diff --git a/cmd/containerd-shim/main.go b/cmd/containerd-shim/main.go
index a9b229685..8a45ad830 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-shim/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-shim/main.go
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	runc "github.com/crosbymichael/go-runc"
 	"github.com/docker/containerd"
 	shimapi "github.com/docker/containerd/api/services/shim"
 	"github.com/docker/containerd/linux/shim"
+	"github.com/docker/containerd/reaper"
 	"github.com/docker/containerd/sys"
-	"github.com/docker/containerd/utils"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
 
@@ -78,6 +79,9 @@ func main() {
 func setupSignals() (chan os.Signal, error) {
 	signals := make(chan os.Signal, 2048)
 	signal.Notify(signals)
+	// make sure runc is setup to use the monitor
+	// for waiting on processes
+	runc.Monitor = reaper.Default
 	// set the shim as the subreaper for all orphaned processes created by the container
 	if err := sys.SetSubreaper(1); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -108,7 +112,7 @@ func handleSignals(signals chan os.Signal, server *grpc.Server, service *shim.Se
 		logrus.WithField("signal", s).Debug("received signal")
 		switch s {
 		case syscall.SIGCHLD:
-			exits, err := utils.Reap(false)
+			exits, err := reaper.Reap()
 			if err != nil {
 				logrus.WithError(err).Error("reap exit status")
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/main.go b/cmd/containerd/main.go
index 69d44d0d5..ebce5a443 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/main.go
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ func handleSignals(signals chan os.Signal, server *grpc.Server) error {
 		log.G(global).WithField("signal", s).Debug("received signal")
 		switch s {
 		case syscall.SIGCHLD:
-			if err := reaper.Reap(); err != nil {
+			if _, err := reaper.Reap(); err != nil {
 				log.G(global).WithError(err).Error("reap containerd processes")
 			}
 		default:
diff --git a/reaper/reaper.go b/reaper/reaper.go
index dc4394d73..40ddd8e09 100644
--- a/reaper/reaper.go
+++ b/reaper/reaper.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 // Reap should be called when the process receives an SIGCHLD.  Reap will reap
 // all exited processes and close their wait channels
-func Reap() error {
+func Reap() ([]utils.Exit, error) {
 	exits, err := utils.Reap(false)
 	for _, e := range exits {
 		Default.mu.Lock()
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func Reap() error {
 		delete(Default.cmds, e.Pid)
 		Default.mu.Unlock()
 	}
-	return err
+	return exits, err
 }
 
 var Default = &Monitor{