diff --git a/container_linux_test.go b/container_linux_test.go
index 8cc9555dd..ac1c8c47c 100644
--- a/container_linux_test.go
+++ b/container_linux_test.go
@@ -133,10 +133,6 @@ func TestShimInCgroup(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer client.Close()
-	if CheckRuntime(client.runtime, "io.containerd.runc") {
-		t.Skip()
-	}
-
 	var (
 		ctx, cancel = testContext()
 		id          = t.Name()
@@ -160,12 +156,7 @@ func TestShimInCgroup(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	defer cg.Delete()
 
-	task, err := container.NewTask(ctx, empty(), func(_ context.Context, client *Client, r *TaskInfo) error {
-		r.Options = &runctypes.CreateOptions{
-			ShimCgroup: path,
-		}
-		return nil
-	})
+	task, err := container.NewTask(ctx, empty(), WithShimCgroup(path))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/runtime/v2/runc/v1/service.go b/runtime/v2/runc/v1/service.go
index 269d26471..2125b8ae7 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/runc/v1/service.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/runc/v1/service.go
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ import (
 	taskAPI "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/task"
 	runcC "github.com/containerd/go-runc"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 	ptypes "github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -163,6 +165,31 @@ func (s *service) StartShim(ctx context.Context, id, containerdBinary, container
 	if err := shim.WriteAddress("address", address); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
+	if data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(os.Stdin); err == nil {
+		if len(data) > 0 {
+			var any types.Any
+			if err := proto.Unmarshal(data, &any); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			v, err := typeurl.UnmarshalAny(&any)
+			if err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			if opts, ok := v.(*options.Options); ok {
+				if opts.ShimCgroup != "" {
+					cg, err := cgroups.Load(cgroups.V1, cgroups.StaticPath(opts.ShimCgroup))
+					if err != nil {
+						return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to load cgroup %s", opts.ShimCgroup)
+					}
+					if err := cg.Add(cgroups.Process{
+						Pid: cmd.Process.Pid,
+					}); err != nil {
+						return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to join cgroup %s", opts.ShimCgroup)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	if err := shim.SetScore(cmd.Process.Pid); err != nil {
 		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to set OOM Score on shim")
 	}
diff --git a/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go b/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go
index 9fc2d1b9d..4623a78ed 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ import (
 	taskAPI "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/task"
 	runcC "github.com/containerd/go-runc"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 	ptypes "github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -206,6 +208,31 @@ func (s *service) StartShim(ctx context.Context, id, containerdBinary, container
 	if err := shim.WriteAddress("address", address); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
+	if data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(os.Stdin); err == nil {
+		if len(data) > 0 {
+			var any types.Any
+			if err := proto.Unmarshal(data, &any); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			v, err := typeurl.UnmarshalAny(&any)
+			if err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			if opts, ok := v.(*options.Options); ok {
+				if opts.ShimCgroup != "" {
+					cg, err := cgroups.Load(cgroups.V1, cgroups.StaticPath(opts.ShimCgroup))
+					if err != nil {
+						return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to load cgroup %s", opts.ShimCgroup)
+					}
+					if err := cg.Add(cgroups.Process{
+						Pid: cmd.Process.Pid,
+					}); err != nil {
+						return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to join cgroup %s", opts.ShimCgroup)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	if err := shim.SetScore(cmd.Process.Pid); err != nil {
 		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to set OOM Score on shim")
 	}
diff --git a/task_opts_unix.go b/task_opts_unix.go
index d3b51a76d..8b498d47e 100644
--- a/task_opts_unix.go
+++ b/task_opts_unix.go
@@ -77,3 +77,29 @@ func WithNoPivotRoot(_ context.Context, _ *Client, ti *TaskInfo) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// WithShimCgroup sets the existing cgroup for the shim
+func WithShimCgroup(path string) NewTaskOpts {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, c *Client, ti *TaskInfo) error {
+		if CheckRuntime(ti.Runtime(), "io.containerd.runc") {
+			if ti.Options == nil {
+				ti.Options = &options.Options{}
+			}
+			opts, ok := ti.Options.(*options.Options)
+			if !ok {
+				return errors.New("invalid v2 shim create options format")
+			}
+			opts.ShimCgroup = path
+		} else {
+			if ti.Options == nil {
+				ti.Options = &runctypes.CreateOptions{}
+			}
+			opts, ok := ti.Options.(*runctypes.CreateOptions)
+			if !ok {
+				return errors.New("could not cast TaskInfo Options to CreateOptions")
+			}
+			opts.ShimCgroup = path
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}