diff --git a/cmd/containerd-stress/exec_worker.go b/cmd/containerd-stress/exec_worker.go
index 54ced023e..32c9a737e 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-stress/exec_worker.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-stress/exec_worker.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
@@ -39,14 +38,9 @@ func (w *execWorker) exec(ctx, tctx context.Context) {
 		w.wg.Done()
 		logrus.Infof("worker %d finished", w.id)
 	}()
-	// create and start the exec container
-	w.spec.Linux.CgroupsPath = filepath.Join("/", "stress", "exec-container")
-	w.spec.Process.Args = []string{
-		"sleep", "30d",
-	}
 	c, err := w.client.NewContainer(ctx, "exec-container",
 		containerd.WithNewSnapshot("exec-container", w.image),
-		containerd.WithSpec(w.spec, oci.WithUsername("games")),
+		containerd.WithNewSpec(oci.WithImageConfig(w.image), oci.WithUsername("games"), oci.WithProcessArgs("sleep", "30d")),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.WithError(err).Error("create exec container")
@@ -66,8 +60,13 @@ func (w *execWorker) exec(ctx, tctx context.Context) {
 		logrus.WithError(err).Error("wait exec container's task")
 		return
 	}
+	spec, err := c.Spec(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		logrus.WithError(err).Error("failed to get spec")
+		return
+	}
 
-	pspec := w.spec.Process
+	pspec := spec.Process
 	pspec.Args = []string{"true"}
 
 	for {
diff --git a/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go b/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go
index 4ff62599e..6d21ce2d9 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/containers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/oci"
 	metrics "github.com/docker/go-metrics"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
@@ -227,7 +225,6 @@ func test(c config) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	logrus.Info("generating spec from image")
 	tctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, c.Duration)
 	go func() {
 		s := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
@@ -241,7 +238,6 @@ func test(c config) error {
 		r       = &run{}
 	)
 	logrus.Info("starting stress test run...")
-	args := oci.WithProcessArgs("true")
 	v, err := client.Version(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -249,18 +245,9 @@ func test(c config) error {
 	// create the workers along with their spec
 	for i := 0; i < c.Concurrency; i++ {
 		wg.Add(1)
-		spec, err := oci.GenerateSpec(ctx, client,
-			&containers.Container{},
-			oci.WithImageConfig(image),
-			args,
-		)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		w := &worker{
 			id:     i,
 			wg:     &wg,
-			spec:   spec,
 			image:  image,
 			client: client,
 			commit: v.Revision,
@@ -270,19 +257,10 @@ func test(c config) error {
 	var exec *execWorker
 	if c.Exec {
 		wg.Add(1)
-		spec, err := oci.GenerateSpec(ctx, client,
-			&containers.Container{},
-			oci.WithImageConfig(image),
-			args,
-		)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		exec = &execWorker{
 			worker: worker{
 				id:     c.Concurrency,
 				wg:     &wg,
-				spec:   spec,
 				image:  image,
 				client: client,
 				commit: v.Revision,
diff --git a/cmd/containerd-stress/worker.go b/cmd/containerd-stress/worker.go
index ca6687d1c..0b9b2801a 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-stress/worker.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-stress/worker.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cio"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/oci"
-	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
@@ -39,7 +37,6 @@ type worker struct {
 
 	client *containerd.Client
 	image  containerd.Image
-	spec   *specs.Spec
 	commit string
 }
 
@@ -76,10 +73,9 @@ func (w *worker) run(ctx, tctx context.Context) {
 
 func (w *worker) runContainer(ctx context.Context, id string) (err error) {
 	// fix up cgroups path for a default config
-	w.spec.Linux.CgroupsPath = filepath.Join("/", "stress", id)
 	c, err := w.client.NewContainer(ctx, id,
 		containerd.WithNewSnapshot(id, w.image),
-		containerd.WithSpec(w.spec, oci.WithUsername("games")),
+		containerd.WithNewSpec(oci.WithImageConfig(w.image), oci.WithUsername("games"), oci.WithProcessArgs("true")),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err