diff --git a/cli/delete_test.go b/cli/delete_test.go
index 97768e1b4..77ded07f5 100644
--- a/cli/delete_test.go
+++ b/cli/delete_test.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func TestDeleteSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(err)
 	assert.True(vcmock.IsMockError(err))
 
-	testingImpl.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
+	testingImpl.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
 		return sandbox, nil
 	}
 
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ func TestDeleteSandboxRunning(t *testing.T) {
 		}, nil
 	}
 
-	testingImpl.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
+	testingImpl.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
 		return sandbox, nil
 	}
 
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ func TestDeleteCLIFunctionSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 		}, nil
 	}
 
-	testingImpl.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
+	testingImpl.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
 		return sandbox, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/cli/kill_test.go b/cli/kill_test.go
index cd8910cf9..a80bc2673 100644
--- a/cli/kill_test.go
+++ b/cli/kill_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ var (
 		return &vcmock.Container{}, nil
 	}
 
-	testStopSandboxFuncReturnNil = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
+	testStopSandboxFuncReturnNil = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
 		return &vcmock.Sandbox{}, nil
 	}
 )
diff --git a/virtcontainers/container.go b/virtcontainers/container.go
index e41db846d..a8e7dc91c 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/container.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/container.go
@@ -971,10 +971,6 @@ func (c *Container) stop() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if c.sandbox.state.State != types.StateReady && c.sandbox.state.State != types.StateRunning {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Sandbox not ready or running, impossible to stop the container")
-	}
-
 	if err := c.state.ValidTransition(c.state.State, types.StateStopped); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock.go
index b2455850f..4b60575b9 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock.go
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ func (m *VCMock) StartSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandb
 }
 
 // StopSandbox implements the VC function of the same name.
-func (m *VCMock) StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
+func (m *VCMock) StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
 	if m.StopSandboxFunc != nil {
-		return m.StopSandboxFunc(ctx, sandboxID)
+		return m.StopSandboxFunc(ctx, sandboxID, force)
 	}
 
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s (%+v): sandboxID: %v", mockErrorPrefix, getSelf(), m, sandboxID)
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock_test.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock_test.go
index d369e6574..dc94d740a 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/mock_test.go
@@ -339,22 +339,22 @@ func TestVCMockStopSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(m.StopSandboxFunc)
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	_, err := m.StopSandbox(ctx, testSandboxID)
+	_, err := m.StopSandbox(ctx, testSandboxID, false)
 	assert.Error(err)
 	assert.True(IsMockError(err))
 
-	m.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
+	m.StopSandboxFunc = func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error) {
 		return &Sandbox{}, nil
 	}
 
-	sandbox, err := m.StopSandbox(ctx, testSandboxID)
+	sandbox, err := m.StopSandbox(ctx, testSandboxID, false)
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.Equal(sandbox, &Sandbox{})
 
 	// reset
 	m.StopSandboxFunc = nil
 
-	_, err = m.StopSandbox(ctx, testSandboxID)
+	_, err = m.StopSandbox(ctx, testSandboxID, false)
 	assert.Error(err)
 	assert.True(IsMockError(err))
 }
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/types.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/types.go
index 6f7df5a3d..9a65389cd 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/types.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/types.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ type VCMock struct {
 	StartSandboxFunc   func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error)
 	StatusSandboxFunc  func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.SandboxStatus, error)
 	StatsContainerFunc func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID, containerID string) (vc.ContainerStats, error)
-	StopSandboxFunc    func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (vc.VCSandbox, error)
+	StopSandboxFunc    func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (vc.VCSandbox, error)
 
 	CreateContainerFunc      func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, containerConfig vc.ContainerConfig) (vc.VCSandbox, vc.VCContainer, error)
 	DeleteContainerFunc      func(ctx context.Context, sandboxID, containerID string) (vc.VCContainer, error)