diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go
index 9c0526da6d..bac62e8cfd 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils.go
@@ -346,10 +346,6 @@ func waitProcessUsingWaitLoop(pid int, timeoutSecs uint, logger *logrus.Entry) b
 	}
 }
 
-func waitForProcessCompletion(pid int, timeoutSecs uint, logger *logrus.Entry) bool {
-	return waitProcessUsingWaitLoop(pid, timeoutSecs, logger)
-}
-
 // WaitLocalProcess waits for the specified process for up to timeoutSecs seconds.
 //
 // Notes:
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_darwin.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_darwin.go
index 54b2124ce1..db1d9ea750 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_darwin.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_darwin.go
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 
 package utils
 
+import "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
 func GetDevicePathAndFsTypeOptions(mountPoint string) (devicePath, fsType string, fsOptions []string, err error) {
 	return
 }
+
+func waitForProcessCompletion(pid int, timeoutSecs uint, logger *logrus.Entry) bool {
+	return waitProcessUsingWaitLoop(pid, timeoutSecs, logger)
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_linux.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_linux.go
index c223fb93bb..40c5c360ea 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_linux.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/utils/utils_linux.go
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
@@ -151,3 +153,60 @@ func IsAPVFIOMediatedDevice(sysfsdev string) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+func waitProcessUsingPidfd(pid int, timeoutSecs uint, logger *logrus.Entry) (bool, error) {
+	pidfd, err := unix.PidfdOpen(pid, 0)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		if err == unix.ESRCH {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+
+		return true, err
+	}
+
+	defer unix.Close(pidfd)
+	var n int
+
+	maxDelay := time.Duration(timeoutSecs) * time.Second
+	end := time.Now().Add(maxDelay)
+
+	for {
+		remaining := time.Until(end).Milliseconds()
+		if remaining < 0 {
+			remaining = 0
+		}
+
+		n, err = unix.Poll([]unix.PollFd{{Fd: int32(pidfd), Events: unix.POLLIN}}, int(remaining))
+		if err != unix.EINTR {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err != nil || n != 1 {
+		logger.Warnf("process %v still running after waiting %ds", pid, timeoutSecs)
+		return true, err
+	}
+
+	for {
+		err := unix.Waitid(unix.P_PIDFD, pidfd, nil, unix.WEXITED, nil)
+		if err == unix.EINVAL {
+			err = unix.Waitid(unix.P_PID, pid, nil, unix.WEXITED, nil)
+		}
+
+		if err != unix.EINTR {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+func waitForProcessCompletion(pid int, timeoutSecs uint, logger *logrus.Entry) bool {
+	pidRunning, err := waitProcessUsingPidfd(pid, timeoutSecs, logger)
+
+	if err == unix.ENOSYS {
+		pidRunning = waitProcessUsingWaitLoop(pid, timeoutSecs, logger)
+	}
+
+	return pidRunning
+}