diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go
index 5ce08f72e..bfac57986 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/commands.go
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ var (
 			Usage: "Runtime name or absolute path to runtime binary",
 			Value: defaults.DefaultRuntime,
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "sandbox",
+			Usage: "Create the container in the given sandbox",
+		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:  "runtime-config-path",
 			Usage: "Optional runtime config path",
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run.go
index a24d344b6..c6833aeb7 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run.go
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ var Command = cli.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 		defer cancel()
+
 		container, err := NewContainer(ctx, client, context)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_unix.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_unix.go
index 28cec07de..81ba9d111 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_unix.go
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ func NewContainer(ctx gocontext.Context, client *containerd.Client, context *cli
 		spec  containerd.NewContainerOpts
 	)
 
+	if sandbox := context.String("sandbox"); sandbox != "" {
+		cOpts = append(cOpts, containerd.WithSandbox(sandbox))
+	}
+
 	if config {
 		cOpts = append(cOpts, containerd.WithContainerLabels(commands.LabelArgs(context.StringSlice("label"))))
 		opts = append(opts, oci.WithSpecFromFile(context.String("config")))
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_windows.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_windows.go
index 646b42c6a..09353a209 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/run/run_windows.go
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ func NewContainer(ctx gocontext.Context, client *containerd.Client, context *cli
 		config = context.IsSet("config")
 	)
 
+	if sandbox := context.String("sandbox"); sandbox != "" {
+		cOpts = append(cOpts, containerd.WithSandbox(sandbox))
+	}
+
 	if config {
 		id = context.Args().First()
 		opts = append(opts, oci.WithSpecFromFile(context.String("config")))