diff --git a/cio/io_windows.go b/cio/io_windows.go
index fa9532a3b..a751f7d7a 100644
--- a/cio/io_windows.go
+++ b/cio/io_windows.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
-	"sync"
 
 	winio "github.com/Microsoft/go-winio"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
@@ -41,7 +40,6 @@ func NewFIFOSetInDir(_, id string, terminal bool) (*FIFOSet, error) {
 
 func copyIO(fifos *FIFOSet, ioset *Streams) (*cio, error) {
 	var (
-		wg  sync.WaitGroup
 		set []io.Closer
 	)
 
@@ -85,9 +83,7 @@ func copyIO(fifos *FIFOSet, ioset *Streams) (*cio, error) {
 		}(l)
 		set = append(set, l)
 
-		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
-			defer wg.Done()
 			c, err := l.Accept()
 			if err != nil {
 				log.L.WithError(err).Errorf("failed to accept stdout connection on %s", fifos.Stdout)
@@ -115,9 +111,7 @@ func copyIO(fifos *FIFOSet, ioset *Streams) (*cio, error) {
 		}(l)
 		set = append(set, l)
 
-		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
-			defer wg.Done()
 			c, err := l.Accept()
 			if err != nil {
 				log.L.WithError(err).Errorf("failed to accept stderr connection on %s", fifos.Stderr)