diff --git a/linux/process.go b/linux/process.go
index 10acc69d5..94541ec66 100644
--- a/linux/process.go
+++ b/linux/process.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	shim "github.com/containerd/containerd/linux/shim/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/stevvooe/ttrpc"
 )
 
 // Process implements a linux process
@@ -44,7 +46,14 @@ func (p *Process) State(ctx context.Context) (runtime.State, error) {
 		ID: p.id,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return runtime.State{}, errdefs.FromGRPC(err)
+		if errors.Cause(err) != ttrpc.ErrClosed {
+			return runtime.State{}, errdefs.FromGRPC(err)
+		}
+
+		// We treat ttrpc.ErrClosed as the shim being closed, but really this
+		// likely means that the process no longer exists. We'll have to plumb
+		// the connection differently if this causes problems.
+		return runtime.State{}, errdefs.ErrNotFound
 	}
 	var status runtime.Status
 	switch response.Status {
diff --git a/linux/shim/service.go b/linux/shim/service.go
index 1150d1cc8..96fc0ec4a 100644
--- a/linux/shim/service.go
+++ b/linux/shim/service.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (s *Service) Start(ctx context.Context, r *shimapi.StartRequest) (*shimapi.
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 	p := s.processes[r.ID]
 	if p == nil {
-		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPCf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "process %s not found", r.ID)
+		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPCf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "process %s", r.ID)
 	}
 	if err := p.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func (s *Service) State(ctx context.Context, r *shimapi.StateRequest) (*shimapi.
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 	p := s.processes[r.ID]
 	if p == nil {
-		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPCf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "process id %s not found", r.ID)
+		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPCf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "process id %s", r.ID)
 	}
 	st, err := p.Status(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/linux/task.go b/linux/task.go
index 4d1e93fb1..023c7b19a 100644
--- a/linux/task.go
+++ b/linux/task.go
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"sync"
 
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-
 	"github.com/containerd/cgroups"
 	eventstypes "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types/task"
@@ -20,6 +17,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
 	runc "github.com/containerd/go-runc"
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/stevvooe/ttrpc"
 )
 
 // Task on a linux based system
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ func (t *Task) State(ctx context.Context) (runtime.State, error) {
 		ID: t.id,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		if err != grpc.ErrServerStopped {
+		if errors.Cause(err) != ttrpc.ErrClosed {
 			return runtime.State{}, errdefs.FromGRPC(err)
 		}
 		return runtime.State{}, errdefs.ErrNotFound
diff --git a/services/tasks/service.go b/services/tasks/service.go
index 21b1813f4..4236f63fd 100644
--- a/services/tasks/service.go
+++ b/services/tasks/service.go
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func (s *service) DeleteProcess(ctx context.Context, r *api.DeleteProcessRequest
 func processFromContainerd(ctx context.Context, p runtime.Process) (*task.Process, error) {
 	state, err := p.State(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPC(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	var status task.Status
 	switch state.Status {
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func (s *service) Get(ctx context.Context, r *api.GetRequest) (*api.GetResponse,
 	}
 	t, err := processFromContainerd(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, errdefs.ToGRPC(err)
 	}
 	return &api.GetResponse{
 		Process: t,
@@ -290,7 +290,9 @@ func addTasks(ctx context.Context, r *api.ListTasksResponse, tasks []runtime.Tas
 	for _, t := range tasks {
 		tt, err := processFromContainerd(ctx, t)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.G(ctx).WithError(err).WithField("id", t.ID()).Error("converting task to protobuf")
+			if !errdefs.IsNotFound(err) { // handle race with deletion
+				log.G(ctx).WithError(err).WithField("id", t.ID()).Error("converting task to protobuf")
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 		r.Tasks = append(r.Tasks, tt)