diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 2b921dfa2..33e5c9ba6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -330,8 +330,9 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GOPROXY: direct
           TEST_RUNTIME: io.containerd.runc.${{ matrix.runtime }}
+          RUNC_FLAVOR: ${{ matrix.runc }}
         run: |
-          sudo GOPATH=$GOPATH GOPROXY=$GOPROXY TEST_RUNTIME=$TEST_RUNTIME make integration EXTRA_TESTFLAGS=-no-criu TESTFLAGS_RACE=-race
+          sudo GOPATH=$GOPATH GOPROXY=$GOPROXY TEST_RUNTIME=$TEST_RUNTIME RUNC_FLAVOR=$RUNC_FLAVOR make integration EXTRA_TESTFLAGS=-no-criu TESTFLAGS_RACE=-race
         working-directory: src/github.com/containerd/containerd
 
       # Run the integration suite a second time. See discussion in github.com/containerd/containerd/pull/1759
@@ -339,8 +340,9 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GOPROXY: direct
           TEST_RUNTIME: io.containerd.runc.${{ matrix.runtime }}
+          RUNC_FLAVOR: ${{ matrix.runc }}
         run: |
-          sudo GOPATH=$GOPATH GOPROXY=$GOPROXY TEST_RUNTIME=$TEST_RUNTIME TESTFLAGS_PARALLEL=1 make integration EXTRA_TESTFLAGS=-no-criu
+          sudo GOPATH=$GOPATH GOPROXY=$GOPROXY TEST_RUNTIME=$TEST_RUNTIME RUNC_FLAVOR=$RUNC_FLAVOR TESTFLAGS_PARALLEL=1 make integration EXTRA_TESTFLAGS=-no-criu
         working-directory: src/github.com/containerd/containerd
 
       - name: CRI test
diff --git a/container_test.go b/container_test.go
index 2ae9d096a..2ebfc3a99 100644
--- a/container_test.go
+++ b/container_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"path"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
@@ -36,10 +37,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/oci"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/platforms"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/runc/options"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
+	"github.com/containerd/go-runc"
 	gogotypes "github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 )
 
@@ -629,6 +632,78 @@ func TestContainerKill(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestKillContainerDeletedByRunc(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// We skip this case when runtime is crun.
+	// More information in https://github.com/containerd/containerd/pull/4214#discussion_r422769497
+	if os.Getenv("RUNC_FLAVOR") == "crun" {
+		t.Skip("skip it when using crun")
+	}
+
+	client, err := newClient(t, address)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer client.Close()
+
+	var (
+		image       Image
+		ctx, cancel = testContext(t)
+		id          = t.Name()
+		runcRoot    = "/tmp/runc-test"
+	)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	image, err = client.GetImage(ctx, testImage)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	container, err := client.NewContainer(ctx, id,
+		WithNewSnapshot(id, image),
+		WithNewSpec(oci.WithImageConfig(image), withProcessArgs("sleep", "10")),
+		WithRuntime(client.runtime, &options.Options{Root: runcRoot}))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer container.Delete(ctx)
+
+	task, err := container.NewTask(ctx, empty())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer task.Delete(ctx)
+
+	statusC, err := task.Wait(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if err := task.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	rcmd := &runc.Runc{
+		Root: path.Join(runcRoot, testNamespace),
+	}
+
+	if err := rcmd.Delete(ctx, id, &runc.DeleteOpts{Force: true}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	err = task.Kill(ctx, syscall.SIGKILL)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("kill should return NotFound error")
+	} else if !errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
+		t.Errorf("expected error %q but received %q", errdefs.ErrNotFound, err)
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case <-statusC:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Errorf("unexpected timeout when try to get exited container's status")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestContainerNoBinaryExists(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/pkg/process/utils.go b/pkg/process/utils.go
index 3c4661770..444dbb657 100644
--- a/pkg/process/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/process/utils.go
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ func checkKillError(err error) error {
 		strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(err.Error()), "no such process") ||
 		err == unix.ESRCH {
 		return errors.Wrapf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "process already finished")
+	} else if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "does not exist") {
+		return errors.Wrapf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "no such container")
 	}
 	return errors.Wrapf(err, "unknown error after kill")
 }