diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/create.go b/containerd-shim-v2/create.go
index c30047fcca..6ddafc36d1 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/create.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/create.go
@@ -80,7 +80,12 @@ func create(ctx context.Context, s *service, r *taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest, netns
 		rootFs.Mounted = s.mount
 
 		katautils.HandleFactory(ctx, vci, s.config)
-		sandbox, _, err := katautils.CreateSandbox(ctx, vci, *ociSpec, *s.config, rootFs, r.ID, bundlePath, "", disableOutput, false, true)
+
+		// Pass service's context instead of local ctx to CreateSandbox(), since local
+		// ctx will be canceled after this rpc service call, but the sandbox will live
+		// across multiple rpc service calls.
+		//
+		sandbox, _, err := katautils.CreateSandbox(s.ctx, vci, *ociSpec, *s.config, rootFs, r.ID, bundlePath, "", disableOutput, false, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/create_test.go b/containerd-shim-v2/create_test.go
index 53be90d503..eb5b67ad3c 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/create_test.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/create_test.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ func TestCreateSandboxSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 		id:         testSandboxID,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		config:     &runtimeConfig,
+		ctx:        context.Background(),
 	}
 
 	req := &taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest{
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ func TestCreateSandboxFail(t *testing.T) {
 		id:         testSandboxID,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		config:     &runtimeConfig,
+		ctx:        context.Background(),
 	}
 
 	req := &taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest{
@@ -184,6 +186,7 @@ func TestCreateSandboxConfigFail(t *testing.T) {
 		id:         testSandboxID,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		config:     &runtimeConfig,
+		ctx:        context.Background(),
 	}
 
 	req := &taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest{
@@ -245,6 +248,7 @@ func TestCreateContainerSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 		sandbox:    sandbox,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		config:     &runtimeConfig,
+		ctx:        context.Background(),
 	}
 
 	req := &taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest{
@@ -291,6 +295,7 @@ func TestCreateContainerFail(t *testing.T) {
 		id:         testContainerID,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		config:     &runtimeConfig,
+		ctx:        context.Background(),
 	}
 
 	req := &taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest{
@@ -351,6 +356,7 @@ func TestCreateContainerConfigFail(t *testing.T) {
 		sandbox:    sandbox,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		config:     &runtimeConfig,
+		ctx:        context.Background(),
 	}
 
 	req := &taskAPI.CreateTaskRequest{
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/service.go b/containerd-shim-v2/service.go
index e8cdc947be..383d7d1238 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/service.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/service.go
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ const (
 
 	chSize      = 128
 	exitCode255 = 255
+
+	// A time span used to wait for publish a containerd event,
+	// once it costs a longer time than timeOut, it will be canceld.
+	timeOut = 5 * time.Second
 )
 
 var (
@@ -63,13 +67,16 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, id string, publisher events.Publisher) (cdshim.Shi
 	vci.SetLogger(ctx, logger)
 	katautils.SetLogger(ctx, logger, logger.Logger.Level)
 
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+
 	s := &service{
 		id:         id,
 		pid:        uint32(os.Getpid()),
-		context:    ctx,
+		ctx:        ctx,
 		containers: make(map[string]*container),
 		events:     make(chan interface{}, chSize),
 		ec:         make(chan exit, bufferSize),
+		cancel:     cancel,
 		mount:      false,
 	}
 
@@ -102,12 +109,14 @@ type service struct {
 	// will not do the rootfs mount.
 	mount bool
 
-	context    context.Context
+	ctx        context.Context
 	sandbox    vc.VCSandbox
 	containers map[string]*container
 	config     *oci.RuntimeConfig
 	events     chan interface{}
 
+	cancel func()
+
 	ec chan exit
 	id string
 }
@@ -209,7 +218,10 @@ func (s *service) StartShim(ctx context.Context, id, containerdBinary, container
 
 func (s *service) forward(publisher events.Publisher) {
 	for e := range s.events {
-		if err := publisher.Publish(s.context, getTopic(s.context, e), e); err != nil {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(s.ctx, timeOut)
+		err := publisher.Publish(ctx, getTopic(e), e)
+		cancel()
+		if err != nil {
 			logrus.WithError(err).Error("post event")
 		}
 	}
@@ -230,7 +242,7 @@ func (s *service) sendL(evt interface{}) {
 	s.eventSendMu.Unlock()
 }
 
-func getTopic(ctx context.Context, e interface{}) string {
+func getTopic(e interface{}) string {
 	switch e.(type) {
 	case *eventstypes.TaskCreate:
 		return cdruntime.TaskCreateEventTopic
@@ -766,6 +778,8 @@ func (s *service) Shutdown(ctx context.Context, r *taskAPI.ShutdownRequest) (_ *
 	}
 	s.mu.Unlock()
 
+	s.cancel()
+
 	os.Exit(0)
 
 	// This will never be called, but this is only there to make sure the