diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
index 1e469856f7..684e0cae1e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
@@ -482,15 +482,15 @@ func (a *Acrn) waitSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeoutSecs int) error {
 }
 
 // stopSandbox will stop the Sandbox's VM.
-func (a *Acrn) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, a.Logger(), "stopSandbox", acrnTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": a.id})
+func (a *Acrn) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, a.Logger(), "StopVM", acrnTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": a.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	a.Logger().Info("Stopping acrn VM")
 
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
-			a.Logger().Info("stopSandbox failed")
+			a.Logger().Info("StopVM failed")
 		} else {
 			a.Logger().Info("acrn VM stopped")
 		}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
index 44dbb08e5e..5429647a04 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error
 	if clh.config.SharedFS == config.VirtioFS {
 		clh.Logger().WithField("function", "startSandbox").Info("Starting virtiofsd")
 		pid, err := clh.virtiofsd.Start(ctx, func() {
-			clh.stopSandbox(ctx, false)
+			clh.StopVM(ctx, false)
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -732,10 +732,10 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) ResumeVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 // stopSandbox will stop the Sandbox's VM.
-func (clh *cloudHypervisor) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, clh.Logger(), "stopSandbox", clhTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": clh.id})
+func (clh *cloudHypervisor) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, clh.Logger(), "StopVM", clhTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": clh.id})
 	defer span.End()
-	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "stopSandbox").Info("Stop Sandbox")
+	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "StopVM").Info("Stop Sandbox")
 	return clh.terminate(ctx, waitOnly)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
index 8cd74d4579..416ff12afd 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
@@ -878,8 +878,8 @@ func (fc *firecracker) cleanupJail(ctx context.Context) {
 }
 
 // stopSandbox will stop the Sandbox's VM.
-func (fc *firecracker) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, fc.Logger(), "stopSandbox", fcTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": fc.id})
+func (fc *firecracker) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err error) {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, fc.Logger(), "StopVM", fcTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": fc.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	return fc.fcEnd(ctx, waitOnly)
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
index 1bad2a4a76..7d90022dd5 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ type hypervisor interface {
 	startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error
 	// If wait is set, don't actively stop the sandbox:
 	// just perform cleanup.
-	stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error
+	StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error
 	PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error
 	SaveVM() error
 	ResumeVM(ctx context.Context) error
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
index bd3529ddde..9a0107e2a6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ func setupStorages(ctx context.Context, sandbox *Sandbox) []*grpc.Storage {
 }
 
 func (k *kataAgent) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandbox *Sandbox) error {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, k.Logger(), "stopSandbox", kataAgentTracingTags)
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, k.Logger(), "StopVM", kataAgentTracingTags)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	req := &grpc.DestroySandboxRequest{}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
index 944ffa2901..17c7fcb87b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (m *mockHypervisor) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *mockHypervisor) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error {
+func (m *mockHypervisor) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go
index dbdbbdf5f0..4ba6cdd81c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func TestMockHypervisorStartSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMockHypervisorStopSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 	var m *mockHypervisor
 
-	assert.NoError(t, m.stopSandbox(context.Background(), false))
+	assert.NoError(t, m.StopVM(context.Background(), false))
 }
 
 func TestMockHypervisorAddDevice(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index cd6c0ab4b8..0ea564e982 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ func (q *qemu) vhostFSSocketPath(id string) (string, error) {
 
 func (q *qemu) setupVirtiofsd(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	pid, err := q.virtiofsd.Start(ctx, func() {
-		q.stopSandbox(ctx, false)
+		q.StopVM(ctx, false)
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -940,8 +940,8 @@ func (q *qemu) waitSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
 }
 
 // stopSandbox will stop the Sandbox's VM.
-func (q *qemu) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "stopSandbox", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
+func (q *qemu) StopVM(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "StopVM", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	q.Logger().Info("Stopping Sandbox")
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
index 91610f4abf..92f5211c6d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
@@ -1181,7 +1181,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) startVM(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
-			s.hypervisor.stopSandbox(ctx, false)
+			s.hypervisor.StopVM(ctx, false)
 		}
 	}()
 
@@ -1264,7 +1264,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) stopVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	s.Logger().Info("Stopping VM")
 
-	return s.hypervisor.stopSandbox(ctx, s.disableVMShutdown)
+	return s.hypervisor.StopVM(ctx, s.disableVMShutdown)
 }
 
 func (s *Sandbox) addContainer(c *Container) error {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
index a30cec6285..f23819b770 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func NewVM(ctx context.Context, config VMConfig) (*VM, error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
 			virtLog.WithField("vm", id).WithError(err).Info("clean up vm")
-			hypervisor.stopSandbox(ctx, false)
+			hypervisor.StopVM(ctx, false)
 		}
 	}()
 
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ func (v *VM) Disconnect(ctx context.Context) error {
 func (v *VM) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
 	v.logger().Info("stop vm")
 
-	if err := v.hypervisor.stopSandbox(ctx, false); err != nil {
+	if err := v.hypervisor.StopVM(ctx, false); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}