e 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	cdshim "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/shim"
 	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/pkg/katautils"
@@ -18,6 +19,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 )
 
+func cReap(s *service, status int, id, execid string, exitat time.Time) {
+	s.ec <- exit{
+		timestamp: exitat,
+		pid:       s.pid,
+		status:    status,
+		id:        id,
+		execid:    execid,
+	}
+}
+
 func validBundle(containerID, bundlePath string) (string, error) {
 	// container ID MUST be provided.
 	if containerID == "" {
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go b/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..438c28624f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018 HyperHQ Inc.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package containerdshim
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types/task"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+func wait(s *service, c *container, execID string) (int32, error) {
+	var execs *exec
+	var err error
+
+	processID := c.id
+
+	if execID == "" {
+		//wait until the io closed, then wait the container
+		<-c.exitIOch
+	}
+
+	ret, err := s.sandbox.WaitProcess(c.id, processID)
+	if err != nil {
+		logrus.WithError(err).WithFields(logrus.Fields{
+			"container": c.id,
+			"pid":       processID,
+		}).Error("Wait for process failed")
+	}
+
+	if execID == "" {
+		c.exitCh <- uint32(ret)
+	} else {
+		execs.exitCh <- uint32(ret)
+	}
+
+	timeStamp := time.Now()
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	if execID == "" {
+		c.status = task.StatusStopped
+		c.exit = uint32(ret)
+		c.time = timeStamp
+	} else {
+		execs.status = task.StatusStopped
+		execs.exitCode = ret
+		execs.exitTime = timeStamp
+	}
+	c.mu.Unlock()
+
+	go cReap(s, int(ret), c.id, execID, timeStamp)
+
+	return ret, nil
+}