diff --git a/pkg/process/init.go b/pkg/process/init.go
index 28ca5ac6a..1bf5e7e45 100644
--- a/pkg/process/init.go
+++ b/pkg/process/init.go
@@ -193,11 +193,15 @@ func (p *Init) createCheckpointedState(r *CreateConfig, pidFile *pidFile) error
 			ParentPath: r.ParentCheckpoint,
 		},
 		PidFile:     pidFile.Path(),
-		IO:          p.io.IO(),
 		NoPivot:     p.NoPivotRoot,
 		Detach:      true,
 		NoSubreaper: true,
 	}
+
+	if p.io != nil {
+		opts.IO = p.io.IO()
+	}
+
 	p.initState = &createdCheckpointState{
 		p:    p,
 		opts: opts,
diff --git a/runtime/v2/runc/container.go b/runtime/v2/runc/container.go
index 27d434a29..9b65e44c8 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/runc/container.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/runc/container.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func NewContainer(ctx context.Context, platform stdio.Platform, r *task.CreateTa
 	}
 
 	var opts options.Options
-	if r.Options != nil {
+	if r.Options != nil && r.Options.GetTypeUrl() != "" {
 		v, err := typeurl.UnmarshalAny(r.Options)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err