diff --git a/pkg/process/deleted_state.go b/pkg/process/deleted_state.go
index 95ad138e0..eb7baf737 100644
--- a/pkg/process/deleted_state.go
+++ b/pkg/process/deleted_state.go
@@ -69,3 +69,7 @@ func (s *deletedState) SetExited(status int) {
 func (s *deletedState) Exec(ctx context.Context, path string, r *ExecConfig) (Process, error) {
 	return nil, errors.Errorf("cannot exec in a deleted state")
 }
+
+func (s *deletedState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "stopped", nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/process/exec.go b/pkg/process/exec.go
index 4175dcd5a..e8158434a 100644
--- a/pkg/process/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/process/exec.go
@@ -261,17 +261,5 @@ func (e *execProcess) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	}
 	e.mu.Lock()
 	defer e.mu.Unlock()
-	// if we don't have a pid(pid=0) then the exec process has just been created
-	if e.pid.get() == 0 {
-		return "created", nil
-	}
-	if e.pid.get() == StoppedPID {
-		return "stopped", nil
-	}
-	// if we have a pid and it can be signaled, the process is running
-	if err := unix.Kill(e.pid.get(), 0); err == nil {
-		return "running", nil
-	}
-	// else if we have a pid but it can nolonger be signaled, it has stopped
-	return "stopped", nil
+	return e.execState.Status(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/process/exec_state.go b/pkg/process/exec_state.go
index a8b44bb8b..c97b4001b 100644
--- a/pkg/process/exec_state.go
+++ b/pkg/process/exec_state.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type execState interface {
 	Delete(context.Context) error
 	Kill(context.Context, uint32, bool) error
 	SetExited(int)
+	Status(context.Context) (string, error)
 }
 
 type execCreatedState struct {
@@ -82,6 +83,10 @@ func (s *execCreatedState) SetExited(status int) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *execCreatedState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "created", nil
+}
+
 type execRunningState struct {
 	p *execProcess
 }
@@ -120,6 +125,10 @@ func (s *execRunningState) SetExited(status int) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *execRunningState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "running", nil
+}
+
 type execStoppedState struct {
 	p *execProcess
 }
@@ -157,3 +166,7 @@ func (s *execStoppedState) Kill(ctx context.Context, sig uint32, all bool) error
 func (s *execStoppedState) SetExited(status int) {
 	// no op
 }
+
+func (s *execStoppedState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "stopped", nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/process/init.go b/pkg/process/init.go
index 7861bdd8b..539f9c24a 100644
--- a/pkg/process/init.go
+++ b/pkg/process/init.go
@@ -56,12 +56,14 @@ type Init struct {
 
 	WorkDir string
 
-	id           string
-	Bundle       string
-	console      console.Console
-	Platform     stdio.Platform
-	io           *processIO
-	runtime      *runc.Runc
+	id       string
+	Bundle   string
+	console  console.Console
+	Platform stdio.Platform
+	io       *processIO
+	runtime  *runc.Runc
+	// pausing preserves the pausing state.
+	pausing      *atomicBool
 	status       int
 	exited       time.Time
 	pid          safePid
@@ -97,6 +99,7 @@ func New(id string, runtime *runc.Runc, stdio stdio.Stdio) *Init {
 	p := &Init{
 		id:        id,
 		runtime:   runtime,
+		pausing:   new(atomicBool),
 		stdio:     stdio,
 		status:    0,
 		waitBlock: make(chan struct{}),
@@ -237,17 +240,14 @@ func (p *Init) ExitedAt() time.Time {
 
 // Status of the process
 func (p *Init) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	if p.pausing.get() {
+		return "pausing", nil
+	}
+
 	p.mu.Lock()
 	defer p.mu.Unlock()
 
-	c, err := p.runtime.State(ctx, p.id)
-	if err != nil {
-		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "does not exist") {
-			return "stopped", nil
-		}
-		return "", p.runtimeError(err, "OCI runtime state failed")
-	}
-	return c.Status, nil
+	return p.initState.Status(ctx)
 }
 
 // Start the init process
diff --git a/pkg/process/init_state.go b/pkg/process/init_state.go
index 9ec1d17be..115d8c9fb 100644
--- a/pkg/process/init_state.go
+++ b/pkg/process/init_state.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ type initState interface {
 	Exec(context.Context, string, *ExecConfig) (Process, error)
 	Kill(context.Context, uint32, bool) error
 	SetExited(int)
+	Status(context.Context) (string, error)
 }
 
 type createdState struct {
@@ -103,6 +104,10 @@ func (s *createdState) Exec(ctx context.Context, path string, r *ExecConfig) (Pr
 	return s.p.exec(ctx, path, r)
 }
 
+func (s *createdState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "created", nil
+}
+
 type createdCheckpointState struct {
 	p    *Init
 	opts *runc.RestoreOpts
@@ -211,6 +216,10 @@ func (s *createdCheckpointState) Exec(ctx context.Context, path string, r *ExecC
 	return nil, errors.Errorf("cannot exec in a created state")
 }
 
+func (s *createdCheckpointState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "created", nil
+}
+
 type runningState struct {
 	p *Init
 }
@@ -228,6 +237,13 @@ func (s *runningState) transition(name string) error {
 }
 
 func (s *runningState) Pause(ctx context.Context) error {
+	s.p.pausing.set(true)
+	// NOTE "pausing" will be returned in the short window
+	// after `transition("paused")`, before `pausing` is reset
+	// to false. That doesn't break the state machine, just
+	// delays the "paused" state a little bit.
+	defer s.p.pausing.set(false)
+
 	if err := s.p.runtime.Pause(ctx, s.p.id); err != nil {
 		return s.p.runtimeError(err, "OCI runtime pause failed")
 	}
@@ -271,6 +287,10 @@ func (s *runningState) Exec(ctx context.Context, path string, r *ExecConfig) (Pr
 	return s.p.exec(ctx, path, r)
 }
 
+func (s *runningState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "running", nil
+}
+
 type pausedState struct {
 	p *Init
 }
@@ -335,6 +355,10 @@ func (s *pausedState) Exec(ctx context.Context, path string, r *ExecConfig) (Pro
 	return nil, errors.Errorf("cannot exec in a paused state")
 }
 
+func (s *pausedState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "paused", nil
+}
+
 type stoppedState struct {
 	p *Init
 }
@@ -387,3 +411,7 @@ func (s *stoppedState) SetExited(status int) {
 func (s *stoppedState) Exec(ctx context.Context, path string, r *ExecConfig) (Process, error) {
 	return nil, errors.Errorf("cannot exec in a stopped state")
 }
+
+func (s *stoppedState) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "stopped", nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/process/utils.go b/pkg/process/utils.go
index 6de2f7a12..343355948 100644
--- a/pkg/process/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/process/utils.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
@@ -62,6 +63,20 @@ func (s *safePid) set(pid int) {
 	s.Unlock()
 }
 
+type atomicBool int32
+
+func (ab *atomicBool) set(b bool) {
+	if b {
+		atomic.StoreInt32((*int32)(ab), 1)
+	} else {
+		atomic.StoreInt32((*int32)(ab), 0)
+	}
+}
+
+func (ab *atomicBool) get() bool {
+	return atomic.LoadInt32((*int32)(ab)) == 1
+}
+
 // TODO(mlaventure): move to runc package?
 func getLastRuntimeError(r *runc.Runc) (string, error) {
 	if r.Log == "" {