diff --git a/api/grpc/server/server.go b/api/grpc/server/server.go
index 1b8736ecc..bc696e7b4 100644
--- a/api/grpc/server/server.go
+++ b/api/grpc/server/server.go
@@ -146,7 +146,11 @@ func createAPIContainer(c runtime.Container, getPids bool) (*types.Container, er
 		procs = append(procs, appendToProcs)
 	}
 	var pids []int
-	state := c.State()
+	state, err := c.Status()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, grpc.Errorf(codes.Internal, "get status for container: "+err.Error())
+	}
+
 	if getPids && (state == runtime.Running || state == runtime.Paused) {
 		if pids, err = c.Pids(); err != nil {
 			return nil, grpc.Errorf(codes.Internal, "get all pids for container: "+err.Error())
diff --git a/runtime/container_linux.go b/runtime/container_linux.go
index f573473bb..2c6bc7fb1 100644
--- a/runtime/container_linux.go
+++ b/runtime/container_linux.go
@@ -286,7 +286,22 @@ func (c *container) Stats() (*Stat, error) {
 
 // Status implements the runtime Container interface.
 func (c *container) Status() (State, error) {
-	return "running", nil
+	args := c.runtimeArgs
+	args = append(args, "state", c.id)
+
+	out, err := exec.Command(c.runtime, args...).CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf(string(out))
+	}
+
+	// We only require the runtime json output to have a top level Status field.
+	var s struct {
+		Status State `json:"status"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(out, &s); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return s.Status, nil
 }
 
 func (c *container) OOM() (OOM, error) {